Australia and New Zealand were first settled by Aboriginal and Maori people thousands of years ago. They were later colonized by Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Both countries have diverse climates and landscapes, and are wealthy, developed nations today. The Pacific Islands have a variety of climates and were some of the last places settled by humans, resulting in unique cultures. Antarctica is a frozen continent covered in ice and home only to research stations, with climate research being a major focus.

1. Chapter 29 The Pacific World

2. Section 1 Australia & New Zealand

3. Physical Geography Truly Unique Places Physical features, variety of climates, unusual wildlife, & plentiful resources

4. Physical Features Differ Widely Australia Wide, flat stretches of dry land Surrounded by water 3 million square miles (considered a continent, not just an island) Huge plateau covers western half Home to Uluru or Ayers Rock Low mts., valleys, & a major river system cover eastern half Fertile plains along the coast Great Barrier Reef off NE coast

5. New Zealand Green hills & tall mountains 1,000 miles SE of Australia 2 main islands North Island: covered by hills & coastal plains Volcanoes, geysers, & hot springs South Island Large mt. range (Southern Alps Thick forests, deep lakes, & glaciers Fertile hills & rich plains Fjord

6. Climate Australia Desert & steppe climates Temps are warm & rain limited More temperate along the coasts New Zealand Marine climate Plentiful rainfall & mild temps

7. Wildlife & Resources Home to unique animals Kangaroo, koala, & kiwi Australia’s Resources World’s top producer of bauxite, lead, diamonds, & opals Energy resources: coal, natural gas, & oil Poor soil, but grow/raise: wheat, cotton, & sheep New Zealand Fertile land & few mineral resources Main resources: wool, timber, & gold

8. History Similar history Both settled by settler from the Pacific Early Settlers Aborigines 1st humans in Australia Came from Southeast Asia 40,000 years ago Hunted animals & gathered food from wild plants Had many different languages, traditions, & customs Maori Came 1,200 years ago to New Zealand Were fishers & hunters Also used farming to survive

9. The Arrival of Europeans European explorers 1st sighted countries in 1600s British 1769 James Cook explored New Zealand & the following year Australia British settled in Australia 20 years later 1st were prisoners Other settlers came and built farms & ranches & took over Aborigines’ lands Many died of disease British arrived in New Zealand in 1800s. Signed a treaty with Maori in 1840 Became part of British Empire Tensions led to a series of wars over the land

10. Independence Early 1900s independence granted to Australia & New Zealand Today both are members of the British Commonwealth of Nations Also close allies of the U.K. Helped British & allies during WWI & WWII

11. Australia & New Zealand Today Both are rich and well-developed despite their isolation Government British style gov’t influence British monarch is head of state in both countries Both have parliamentary democracies Citizens elect members to represent them in parliament Both have prime minister Prime minister & Parliament runs the gov’t Both have similar features of U.S. gov’t Federal system (central power shares power w/ states) Parliament consists of two houses (House of Reps & Senate) Bill of Rights protects individual rights of New Zealand’s citizens

12. Economy Rich, economically developed country Agriculture is very important Leading producer of wool Both export meat & Dairy products Mining is also important Bauxite, gold, & uranium in the Outback Industries steel, heavy machines, & computers Banking, insurance, & tourism

13. People Diverse populations Most are of British ancestry Many groups from around the world have migrated to both countries in recent years Native groups make up small % of populations Challenge Improving economic & political status of Aborigines & Maori Most live in urban areas 90% of Australians live in large cities along the coasts 10 % in the Outback In New Zealand most people live on North Island

14. Section 2 The Pacific Islands

15. Pacific Islands 3 Regions: Melanesia Micronesia Polynesia Regions have high & low islands

16. High islands 2 types: Oceanic = formed by volcanoes rising from the sea floor Tahiti & Hawaii Continental = formed from continental rock; lie on Australia’s continental shelf New Guinea: world’s second largest island; Mt. range stretches across the central part (highest peak reaches 16,535 feet); western part is called Irian Jaya & is part of Indonesia; Papua New Guinea occupies eastern half of island Low Islands Most made of coral Barely rise above sea level Many are atolls

17. Climate & Resources All but 2 island countries lie in the tropics Most have humid tropical climate Temps are warm & rainfall is common all year Some islands have tropical savanna climate (rain falls mostly in summer) Cool highland climate also found Mts. of New Guinea Resources vary widely Low Islands have few resources Little freshwater & thin soil limit farming Smaller populations Coconut palms & the sea are important sources of food High Islands have freshwater, good soils, & forest resources Farms produce crops such as coffee, cocoa, bananas, & sugarcane New Guinea has copper, gold, silver, & oil Mining difficult due to rugged highlands & dense tropical forests

18. History & Culture One of last places settle by humans Because of isolation they have unique history & culture

19. Early History People began to settle Pacific Islands 35,000 years ago Melanesia was first to be settled 1500s Europeans encountered Pacific Islands James Cook explored all the main Pacific Island regions 1800s Spain, U.K., & France controlled most of the Pacific Islands

20. Modern History 1900s Other countries entered the Pacific Islands U.S. defeated Spain in Spanish-American War & Guam became a U.S. territory (an area that is under the authority of another gov’t) Japan expanded empire into Pacific Ocean During WWII Pacific Islands were place of battles between Allied & Japanese forces U.N. placed some islands under its control at the end of WWII Many islands became independent in the late 1900s U.S., France, & New Zealand still have territories in Pacific Islands

21. Culture Variety of cultures exist Some traits are common throughout the Pacific Islands Fishing People 9 million live in Pacific Islands today Most are descendents of original settlers Also includes large #’s of Asians (Indians & Chinese) & Europeans Asians were brought to work on colonial plantations

22. Before Europeans Pacific Island people practiced hundreds of different religions Today most are Christians Traditions Many continue to practice traditional customs Construct homes of bamboo & palm leaves Live in ancient villages, practice ancient art styles, & hold ceremonies w/ traditional costumes & dances

23. The Pacific Islands Today Healthy tourism industry Sunny beaches Important challenges Developing economies Fishing, tourism, & agriculture are key Some export minerals & timber Regions’ isolation hinders ability to trade Environment Islands were used for nuclear testing from 1940s to 1990s People fear health problems for people of region Global warming concerns islanders Rising temps may cause ocean levels to rise

24. Section 3 Antarctica

25. The Land Ice covers 98% of Antarctica’s 5.4 million square miles 90% of world’s ice; sheets are more than 1 mile thick Ice sheets flow slowly off the continent & form an ice shelf when they reach the coast; icebergs often break away and drift into the ocean Ross Ice Shelf is the size of France One recent iceberg the size of Luxembourg Antarctic Peninsula Temps often warmer than other parts of the continent

26. Climate & Resources Mostly freezing ice-cap climate Temp below -120 degrees F w/ little precipitation Polar desert: high latitude region that receives little precipitation Less precipitation than Sahara Desert Planet’s coldest, driest, highest, & windiest continent remains totally dark in winter In summer the sun never sets Temps can drop as low as -120 degrees F Tundra plant life survives in ice free areas A few insects are the land’s only land animals Penguins, seals, & whales live in the icy waters

27. Resources Iron ore, gold, copper, & coal Debate over whether resources should be mined Mining would harm continent’s environment Worthwhile for businesses

28. Early Explorers 1775 James Cook sighted icebergs around Antarctica 1800s explorers investigated Antarctica Motive was to discover South Pole Norwegian explorers were 1st human expedition to reach South Pole in 1911 Parts of Antarctica have been claimed by countries U.S., Australia, & China Antarctic Treaty of 1959 agreement reached to preserve Antarctica for science & peace Prevented claims to the continent & banned military activity & made whole continent a research area

29. Antarctica Today Only continent without permanent human population Researchers only people who live in Antarctica Live in bases or stations Research covers wide range of topics Plant and animal life of Antarctica, weather conditions, Earth’s ozone layer

30. Air Pollution Studies show that carbon dioxide levels in the air have risen over time Discovered by studying gases trapped in old Antarctic ice & compared them to gases in the Earth’s atmosphere today Some believe this is causing global warming Some scientists are looking for evidence that air pollution is damaging Earth’s ozone layer

31. Environmental Threats Tourists & researchers have left behind trash & oil spills have occurred Oil spills have damaged surrounding seas In 1991 an international agreement was reached forbidding most activities in Antarctica that do not have a scientific purpose Bans mining & drilling & limits tourism