Oceania is the smallest of the world's continental regions by land area, but it covers one of the largest portions of the planet's surface — because most of Oceania is ocean. It includes 14 sovereign countries spread across Australia, New Zealand and the thousands of tropical islands of the Pacific, grouped into three sub-regions: Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
Australia — a continent of its own
Australia is the only country in the world that is also a continent. It is the sixth-largest country by land area, but with just 26 million people it is one of the least densely populated. Most Australians live in a handful of coastal cities — Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide — leaving an enormous interior known as the Outback that is mostly desert and home to incredible wildlife found nowhere else: kangaroos, koalas, wombats, platypuses and emus among them.
New Zealand and the Pacific Islands
South-east of Australia sits New Zealand, made up of two main islands and famous for its dramatic mountains, fjords and volcanic landscapes (so dramatic, in fact, that they were used as the backdrop for the Lord of the Rings films). Stretching east and north from there are the thousands of islands of the South Pacific — Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tuvalu and many more — each with its own language, culture and traditions. Some of these countries are made up of dozens of tiny coral islands sitting just a few metres above sea level.
Wildlife and the Great Barrier Reef
Oceania is famous for some of the most unique wildlife on Earth. Because Australia and New Zealand have been separated from other continents for tens of millions of years, animals here evolved independently — leading to marsupials like the kangaroo and koala, and flightless birds like the kiwi. Off the north-east coast of Australia lies the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world, visible from space and home to thousands of species of fish, sharks, turtles and corals.
What you'll find in this region
Here you'll find country facts for every Oceanian nation, an interactive map of the region, a guide to Oceania's deserts (most of them in central Australia), and quizzes covering countries, capitals, flags and landmarks. Because Oceania has fewer countries than the other continents, it's an excellent region for younger children to start with — three-star scores are very achievable here.