Oceania: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Sep. 17, 2026

Photos and Videos

Political map of Australia and Oceania showing Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and numerous Pacific island nations and territories. Countries and territories such as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Kiribati are labeled, along with territories administered by the United States, United Kingdom, France, and New Zealand. Surrounding bodies of water, including the Pacific Ocean, Coral Sea, and Tasman Sea, are also marked.

Map of Oceania showing the major regions of Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, each outlined and labeled in red. The map includes Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and numerous Pacific island nations, with the Pacific Ocean surrounding the regions. Major islands and island groups within each region are labeled.

Map of New Zealand showing the North and South Islands with major cities, towns, and political boundaries labeled. The map includes Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, and other key locations, and features a locator inset highlighting New Zealand's position in the southwestern Pacific Ocean southeast of Australia.

Map of the Pacific Islands region showing political boundaries, major island groups, and countries such as Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, French Polynesia, and Kiribati. The map uses color shading to indicate elevation and ocean depth, with key islands and capitals labeled throughout the central and southwestern Pacific Ocean.

World map displaying all continents labeled in bold text-North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Oceania, and Antarctica-along with major oceans and several seas, such as the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Southern Oceans, and the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Caspian Seas. Latitude lines including the Equator, Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and the Antarctic Circle are also marked.

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