Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of
Australia

41 00 S, 174 00 E

Oceania

total: 268,680 sq km
land: 268,670 sq km
water: 10 sq km
note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands,
Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

about the size of Colorado

0 km

15,134 km

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

temperate with sharp regional contrasts

predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Cook 3,764 m

natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber,
hydropower, gold, limestone

arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 50%
forests and woodland: 28%
other: 8% (1993 est.)

2,850 sq km (1993 est.)

earthquakes are common, though usually not severe;
volcanic activity

deforestation; soil erosion; native
flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life
Conservation

about 80% of the population lives in cities