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Oceania
Continent that represents about 6% of the world’s land and features a great many islands scattered between the Pacific and Indian oceans; Australia is its true continent.
Pacific Ocean
From the polar circle to the continent, this ocean is called the Antarctic.
Cook Strait
Some 15 km wide, Cook Strait separates New Zealand’s two islands.
Great Victoria Desert
Southernmost desert of Australia.
Great Sandy Desert
The northernmost desert of Australia is also the world’s second largest desert (1.9 million km2) after the Sahara.
Torres Strait
Some 170 km wide, the Torres Strait connects the Pacific and Indian oceans; it is named after a 17th-century Spanish mariner.
Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf bounded by Cape York to the east and Arnhem Land to the west.
Indian Ocean
Relatively small ocean (76 million km2) located between Africa, Asia and Australia; it has high water temperatures and is dotted with numerous islands.
Papua New Guinea
The eastern part of New Guinea belongs to Oceania, while the western part of the island is in Asia.
Melanesia
Part of Oceania (965,000 km2) that includes Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji.
New Caledonia
Mountainous island, humid and volcanic; it is surrounded by a barrier reef enclosing the world’s largest lagoon.
Great Barrier Reef
Coral reef extending over 2,400 km; a Unesco World Heritage Site, it provides a habitat for numerous forms of marine life.
Coral Sea
Westernmost part of the Pacific Ocean; its warm waters (from 25°C to 28°C) are subject to currents that reverse, depending on the season.
Fiji Islands
Archipelago composed of 326 islands, some 100 of which are inhabited; its principal islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.
Lake Eyre North
Variable in size, Australia’s largest lake is a salt lake.
Great Dividing Range
Mountain range extending 3,500 km; it includes Mount Kosciusko (2,300 meters), Australia’s highest peak.
New Zealand
Archipelago composed of a northern volcanic island, the most populated island, and a southern island crossed by a mountain range that is deeply cut with glacial valleys.
Tasmania
Island and federal state of Australia, from which it is separated by the Bass Strait.
Great Australian Bight
Located in the Indian Ocean south of Australia, it is known for its strong winds and rough waters.
Bass Strait
Some 200 km wide and relatively shallow, it separates continental Australia from Tasmania.
Tasman Sea
Part of the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. Named after a 17th-century Dutch mariner.
