Explore the World: The Geography of Australia and the Pacific Realm
Melanesia Micronesia Polynesia A JOURNEY TO THE PACIFIC The geography of this region is quite diverse The Pacific Imagine a region characterized by the huge Pacific Ocean yet also featuring deserts volcanos and forests It’s home to animals and plants that exist nowhere else on Earth from the koala bear to the duck billed platypus This unique region is Australia and the Pacific realm Islands are a main feature of the Pacific realm region They include the larger islands of New Zealand and New Guinea as well as thousands of smaller islands Three major groups of islands in this region are Melanesia Micronesia and Polynesia Australia is not part of the Pacific realm but it is often included in a term for the broader region Oceania Australia is an island a country and a continent The Pacific realm encompasses three major culture areas Polynesia Melanesia and Micronesia Australia lies to the southwest of the realm DIVERSE DIFFERENT OR VARIED 4
THINK LIKE A GEOGRAPHER THREE TYPES OF ISLANDS Three types of islands make up Oceania continental islands high islands and low islands Continental islands in the Pacific region include Australia New Zealand and New Guinea They are large islands with diverse geography that includes everything from deserts to mountains High islands are created through volcanic activity and have a steep peak in the center Low islands are made up of coral and are usually just around sea level Sometimes rings of low islands form atolls CONTINENTAL ISLAND AN ISLAND FORMED BY TECTONIC PLATE MOVEMENT THAT CAUSES THE RISING AND FOLDING OF THE OCEAN FLOOR Beaches such as Bondi Beach near Sydney Australia are major features of the Pacific realm’s geography Tropical tourism plays an important role in the region PARTS OF THE PACIFIC REALM HAVE STRONG AMERICAN INFLUENCES THE STATE OF HAWAII AND THE TERRITORIES OF GUAM AND AMERICAN SAMOA ARE FOUND WITHIN THE PACIFIC REALM ATOLL A CIRCULAR SHAPED ISLAND THAT HAS FORMED FROM A CORAL REEF 5
THINK LIKE GEOGRAPHER AMAZING AUSTRALIA The Great Dividing Range a mountain chain runs along Australia’s Australia is the largest island in the region covering 2,969,906 square miles 7,692,021 2 sq km The continent includes rain forests and farmland as well as dry desert lands Expansive forests can be found in Australia’s northern tropical regions east coast subtropical regions and warm and cool southeast temperate zones eastern coast The mountains are a source of water for Australia’s rivers and Australia’s main source of inland fresh water the Great Artesian Basin Many people settle along the coastline to enjoy its sandy beaches and famous water sports like surfing Australia can also be deadly It is home to deadly weather events like bushfires which can create fire tornados It is also home to some of the world’s deadliest animals like the box jellyfish the stonefish the inland taipan snake and the saltwater crocodile A ULURU ALSO KNOWN AS AYERS ROCK IS AN ISOLATED MASS OF WEATHERED ROCK IN AUSTRALIA’S SOUTHWESTERN NORTHERN TERRITORY AT 1,142 FEET 348 M ABOVE THE DESERT PLAIN IT’S THE WORLD’S LARGEST MONOLITH AND VERY IMPORTANT TO ABORIGINAL PEOPLE ABORIGINAL AN ADJECTIVE THAT DESCRIBES ANYONE FROM AN INDIGENOUS GROUP ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD OR SPECIFICALLY A MEMBER OF THE INDIGENOUS ABORIGINAL PEOPLES OF AUSTRALIA 6
THE OUTSTANDING OUTBACK Australia’s outback is the dry sparsely populated inland areas of Australia including the Gibson Great Sandy Great Victoria and Tanami deserts The Great Victoria Desert is the largest featuring a vast expanse of sand hills dry salt lakes and stony plains in western and southern Australia The region doesn’t receive much rainfall Some places get fewer than 6 inches 15 2 cm of rain per year Extreme temperatures are also common and desertification is a growing concern in Australia BEADED GECKO OUTBACK THE ARID INLAND AREAS OF THE AUSTRALIAN CONTINENT While it doesn’t support much human life the Great Victoria Desert contains many reserves that support a variety of wildlife including 95 reptile species and 15 bird species Adaptations allow wildlife to thrive in dry areas ADAPTATION A CHANGE IN A LIVING THING THAT HELPS IT LIVE BETTER IN ITS HABITAT 7
