Question: where did european colonization of australia and oceania begin
Answer: European exploration and settlement of Oceania began in the 16th century , starting with Portuguese settling the Moluccas and Spanish ( Castilian ) landings and shipwrecks in the Marianas Islands , east of the Philippines , followed by the Portuguese landing and settling temporarily ( due to the monsoons ) in the Tanimbar or the Aru Islands and in some of the Caroline Islands and Papua New Guinea , and several Spanish landings in the Caroline Islands and New Guinea .