Oceania Countries and Regions – Country Reference

05Mar 2021 by extrareference

Oceania (Prehistory & History – War & Bombing)

World War II reinforced the strategic and economic importance of Oceania. The populations of the colonies of Melanesia and Micronesia were involuntarily involved in the fighting between Japan and the Allied forces led by the United States, while the southeastern Melanesian and many of the Polynesian islands served as supply and base areas. For the first time, the inhabitants of Oceania became acquainted with an incredible material wealth and met with mutual respect and sympathy with the many foreign soldiers, which stimulated the desire for independence. After World War II, the United States, Britain and France conducted more than 250 nuclear weapons tests on coral islands in Micronesia and Polynesia. In 1963, the United States and Britain stopped the trials, while France, despite international protests, continued. The impact on the health of local people is extensive.

OCEANIA COUNTRIES

The countries of Oceania are known as the New World. This is due to the fact that the continent was colonized after the colonization of the countries of America, known as the New World. The countries in question were inhabited by native peoples, and their colonization process began around 1770, with the arrival of the British on the continent.

Together, the countries of Oceania occupy an area of 9,008,458 km² and are home to around 40,117,432 inhabitants. There is a diversity of cultures, traditions and peoples in these countries. Several languages are spoken, such as bislamá, Castilian, chamorro, among others.

How many are there and which countries in Oceania?

There are 14 countries in Oceania, or independent territories, and about 22 facilities that are managed by countries that do not belong to the continent. Countries have no land border, being separated by bodies of water.

→ Independent countries in Oceania and their capitals

Australia – capital: Canberra
Federated States of Micronesia – capital: Palikir
Fiji – capital: Suva
Marshall Islands – capital: Majuro
Solomon Islands – capital: Honiara
Kiribati – capital: South Tarawa
Nauru – capital: Yaren
New Zealand – capital: Wellington
Palau – capital: Ngerulmund
Papua New Guinea – capital: Port Moresby
Samoa – capital: Apia
Tonga – capital: Nuku’alofa
Tuvalu – capital: Funafuti
Vanuatu – capital: Port Vila

Regions of Oceania

Oceania is a continent with very different characteristics from the rest, formed by thousands of islands of different sizes, between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. It was then necessary to divide it into regions to facilitate the identification of each area. Thus, Oceania is divided into four regional portions:

Australasia	It covers the territories of Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and smaller islands.
Melanesia	Covers the territories of Maluku Islands, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji
Micronesia	It covers the territories of Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Palau, Micronesia and Nauru States.
Polynesia	It covers the territories of islands located in the south of the Pacific Ocean and the areas of the countries Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu.

All about the countries of Oceania and their flags

Australia

Gentile: Australian
English language
Area: 7,692,024 km²
Population: 25,080,200 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product : US $ 1.313 trillion
Human Development Index : 0.939
General aspects: It is located above the Indo-Australian plate and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. It is the largest country in Oceania.

Federated States of Micronesia

Gentile: micronese
English language
Area: 702 km²
Population: 107,862 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 627 million
Human Development Index: 0.627
General aspects: Nation made up of 607 islands located in the Pacific Ocean. The main four are: Chuuk, Kosrae, Yap, Pohnpei.

Fiji

Gentile: Fijian
Language: English, Fijian and Fijian Hindi
Area: 18,274 km²
Population: 905,354 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 5.477 billion
Human Development Index: 0.741
General aspects: Island nation made up of 332 islands located in the Pacific Ocean. The main ones are: Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

Marshall Islands

Gentile: Marshallese or Marshallese
Language: Marshallese and English
Area: 181.4 km²
Population: 53,127 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 115 million
Human Development Index: 0.708
General aspects: The nation is located in Micronesia, and although independent, the defense of the island is guaranteed by the United States. The Marshall Islands are made up of 29 atolls (oceanic ring-shaped islands) and five islands.

Solomon Islands

Gentile: Salomonic or Salomian
English language
Area: 28,450 km²
Population: 599,419
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 1.725 billion
Human Development Index: 0.546
General aspects: The nation is located in the Pacific Ocean and consists of islands, such as Choiseul, Shortland Islands, New Georgia Islands, Santa Isabel, among many others.

Kiribati

Gentile: Kiribatian
Language: English and Gilbertese
Area: 811 km²
Population: 110,136 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 165.6 million
Human Development Index: 0.612
General aspects: The nation consists of 33 islands located in the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the smallest countries in the world.

Nauru

Gentile: nauruano
English language
Area: 21 km²
Population: 11,200 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 160 million
Human Development Index: 0.652
General aspects: The smallest island country in the world, Nauru is surrounded by a reef exposed in the Pacific Ocean.

New Zealand

Gentile: New Zealander
Language: English and Maori
Area: 268,680 km²
Population: 4,908,420 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 198.2 billion
Human Development Index: 0.917
General aspects: The country is geographically isolated, being 2,000 km away from Australia. New Zealand is considered one of the most developed countries in the world.

Palau

Gentile: palauano or palauense
Language: English, Palauano and Manulau
Area: 459 km²
Population: 20,842 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 157.7 million
Human Development Index: 0.798
General aspects: Palau is located in the Micronesia region, being a nation made up of eight main islands and about 250 smaller islands.

Papua New Guinea

Gentile: papuase
Language: English, hiri motu and tok pisin
Area: 462,840 km²
Population: 6,187,591 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 18.45 million
Human Development Index: 0.544
General aspects: Papua New Guinea is located in Melanesia and is considered one of the nations with the greatest cultural plurality. About 848 languages are spoken in the country.

Samoa

Gentile: Samoan
Language: English and Samoan
Area: 2,831 km²
Population: 176,287 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 1,218 million
Human Development Index: 0.713
General aspects: The country is located in the Polynesia region and is made up of two islands, Upolu and Savai’i, and eight smaller islands.

Tonga

Gentile: Tongan or Tonga
Language: English and Tongan
Area: 747 km²
Population: 106,322 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 801.7 million
Human Development Index: 0.726
General aspects: Tonga is a country located in the region of Polynesia made up of 117 islands. It comprises a location of intense volcanic activity.

Tuvalu

Gentile: Tuvaluan
Language: English and Tuvaluan
Area: 26 km²
Population: 12,273 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 14.94 million
Human Development Index: 0.590
General aspects: Tuvalu is located south of the continent Oceania and consists of nine islands.

Vanuatu

Gentile: vanuatuense
Language: bislama, English and French
Area: 12,189 km²
Population: 208,754 inhabitants
Gross Domestic Product: US $ 739 million
Human Development Index: 0.603
General aspects: Nation located in the Melanesia region, consisting of 83 smaller islands. It is a region of intense volcanic activity.

Sources: Countryaah