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Chapter 29The Pacific World

Section 1Australia & New Zealand

Physical GeographyTruly Unique Places

Physical features, variety of climates, unusual wildlife, & plentiful resources

Physical FeaturesDiffer WidelyAustralia

Wide, flat stretches of dry landSurrounded by water3 million square miles (considered a continent, not

just an island)Huge plateau covers western half

Home to Uluru or Ayers RockLow mts., valleys, & a major river system cover

eastern halfFertile plains along the coastGreat Barrier Reef off NE coast

New ZealandGreen hills & tall mountains1,000 miles SE of Australia2 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\\

ClimateAustralia

Desert & steppe climatesTemps are warm & rain limited

More temperate along the coasts

New ZealandMarine climatePlentiful rainfall & mild temps

Wildlife & ResourcesHome to unique animals

Kangaroo, koala, & kiwiAustralia’s Resources

World’s top producer of bauxite, lead, diamonds, & opals

Energy resources: coal, natural gas, & oilPoor soil, but grow/raise: wheat, cotton, & sheep

New ZealandFertile land & few mineral resourcesMain resources: wool, timber, & gold

HistorySimilar history

Both settled by settler from the PacificEarly 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

The Arrival of EuropeansEuropean explorers 1st sighted countries in 1600sBritish

1769 James Cook explored New Zealand & the following year Australia British settled in Australia 20 years later

1st were prisonersOther 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

IndependenceEarly 1900s independence granted to

Australia & New ZealandToday both are members of the British

Commonwealth of NationsAlso close allies of the U.K.Helped British & allies during WWI & WWII

Australia & New Zealand TodayBoth are rich and well-developed despite their isolationGovernment

British style gov’t influenceBritish monarch is head of state in both countriesBoth have parliamentary democracies

Citizens elect members to represent them in parliamentBoth have prime minister

Prime minister & Parliament runs the gov’tBoth 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

EconomyRich, economically developed countryAgriculture is very importantLeading producer of woolBoth export meat & Dairy productsMining is also important

Bauxite, gold, & uranium in the OutbackIndustries

steel, heavy machines, & computersBanking, insurance, & tourism

PeopleDiverse populations

Most are of British ancestryMany groups from around the world have migrated to

both countries in recent yearsNative groups make up small % of populations

ChallengeImproving economic & political status of Aborigines &

MaoriMost live in urban areas

90% of Australians live in large cities along the coasts10 % in the OutbackIn New Zealand most people live on North Island

Section 2The Pacific Islands

Pacific Islands3 Regions:

MelanesiaMicronesiaPolynesia

Regions have high & low islands

High islands2 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 IslandsMost made of coralBarely rise above sea level

Many are atolls

Climate & ResourcesAll 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 widelyLow 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

History & CultureOne of last places settle by humansBecause of isolation they have unique history

& culture

Early HistoryPeople began to settle Pacific Islands 35,000

years agoMelanesia was first to be settled1500s

Europeans encountered Pacific IslandsJames Cook explored all the main Pacific Island

regions1800s

Spain, U.K., & France controlled most of the Pacific Islands

Modern History1900s

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 1900sU.S., France, & New Zealand still have territories in

Pacific Islands

CultureVariety of cultures existSome traits are common throughout the

Pacific IslandsFishing

People9 million live in Pacific Islands todayMost are descendents of original settlers

Also includes large #’s of Asians (Indians & Chinese) & Europeans Asians were brought to work on colonial plantations

Before Europeans Pacific Island people practiced hundreds of different religionsToday most are Christians

TraditionsMany 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

The Pacific Islands TodayHealthy tourism industry

Sunny beachesImportant 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

Section 3Antarctica

The LandIce 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

Climate & ResourcesMostly freezing ice-cap climate

Temp below -120 degrees F w/ little precipitationPolar desert: high latitude region that receives little

precipitationLess precipitation than Sahara Desert

Planet’s coldest, driest, highest, & windiest continentremains totally dark in winterIn summer the sun never setsTemps can drop as low as -120 degrees FTundra plant life survives in ice free areasA few insects are the land’s only land animalsPenguins, seals, & whales live in the icy waters

ResourcesIron ore, gold, copper, & coalDebate over whether resources should be

minedMining would harm continent’s environmentWorthwhile for businesses

Early Explorers1775 James Cook sighted icebergs around

Antarctica1800s explorers investigated Antarctica

Motive was to discover South PoleNorwegian explorers were 1st human expedition to reach

South Pole in 1911Parts of Antarctica have been claimed by

countriesU.S., Australia, & China

Antarctic Treaty of 1959 agreement reached to preserve Antarctica for science &

peacePrevented claims to the continent & banned military

activity & made whole continent a research area

Antarctica TodayOnly continent without permanent human

populationResearchers only people who live in

AntarcticaLive in bases or stations

Research covers wide range of topicsPlant and animal life of Antarctica, weather

conditions, Earth’s ozone layer

Air PollutionStudies show that carbon dioxide levels in the

air have risen over timeDiscovered by studying gases trapped in old

Antarctic ice & compared them to gases in the Earth’s atmosphere today

Some believe this is causing global warmingSome scientists are looking for evidence that

air pollution is damaging Earth’s ozone layer

Environmental ThreatsTourists & researchers have left behind

trash & oil spills have occurredOil spills have damaged surrounding seasIn 1991 an international agreement was

reached forbidding most activities in Antarctica that do not have a scientific purposeBans mining & drilling & limits tourism