Oceania○ A History of the Islands

○ First Islanders○ Prehistoric people journeyed from mainland of southeast Asia

to nearby Pacific islands using small rafts and canoes and land bridges that have since disappeared

○ They migrated to as far as Hawaii, New Zealand, and Madagascar

○ 3 regions of Oceania○ Micronesia- “tiny islands”○ Melanesia- “black islands”○ Polynesia- “many islands

Contact with the West○ In the 1500s Europeans like began

exploring the Pacific○ In the 1800s Christian missionaries

arrived○ Convert the natives to Christianity○ Hunted whales○ Started plantations

○Coconut, coffee, pineapples, and sugar

○ Brought disease○ Western ways replaced traditional ways

Recent History○Suffered during the last half of the

20th century○World War II was fought in the

Pacific○US fought Japan in fierce battles there to gain control of Pacific

○Some islands were used as nuclear test sites by the US and other countries

○Since 1962, 12 nations have gained independence

Battles in the Pacific

A Traditional Economy○ Most islands economies are based on

subsistence activities.○ Agriculture

○ Islands in the Pacific are not good for agriculture○ Grow bananas, sugar, cocoa, coffee and

copra (dried meat of coconuts)○ Fishing

○ Other economic Activities○ Tourism

○ Good because it brings in money○ Bad because it threatens environment and

traditional ways of life

Culture of the Islands○ Language and Religion

○ There over 1,100 different languages spoken in Oceania○Papua New Guinea speak 823

languages○Many Pacific Islanders speak

European languages○Spanish, English, French

○ Christianity is most widely spread religion

○ Some Pacific islanders still practice their traditional religions.

Island Life○ Traditional Life

○ In Polynesia most people lived in villages led by a chief

○ Economies centered on fishing and farming○ Taro- crop with a starchy root that can be eaten

boiled or made into breads, pudding or a paste called poi

○ Polynesians were warlike○ Micronesians tended to exist peacefully and lived in

extended families○ Polynesians fished and farmed○ In Melanesia, people lived on coast so they could fish

Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica○ Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctic made up the

last region to be explored by Europeans○ 1788, Great Britain founded Sydney, Australia as a

penal colony (a place to send prisoners)○ Sydney is located on a deep, beautiful harbor that

allows for a port and also provides an arena for sailing and swimming

○ Mild climate○ Diverse population

History: Distant European Outposts○ The original inhabitants

○ Australia○ Aboriginal people migrated to Australia from

Asia 40,000 years ago, made 500 groups, speaking 200 languages

○ Complex religious belief and social structures but simple economy based on hunting and gathering

○ New Zealand○ Maori migrated from Polynesia more than 1000

years ago

Early Explorers○Captain James Cook of Britain was the first to explore New Zealand in 1769 and Australia in 1770

European Settlement○ Australia

○ 1788 Britain colonized Australia○ Place for prisoners ○ Pacific navel bases

○ In Australia, Europeans had violent conflicts with native people and killed many and gave them deadly diseases

○ New Zealand○ Colonized by hunter and whalers from Europe, America,

and Australia○ Treaty of Waitangi

○ Gave Britain control over New Zealand . Disagreement over treaty caused war between the Maori and British

○ Tens of thousands of Maoris died from diseases○ Antarctica

○ Was not colonized because of its cold climate○ Gold

○ Discovered in 1851 in Australia and 1861 in New Zealand○ Hundreds of thousands of people moved here to strike it

rich○ Most never left

Modern Nations○Both Australia and New Zealand

are both independent but remain part of the British Commonwealth

○New Zealand became the first country to grant women the right to vote in 1893.

○Both countries are attempting to improve the lives of the Aboriginal people and Maori by returning their former lands.

Antarctica○Antarctica is unsettled

○12 countries drafted treaty preserving continent for research

○In 2000, 18 countries have sent scientists there for research

Economy: Meat, Wool and Butter○Agriculture

○Major exporter of farm products○Butter, cheese, meat, and wool

○Ranching is big in New Zealand

○Sheep ranching in Australia

Mining and Manufacturing○ Mining

○ Australia- diamonds, lead, zinc, and opals, bauxite, coal, copper, gold and iron ore

○ Mining in Australia is tough because most of the minerals are in the outback

○ Manufacturing and Service○ Major industry in Australia and New

Zealand is processing food products○ New Zealand- wood and paper

industry○ Nearly 65% of Australia’s jobs are in

the service industry

Economic Future○Nations want to diversify economy and not rely on Agriculture

○Hard to develop industry with nearby Asia with cheap labor costs

Distinctive Culture○ Australia’s Culture

○ Most Australians are of British descent but Australia has high rates of immigration○20% of Australians come from

Greece, Italy and Southeast Asia○ Christianity is main religion○ English is main language○ Drink tea and play rugby○ 1% of people areAboriginal people

New Zealand’s Culture○The majority of New

Zealanders are of European, mostly British, descent.

○15 % of New Zealand’s people are Maori

○English and Maori are official languages

○Christianity is main religion

Modern Life○ City and Country

○ In both countries about 85 % of people live in cities or towns

○ Both countries are modern with good roads, sanitation, and infrastructure

○ In Australia, many wealthy ranchers own private airplanes to keep them cross country

○ Recreation○ Good climate for outdoor activities

Southeast Asia, Oceania, Australia and AntarcticaToday’s issues

Aboriginal Land Claims○ In 1976, the Australian

government denied claims of Aboriginal people for their land back

○ In protest Aboriginal people erected a tent on the lawn of Old Parliament House in the Australian capital to symbolize how they were foreigners in their own land

○Australian government tried to get rid of it but couldn’t

Aboriginal People Lose Land○ Aboriginal people were hunters and

gatherers so they depended on nature completely

○ British policy ○ Since they didn’t farm, mine, or build on

land, the British felt they had no claims to the land. British called it Terra Nullius – Latin for empty land

○ So British decided they could take the land away from the Aboriginal people

Stolen Land and Stolen Children○ Stolen Land

○ Europeans began to settle Australia in 1788 and chose most fertile land

○ Aboriginal people fought back but were defeated○ Some Aboriginal people got put on reservations○ Some blended into European ways of life

○ Stolen Children○ Between 1909 and 1969, the Australian

government took about 100,000 Aboriginal children and gave them to white families

○ Assimilation- minority adopts majority’s culture○ Aboriginal people call those children the “Stolen

generation”○ Many Aboriginal people are fighting assimilation by

passing their culture on to their children

Land Claims○ Aboriginal people were not recognized as full

citizens until 1967○ Land Rights Act of 1976○ Gave Aboriginal people the right to claim land in

taken away from them in the Northern Territory○ The Mabo Case○ In 1992 the courts ruled that Aboriginal people

had owned land before the British arrived○ The Wik Case○ In 1996 the courts ruled that Aboriginal people

could claim land owned by the government and used as pastoral lease

○ Many white ranchers feared that their way of life was threatened (ranching)by this and sued

○ Issue is still not resolved today.

Industrial Sparks Change○ For many people struggling to escape

poverty, any job, even one with long hours, low pay, and abuse is better than none

○ Moving to find Jobs○ Across southeast Asia, people are moving

from farms to cities to work in factories○ They may work 16 hours a day, 7 days a

week○ Industrialization (growth of industry)

has caused cities to grow

Push Factors○ Push Factors in East Asia

○ Lost resources○soil erosion○Deforestation○water overuse

○ Scarcity of land○60% of rural families don’t have

enough land to earn a living by farming

○ Population growth ○as population grows , land shortage

became worse

Pull Factors○ Pull Factors in East Asia

○ Industry○find a job in a factory

○ Education○ Government services

○ Impact on cities○ Low availability of housing○ More pollution, traffic has increased○ Disposal of human waste is a problem no

sewage treatment facilities

○es

Other Results of Industrialization○ Economic Effects

○ Rapid industrial growth since the 1960s ○ Increase in trade and exports○ Higher income for some citizens,

income gap is expanding○ Social unrest and crime

○ Environmental Effects○ Factories can pollute the air by burning

fossil fuels, carelessly disposing of toxic materials

○ Industry has harmed the environment by using up valuable resources such as water and trees