Fun Facts
Oceania is home to the smallest continent, Australia, but is not the least populated continent with many thanks to the uninhabited Antarctica. Here are some fun facts about Oceania:
Regions: Oceania is geographically divided into four regions: Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia that cover over 100 million square kilometers (or approximately 39 million square miles) of the Pacific Ocean.
Countries: There are 14 official countries of Oceania, including Nauru which, interestingly enough, does not currently have a capital (2022).
Population: Almost 44 million people (2022) live within Oceania which means approximately 0.5% of the world’s population calls Oceania home. Australia is the most populated country in Oceania.
Language: If we’re talking numbers, English is the majority language spoken in Oceania (due to colonization), but that being said Oceania is home to so many beautiful indigenous languages thought to exceed over 5000 languages within Australasia and Melanesia alone.
Religion: The majority of Oceania follows Christianity (in part due to colonization and European influence, as well as a concerted missionary effort). Formerly, traditional religions predominated.
Geography: Australia is the largest country in Oceania (and is also a continent), while Nauru is the smallest. Australia is the biggest island in Oceania followed by a far distant New Guinea. Kati Thanda-Eyre is the lowest point in Oceania while Puncak Jaya is the tallest peak (and the tallest island mountain on Earth). Kiribati is the only country in the world situated in all four hemispheres. The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system. Ulura in the largest rock monolith in the world.
Oceania
Overview
Oceania includes the smallest continent based on landmass, but that doesn’t mean it has any less to offer than any other region we’re discussing. Due to its relative isolation, you’ll find unique wildlife in Oceania that isn’t natively found anywhere else. This is mainly because Oceania is the only world region not connected by land to another region.
As mentioned, Oceania is home to unique wildlife. It not only has the world’s highest concentration of marsupials, such as wombats, kangaroos and koalas, but it’s also home to monotremes. They are the only mammal in the world that lays eggs. There are five living species of monotremes and they all live in Australia and New Guinea.
From the Great Barrier Reef and Puncak Jaya on the Island of New Guinea to the massive Ulura and the Sydney Opera House, from Hobbiton and Mount Yasur to the pink Lake Hillier and the Jellyfish Lake – wherever you find yourself across this unique region, you will be fascinated and ready to explore.
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