The Pacific IslandsA.K.A - Oceania

Section 1Objectives

• Identify the main physical features of the Pacific Islands region and the physical processes that affect them.

• Explain how the the Pacific Islands region is divided into subregions.

• Describe the climates, biomes, and resources found in the region.

Physical Features

• The Pacific Ocean- This is the largest natural feature on Earth.

• 1/3 of the worlds surface

• 10,000 + Islands in this region

• Islands here are either High Islands or Low Islands

• High Islands are usually mountainous and are formed from volcanoes.

• Low Islands are formed from coral build up.

Coral Reefs

• Coral is formed by colonies of tiny marine life. Millions of skeletons build up and form coral reefs.

• Coral reefs provide food and shelter for much of the marine life.

• Coral reefs have been called the rain forests of the ocean because of he biological diversity. 25% of all ocean species are found in coral reefs.

Physical Processes

• High Islands typically have rich volcanic soil.

• The variation in elevation allows high islands to receive rain. Rain Shadow Effect!

• Low Islands typically less fertile, and often have no sources of freshwater.

• Very tectonically active here

• Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and resulting tsunamis

Mariana Trench

• The average depth of the Pacific Ocean in 14,000 feet.

• The deepest point, the Mariana Trench, is more than 36,000 feet below sea level.

• Oceanic trenches are the result of plate subduction.

• Volcanic ridges often run parallel to the trenches.

Three Island Groups

• The Pacific Islands are divided into 3 subregions

• Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia

• Melanesia – Lies closest to Australia, Mostly mountains and Volcanoes

• Micronesia – East of the Philippines, north of the Equator

• Polynesia – Largest of the 3 subregions

Climates, Biomes, and Resources

• Most of the region’s islands lie in between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

• Climates are generally hot with high rainfall

• Fish and shellfish are very important resource

• Lobsters, octopuses, sharks, shrimp, and tuna

• Cultured Pearls are harvested from oysters.

• Timber

Section 2 Objectives

• Identify some important events in the region’s history

• Describe the traditions and culture of the region

European Arrival

• Europeans began to explore the Pacific Islands in the 1500’s

• Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese sailor but who was working for Spain, was the first to arrive

• Spanish, Dutch, British and French all came exploring------then Germany, Japan, and the United States began searching for colonies in the region.

• The French used their island colony, New Caledonia, as a prison.

European Influence

• Lots of whale hunting in the region-----whale oil was used for lighting and industrial uses before the discovery of Petroleum.

• Diseases like influenza and measles were spread to the local islanders.

• Many islanders were enslaved, and many traditions were lost.

• The islands became battlefields between 1941 and 1945----WWII.

• After the war, the United States has remained as a presence----several military bases in Guam, Wake Island, and American Samoa.

Traditions and Culture

• There are many variations to culture here, but there are some generalizations about cultural features that exist all over the pacific islands.

• Many languages and cultures developed independently because of the huge amount of ocean in between islands.

• On New Guinea, thick rain forests and large mountains separated people---more than 700 languages are spoken on the Island of New Guinea.

• Some Pacific people have developed simplified universal languages based on English called pidgin languages.

Education and Religion

• Almost all children in Polynesia and Micronesia now receive education through the high school level.

• Schooling is not yet available to everyone in Melanesia.

• There are several universities that mostly teach in English.

• Early traditional religions—people worshiped many gods—carved statues, costumes, masks and dance were usually part of religious rituals.

• Christianity is the main religion of in the Pacific Islands today.

Food

• Before the Euros there were 3 main root crops--Sweet potatoes, Taro, and yams

• 3 main tree crops were bananas, breadfruit, and coconut.

• Coconut palm was particularly useful

Eat the soft flesh

• Drank the milk

• Used the shells as containers

• Made roofs and baskets

Food

• Fish is the main source of protein

• Before Euros---domesticated animals were limited chickens, dogs, and pigs.

• No dogs lived on the Marquesas Islands

• Pigs were usually served at only special celebrations. Celebrations were ranked based on the number of pigs served.

Traditional Societies

• Historically people were placed into tribes or clans.

• People inherited their rank and the chiefs often distributed land and organized work.

• Often, in Polynesia, the competition for land, resources, and status led to war.

• Elsewhere, people placed less emphasis on inherited rank.

• People could gain status by giving feasts or presenting valuable gifts.

• In Micronesia, groups were often Matrilineal. That is, people traced kinship through the mother.

Section 3 Objectives

• Describe the economies of the Pacific Islands

• Identify some demographic characteristics of the region.

• Examine some challenges that the people of the region face.

Economy

• Economies in the islands have always depended on trade because of the uneven distribution of resources.

• There are very limited resources on the islands, so many places still rely on fishing and subsistence farming for food.

• Coconut oil and coconut meat---copra---have been major exports.

Population and Migration

• Very low total population, but some of the smaller islands are densely populated

• The search for jobs, education, and a better standard of living has pushed people to move to other islands or other countries.

• Often it is the skilled worker who moves away, leaving only inept people on the islands.

Facing Challenges

• Economic development is hurting the environment

• Overmining

• Cutting forests

• Overfishing

• France, Britain, and the U.S have all used their Pacific territories to test nuclear weapons. Radiation still exists there today.

• With global warming, ice caps are melting. This could cause flooding on some of the low islands.