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 9.3 mi 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 (730,000 mi2) after the Sahara.

Torres Strait

Some 105 mi 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 (29 million mi2) 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 (370,000 mi2) 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 1,500 mi; 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 77°F to 82°F) 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 2,200 mi; it includes Mount Kosciusko (7,310 feet), 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 125 mi 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.