Oceania

Author: Zhou Min, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features: Oceania is the smallest continent in terms of land area among all continents. Since its main part is the Australian continent, it has also been referred to as Australia. In the approximately 8.97 million square kilometers of Oceania, Australia accounts for 7.63 million square kilometers. With a population of over 26 million, Oceania is the continent with the most islands, featuring over 10,000 islands of various sizes and shapes in the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, Oceania serves as a vital bridge connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as linking maritime and air routes between major continents. Due to the long-standing separation of the Australian continent from other continents and its isolated drifting in the vast ocean, Australia has many primitive flora and fauna that are unique to it and not found on other continents, such as eucalyptus trees, platypuses, kangaroos, thylacines, and koalas. Off the northeastern coast of the Australian continent lies a chain of coral reefs extending over 2,000 kilometers from north to south, known as the Great Barrier Reef, which is a world-famous marine park.