Oceania

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Oceania is a term used to denote a continent, or a region, comprising Australia and the Pacific islands.Opinions of what constitutes Oceania range from its three subregions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia to, more broadly, the entire insular region between Southeast Asia and the Americas. Located in the eastern and western hemispheres, Oceania covers an area of 8,525,989 square kilometres (3,291,903 sq mi) and has a population of 41,050,699. Oceania is the smallest continental grouping in land area and the second smallest after Antarcticain population.
The islands at the geographic extremes of Oceania are Bonin Islands, a politically integral part of Japan, Hawaii, a state of the United States, and Easter Island, belonging to Chile. Oceania has a diverse mix of economies from the highly developed and globally competitive financial market of Australia and New Zealand, which rank high in quality of life and human development index, to the much less developed economies that belong to countries such as of Kiribati and Tuvalu.The largest and most populous country in Oceania is Australia, with Sydney being the largest city of both Oceania and Australia.
The first settlers of Australia, New Guinea, and the large islands just to the east arrived between 50,000 and 30,000 years ago, when Neanderthals still roamed. Oceania was first explored by Europeans from the 16th century onward. Portuguese navigators, between 1512 and 1526, reached the Tanimbar Islands, some of the Caroline Islands and west Papua New Guinea. On his first voyage in the 18th century, James Cook, who later founded the Hawaiian Islands, went to Tahiti and followed the east coast of Australia for the first time. The Pacific front saw major action during the Second World War, mainly between the belligerents United States, its ally Australia, and Japan.
The arrival of European settlers in subsequent centuries resulted in a significant alteration in the social and political landscape of Oceania. In more contemporary times there has been increasing discussion on national flags and a desire by some Oceanians to display their distinguishable and individualistic identity. The rock art of Australian Aborigines is the longest continuously practiced artistic tradition in the world. Puncak Jaya in Papua is often considered the highest peak in Oceania. Most Oceanian countries have a parliamentary representative democratic multi-party system, with tourism being a large source of income for the Pacific Islands nations.
== Countries of Oceania ==
Australasia
Australia
New Zealand
* Ashmore and Cartier Islands (Australia)
* Coral Sea Islands (Australia)
* Norfolk Island (Australia)
Melanesia
Fiji
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Vanuatu
* New Caledonia (France)
* Maluku Islands (Indonesia)
* Papua (Indonesia)
* West Papua (Indonesia)
Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Nauru
Palau
* Guam (United States)
* Northern Mariana Islands (United States)
* Wake Island (United States)
Polynesia
Samoa
Tonga
Tuvalu
* American Samoa (United States)
* Cook Islands (New Zealand)
* Easter Island (Chile)
* French Polynesia (France)
* Hawaii (United States)
* Niue (New Zealand)
* Pitcairn Islands (United Kingdom)
* Tokelau (New Zealand)
* Wallis and Futuna (France)
== Alternative Countries ==
Isle of Northscore
Arctic Legion (Owned by York Pepper)
Southern Northscore (Owned by St3v3nQuatzUniv3rs3)
Caraqstan (Owned by St3v3nQuatzUniv3rs3)
British Northscorean Territory (Owned by St3v3nQuatzUniv3rs3)
Panysia (Owned by St3v3nQuatzUniv3rs3)
Category:Earth
Category:Pacific
Category:Real
Category:Continent
Category:Oceania