Oceania is a continent unlike any other. Most of it isn’t land at all, but the vast Pacific Ocean, scattered with thousands of islands. It takes in Australia, New Zealand and some of the most remote places people have ever reached. Here are ten facts about it.
Want to know more about continents? Check out our Top 10 Facts about the Continents.
1. Oceania is the smallest continent.
It has less land than any other continent — though if you count all the ocean it covers, it is enormous.
2. Most of Oceania is ocean.
Its countries are spread across the Pacific Ocean, many of them made of dozens or even hundreds of islands.
3. Australia is by far its biggest country.
Australia makes up most of Oceania’s land. The rest is New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific islands.
4. Oceania has 14 countries.
They include Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, along with some of the smallest countries in the world.
5. Its islands are split into three groups.
They are called Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Polynesia is a huge triangle with Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island at its corners.
6. Papua New Guinea has more than 800 languages.
That is more languages than any other country on Earth.
7. New Zealand was one of the last big places people reached.
People only arrived there around 700 to 800 years ago, long after almost everywhere else on Earth had been settled.
8. Kiribati is in all four hemispheres.
Its islands sit on both sides of the Equator and on both sides of the line that splits east from west. It is also one of the first places on Earth to start each new day.
9. Many of its islands are the tops of volcanoes.
Others are rings of coral called atolls, with a lagoon of seawater in the middle.
10. Nauru is one of the smallest countries in the world.
You could walk all the way round it in a single day.
📖 Words to know
- Continent
- A very large area of land. Oceania is the smallest of the seven.
- Island
- A piece of land with water all the way round it.
- Atoll
- A ring-shaped coral island with a lagoon of seawater in the middle.
- Pacific Ocean
- The biggest ocean on Earth. Most of Oceania’s islands are scattered across it.
⚠️ Watch out!
How much do you know about Oceania?
Which is the biggest country in Oceania?
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Fiji
- Papua New Guinea
Is Oceania the biggest or the smallest continent?
- The smallest
- The biggest
- The middle-sized one
- It isn’t a continent
Which ocean are most of Oceania’s islands in?
- The Pacific
- The Atlantic
- The Indian
- The Arctic
Where in the world?
Oceania is one of the seven continents. Its biggest country has its own Top 10: Australia.
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