Transcript Low Islands - cloudfront.net

Physical Geography of Oceania
By: Ray Garcia, Westin Kirby, Rosa Lugo, Brianna Vigil, Vanessa Zuniga
Essential Questions:
1.
“How do physical systems and human systems shape a place?” (pg.828)
2. “How do the islands of Oceania affect settlement?” (pg.828)
3. “How do the bodies of water surrounding the islands of Oceania affect ways of life and
settlement?” (pg.830)
4.
“What landforms are found in the Pacific Ocean?” (pg.830)
5. “How do various climates on the islands of Oceania affect the biomes?” (pg.831)
6. “What are some of the natural resources of Oceania?” (pg.831)
Terms you will need to know:
High Islands = an island with mountain ranges and volcanic soil
Low Islands = an island formed by the buildup of a coral reef on the rim of a submerged
volcano, sometimes known as an atoll
Coral Reef = a reef made up of fragments of coral, coral sands, algal and other organic
deposits, and the solid limestone resulting from their consolation
Micronesia = little islands
Melanesia = black islands
Polynesia = many islands
Offset = to compensate for or serve to counterbalance
Terms you will need to know:
Mauna Kea = largest mountain peak in Hawaiian Islands of Polynesia
Mariana Trench = world’s greatest ocean depth 36,198 ft.
Doldrums = generally windless area
Endemic Species = a certain animal or group of animals found only in that region
Landforms
Oceania consists of three island groups: Melanesia; Micronesia; and Polynesia. (groupings
based on location, how they are formed,and culture.)
Melanesia = Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia (selfgoverning French territory); Papua New Guinea = largest country
Micronesia = Palau, the Federal State of Micronesia, Nauru, and Kiribati, it also includes the
U.S. territories of Guam and the Mariana Islands
Polynesia (largest area span) = Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu (independent)
French Polynesia and Tahiti (Polynesia's largest island) (French Territories)
Some of the Polynesian Islands such as those, make up the state of Hawaii, they
relatively clustered together.
Landforms
The landscape of highlands include; mountain ranges split by valleys that fan out in coastal plains.
These mountains create areas that are almost inaccessible.
Mountain areas on highlands have a greater population density such as the; interior of Papua New
Guinea has a greater population. Differs from Fiji since the more dense population are on
the coast
Settlement patterns = limited by the physical geography of the region
Isolated valleys such as the larger islands in Melanesia created an environmental and cultural
diversity between the people living on the coast and on the interior
Volcanoes = lowlands; such as many of the Marshall Islands, which are known as atolls; they are
formed by the build up of coral reefs on the rim of submerged volcanoes; Atolls encircle
lagoons and usually rise only a few feet above sea level
Low Islands = poor soil and few natural resources; landscape of low islands increased interaction
Brief History on Water Systems
Asian migrants settled in OCeania in family groups along island coasts
They survived on; fish, turtles, and shrimp, as well as breadfruit and coconuts. OVer time they
cultivated root crops including taro and yam.
They raised livestock such as chicken and pigs.
Well-built canoes made trading possible between islands, thus begging the island trading system.
Shell pieces were sometimes used as a way of currency
Water Systems
⅓ of earth's surface = Pacific Ocean
Landforms in the ocean = large various mountain ranges (Mauna Kea = largest mountain peak),
exposed volcanic summits
Mariana Trench are located next to island chains
Important trade routes cross the ocean surrounding the subregion
The majority of the exports moving from west to east and from north to south are
manufactured goods on their way to the markets.
Raw materials = huge major export
Oceania depend heavily on trade -- especially for basic necessities such as foodstuff and
fuels
Water Systems
Freshwater bodies = vary depending on the island type
High Islands = have sources of freshwater and support agriculture
Low ISlands = typically no freshwater sources other than places that catch rain water
Climate and Biomes
Most of the OCeania = tropical wet climate and warm year-round.
Dry season = cloudless skies; Wet season = constant rain and high humidity
High Islands = high enough to force warm, moist air to rise, then cools and condenses
Low Islands = do not have this effect so there is less rainfall
The great expanses of open water in the Pacific Ocean influence wind and pressure patterns,
these are reflected in climate conditions
Doldrums occupy a narrow band near the equator where the direct sun rays of the sun cause
air to rise vertically instead of blowing horizontally
When air rises + the air from north and south drawn from the low surface pressure = trade
winds (which causes typhoons to occur)
Climate and Biome
Amount of rainfall on the island creates both arid and wet climate regions depending on the
location of the island itself
Low Islands = shrubs and grass only grow (dry) ; small portions of arable land, palm and other
trees only grow when heavy rainfall occurs
How and steamy rainforest thrive where heavy rain drenches the interior (Summit of Mount
Waialeale on Hawaii’s island of Kauai = wettest place on earth 450 inches of rain)
Rich soils of high islands = support for a diverse group of plants and animals
Isolation of many islands = endemic species, meaning they are only found in that place.
The international and accidental introduction of new species to the islands of OCeania =
negative changes to the ecosystem
Resources
The Island type and location influence resources
Low Islands = poor soil and few resources beyond the sea
These mainly consist of : coconut oil, dried coconut, bananas, and seabed minerals.
The volcanic materials of the island of American Samoa include an abundance of pumice and
pumicite ( a very light and porous volcanic rock formed when a gas-rich froth of glassy lava
solidifies rapidly).
Fiji also volcanic, has timber, gold, and a potential for offshore oil, Gigi also generates
hydropower
High Islands = rich soils that support agriculture
Export products = sugar, coffee, and cocoa
Resources
Islands with forests (Samoa = harvest hardwoods); Islands without forest (import wood)
Solomon = variety of natural resources (fish and other marine animals, gold, bauxite,
phosphates, lead, zinc, and nickel
Tourism is a major key, it helps offset the lack of natural resources on many of the islands,
especially the mineral-poor islands.
Bibliography:
Boehm, Richard G., and Jay McTighe. "Chapter: 33 Lesson: 1." World
Geography. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Education, 2016. 828-31.