australia and the pacific

Australia and the Pacific

Pages 834 – 841

And 846 - 855

Vocabulary

• Atoll – A ring shaped coral island enclosing a body of water.

• Coral Reef – A formation of rock like material made up of the skeletons of tiny sea creatures.

• Coup – A sudden violent overthrow of a government.

Vocabulary

• Indigenous – People native to a region.

• Outback – A sparsely inhabited region with low plateaus and plains.

• Primary Industry – Involves the collection of resources from nature.

• Secondary Industry – Involves the use of resources to create new products.

Section 1: Chapter Atlas

• Australia• New Zealand• Micronesia• Melanesia• Polynesia• Great Barrier Reef• Indian Ocean • Pacific Ocean


• This region is made up of tens of thousands of islands.

• Each island has different climates, ecosystems, and resources that make them unique.


• Australia is the largest island in this region. • There are three sub regions of islands –

Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

Section 1: Chapter Atlas• Australia is the Earth’s smallest continent. It is

also a country. • Australia contains some amazing landform

features such as Ayers Rock, the Outback, and the Great Barrier Reef.


• Melanesia is north of Australia. It is the most densely populated area of this region.

• Micronesia is north of Melanesia. Almost all of the island are coral islands with sandy beaches.

• Polynesia is the largest sub region. It stretches from New Zealand to the Hawaiian Islands.

Section 1: Chapter Atlas• Polynesia like the other areas

of this region have two types of islands.

• Low Islands are located just above sea level. They have little fresh water and poor soil. Many of them are atolls.

• High Islands are rocky, mountainous, and volcanic. They also have very fertile soil.


• The Indo Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate are moving towards each other at a rate of a few inches per year.

• This movement is pushing up the ground and creating new islands and volcanoes.


• The land broke away millions of years ago and these islands have been isolated.

• The plants and animals have adapted and changed in different ways than the rest of the world.

• The introduction of other animals, like rabbits, wild pigs, and snakes, to this region has harmed the ecosystems.

Section 1: Chapter Atlas• Weather patterns vary greatly in this region. • Elevation, wind, and ocean currents can cause the

variations in climate.


• Australia’s climate varies greatly from one side of the island to the other.

• They can get extremely hot temperatures. In fact they have recently added a new temperature zone to Australia’s map. It is for temps. Above 120 degrees Fahrenheit!

Section 1: Chapter Atlas• New Zealand has a

maritime climate. It is a lot cooler and receives more precipitation than Australia.

• The rest of the Pacific Islands basically have a humid subtropical climate. This means they have high temperatures all year long and receive a lot of precipitation.


• Wildfires are a big threat to this region, especially Australia.

• In Australia the wet summer months allows the grasses to grow throughout the Outback. Then in the winter months the grasses dry out and wildfires occur.

Section 1: Chapter Atlas• Australians and New

Zealander’s primarily live in urban areas.

• Australians primarily live on the east coast because it is a milder climate.

• 90% of the 22 Million people live on the coast in cities like the capital city, Sydney.

Section 1: Chapter Atlas• Australia has many natural resources. – Bauxite, iron, coal, natural gas, and diamonds.

• New Zealand has few mineral resources.• Both countries have big farms and ranches. – Australia produces cotton, wheat, and sheep.– New Zealand produces wool. – Farming is easier in New Zealand than Australia because New

Zealand has much more precipitation.


• The Pacific Island populations generally live in small villages rather than urban areas.

• Most low islands have poor soil and few mineral resources.

• High islands generally have fertile soil and many resources. – The high islands generally produce

bananas, cacao (chocolate), gold, copper, and petroleum.

Section 2: Australia and The Pacific Today

• This region has a diverse population. • Most Australians and New Zealanders have

decedents that are English. (England sent its convicts to settle Australia!)

• More and more Asians and Pacific Islanders are moving into this area.

• A small number of Australians and New Zealanders are decedents of indigenous people.


• Australia has about 1% of their 22 million people that are aboriginal.

• New Zealand is about 8% of their 4 million people that are Maori.

• Each of these groups were mistreated by Europeans during colonization. The governments are working to compensate the indigenous people for the mistreatments.


• Pacific Islanders are primarily indigenous people.

• They have been influenced by European colonization. Many of them now believe in Christianity rather then their original religions.

• They have found way however to keep their art, dance, and music alive.


• Australia and New Zealand were once colonies of Britain, so their governments are similar to Britain’s government.

• Both are parliamentary governments. This means the people elect a parliament and parliament elects a prime minister. The prime minister is the head of parliament. Together they run the country.

Section 2: Australia and

The Pacific Today

• Both Australia and New Zealand have regional or state governments that are allowed to govern locally.

• The rights and responsibilities of Australia and New Zealand are similar to the United States. People have rights like freedom of speech and religion.

• However, there are some differences. A big difference is that if you are registered to vote in Australia and you do not, you can be fined.


• The governments of the Pacific Islands is mostly democratic.

• There are some however that faced corruption.

• Fiji is one example. Since 1987 there have been 4 coups led by the military.

Section 2: Australia and

The Pacific Today

• Australia and New Zealand have market economies.

• Most of the Pacific Islands have developing economies.


• Australia’s majors industries:– Agriculture– Mining– Tourism– Manufacturing

• Some resources are exported to Asia but many Australian businesses are secondary businesses.

• This means their businesses use resources to make new products that are then sold.


• Due to its highly educated people and great technology Australia has modernized and successful industries.

• This results in a wealthy economy and high economic output per person.


• New Zealand has a similar but smaller economy compared to Australia.

• Their most important industries are service industries and tourism.

• New Zealand farmers raise cattle and sheep for meat, dairy, and wool products.


• Pacific Island economies rely on primary industries.

• Agriculture and fishing are important primary industries.

• They Island nations have banded together in the Pacific Island’s Forum. The think that they will have better industries and opportunities for tourism this way.


• The economies of this region rely on the environment and there are challenges to the environment.

• Drought – Lack of water is causing Australian farms to produce less and less food. Also, this could create perfect conditions for wildfires.

• Nuclear Weapons – The United States and Great Britain tested nuclear weapons in this area from 1940-1990. The testing could cause harmful effects for the region.

• Climate Change – The change in the weather over a long period of time is of concern in the Pacific region because it can cause water levels to rise.

Section 4:Antarctica• Covered by a sheet of ice and surrounded by

water. • Least populated place on Earth• Coldest and windiest place on Earth.

Section 4:Antarctica

• 98% of Antarctica is covered with a sheet of ice. • That ice holds most of the world’s fresh water. • Glaciers form in the valleys and move toward

the coast. • When they reach the water they break off and

become icebergs. • Pack Ice forms In the winter when the water

freezes near the coastline.


• The Transantarctic Mountains divide the continent into East Antarctica and West Antarctica.

• The interior of the continent is very dry. The little bit of snow that falls doesn’t melt.


• Coal and Iron Ore are the resources found here.

• Only a few small plants like algae and moss can grow in this region.

• Penguins, seals, and other marine life spend most of their time in the water and not on the continent.


• Until the 1900’s Antarctica was not well known. • Since it has not been disturbed by humans like

other continents, scientist look at it like a huge laboratory.


• Early Explorers – • Ronald Amundsen: Journeyed to the South Pole.

Reached it Dec. 1911. • Robert Scott : Reached the South Pole Jan. 1912. His

entire team died in a blizzard on the return trip. • Ernest Shackleton : Set out to cross Antarctica but his

ship was destroyed. His crew survived by living on an ice floe. They eventually crossed the ocean and got help.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shackletonold.jpg


• Early explorers claimed land in Antarctic. • By the 1940’s the claimed lands overlapped and started to

cause tension. • Twelve countries came together and signed the Antarctic

Treaty. This document preserved Antarctica for peaceful and scientific use.

• Over the years more treaties have been signed.


• There are no permanent settlements on Antarctic.

• There are scientific research stations throughout the continent.

• The scientist study oceans, glaciers, and climate.


• Scientist study the past to learn about what might happen in the future.

• They drill deep into the ice and examine the samples to learn about the climate during the time the ice was formed.

Section 4:Antarctica• Scientist also study the ozone layer, the

layer of the atmosphere that protects us from the sun’s dangerous rays.

• The ozone is thinning over Antarctica. This area is known as a the hole in the ozone. It allows ultraviolet radiation to reach the earth.

• The man-made chemical compound that has created this hole have been banned. They believe if the ban is kept in place the hole in the ozone with eventually close up.

australia and the pacific

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