International Travel and Culture Australia and Pacific Exam Date April 1 2014 Australia Climate and Environment The climate is very dry Australia is the smallest flattest and least popular continent The interior of the continent is mostly desert The Outback Ayers Rock world s largest single rock Australia is home to the world s longest coral reef The continent is south of the equator o The seasons are opposite to us in the United States January and February are the hottest months The rainy season is June August People The first people came from Asia over land bridges 50 000 years ago they are known as Aborigines Spanish and Portuguese sailors explored the area in the 1500 s In the 1700 s Captain James Cook claimed the land for Great Britain The British established a penal colony in New South Wales Sydney for their male and female convicts The Aborigines were treated very poorly and had their land taken away from them About 750 000 Aborigines lived in Australia when British arrived o Now less than 1 of Aborigines still exist Between 1942 and 1972 more than 2 million immigrants came to Australia o Italians Greeks Croatians Macedonians Turks The Land Australia is almost the same size as the United States There are six states and two territories that comprise Australia Canberra is the capital Sydney is the largest city 80 of the population lives along the coast New South Wales The Gateway to Australia Sydney is the capital and it was developed from a penal colony established by the British The harbor dominates the landscape great beaches The outback is the center of the country mostly desert Australia Capital Territory In the 1900 s the country needed a new capital A compromise was reached between Melbourne and Sydney They created Canberra o In Aborigine it translates to the meeting place Victoria The smallest state on the southeastern coast The capital is Melbourne It is a sports minded city football cricket etc Phillips Island is to the south o People come here to see the penguins To the northeast of Melbourne as the Australian Alps o There are many ski villages located here Tasmania 30 of the state is protected World Heritage National Park The island state Tasmania has a wet and lush climate Tourists can view the last remnants of the convict s prisons South Australia It is a self reliant state Everything you could need can be found here o Wine wildlife desert German immigrants established the oldest vineyards in Australia Kangaroo Island is to the south o Kangaroos koalas emus etc Western Australia This is an area bigger than Texas and Alaska combined There are unspoiled beaches that extend along the coast north of Perth It has a mostly Mediterranean climate Perth is the capital Northern Australia Darwin is the capital It has a tropical environment with a mix of Aboriginal Asian and European cultures Home to Kakadu National Park which is the home of the Aboriginal tribes crocodiles buffalo birds etc Queensland Brisbane is the capital Many luxury resorts mining towns The Great Barrier Reef is here The Gold Coast resorts are where casinos are located The city of Cairns is the Gateway to the Reef New Zealand Tourists typically travel to the south island Auckland is the location of the major international airport o Tourists arrive here and then take a ferry to the south island There are two islands o North Island is the most populous o South Island is more rugged There is a small island to the south called Stewart Island New Zealand has one of the highest standards of living in the world Known for its sandy beaches active volcanoes geysers Maori culture and grape North Island growing area Auckland is the largest city o Most visitors to New Zealand arrive here o It is known as the City of Sails Maori art and skilled boat builders o Huge war canoes Warm climate Beautiful bay with many islands offering fishing golf and boat cruises Northland Rotura Thermal wonderland with many geysers and hot springs Hot spa town It is the center of the Maori culture Waitomo Caves The caves are located in the central north end of the North Island Millions of glowing insects hang from the roof Visitors to the caves can tube raft Wellington The capital Located at the south end of the North Island This city is a mix of modern buildings and Victorian architecture Ferries connect Wellington on the North Island to the South Island o The trip takes about 3 hours South Island Some of the world s most unspoiled scenery may be found here Snowcapped peaks of the Southern Alps Christchurch The largest city New Zealand s 3rd largest city Considered the most English city outside of England Mount Cook National Park The Tasman Glacier is one of the longest outside of the Himalaya Ski plane flights are popular here Queenstown Fiordland This is the adventure capital of New Zealand This is the South Island s most popular resort area Commercial bungee jumping began here in 1988 Where mountains meet the sea and flooded valleys Created many fiords Country s national park is located here Oceania Fiji The number of visitors to Oceania is very small Fiji Guam and French Polynesia attract the most visitors The Crossroads of the Pacific About 2 3 of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand Viti Levu Suva is the capital o Known for firewalking surfing fishing etc French Polynesia Acclaimed as some of the Pacific s most beautiful beaches Most are high islands protected by coral reefs It is a territory of France Tahiti is the largest island Bora Bora o Volcano encircled by coral reef and surrounded by a blue lagoon Guam It is a US territory and an important US Naval Base Residents of Guam are U S citizens Melanesia Includes high islands in Western Pacific Papua New Guinea Practice cannibalism here Consists of eastern half of New Guinea o It is an anthropologists paradise Vanuatu Consists of 13 islands and dozens of smaller ones Mostly volcanic islands with coral beaches Micronesia Low coral islands in the Pacific North Northern Marianas Stretches from Guam to almost Japan Mariana Trench is the deepest of the ocean canyons Federated States of Micronesia Consists of four states Polynesia Tonga Samoa Southwest Pacific Claim to be the first country to greet the day American Samoa consists of seven eastern islands Germany took control of western islands but they lost control after WWII o They are independent now Random Review Facts Drive car on the left side of road Most islands are volcanic and coral Travel to Oceania is very expensive
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