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Oceaniaclick to hear

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.
Oceania Pacific Ocean Cook Strait Great Victoria Desert Great Sandy Desert Torres Strait Gulf of Carpentaria Indian Ocean Papua New Guinea Melanesia New Caledonia Great Barrier Reef Coral Sea Fiji Islands Lake Eyre North Great Dividing Range New Zealand Tasmania Great Australian Bight Bass Strait Tasman Sea

Pacific Ocean click to hear

From the polar circle to the continent, this ocean is called the Antarctic.

Cook Strait click to hear

Some 9.3 mi wide, Cook Strait separates New Zealand’s two islands.

Great Victoria Desert click to hear

Southernmost desert of Australia.

Great Sandy Desert click to hear

The northernmost desert of Australia is also the world’s second largest desert (730,000 mi2) after the Sahara.

Torres Strait click to hear

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 click to hear

Gulf bounded by Cape York to the east and Arnhem Land to the west.

Indian Ocean click to hear

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 click to hear

The eastern part of New Guinea belongs to Oceania, while the western part of the island is in Asia.

Melanesia click to hear

Part of Oceania (370,000 mi2) that includes Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji.

New Caledonia click to hear

Mountainous island, humid and volcanic; it is surrounded by a barrier reef enclosing the world’s largest lagoon.

Great Barrier Reef click to hear

Coral reef extending over 1,500 mi; a Unesco World Heritage Site, it provides a habitat for numerous forms of marine life.

Coral Sea click to hear

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 click to hear

Archipelago composed of 326 islands, some 100 of which are inhabited; its principal islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

Lake Eyre North click to hear

Variable in size, Australia’s largest lake is a salt lake.

Great Dividing Range click to hear

Mountain range extending 2,200 mi; it includes Mount Kosciusko (7,310 feet), Australia’s highest peak.

New Zealand click to hear

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 click to hear

Island and federal state of Australia, from which it is separated by the Bass Strait.

Great Australian Bight click to hear

Located in the Indian Ocean south of Australia, it is known for its strong winds and rough waters.

Bass Strait click to hear

Some 125 mi wide and relatively shallow, it separates continental Australia from Tasmania.

Tasman Sea click to hear

Part of the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. Named after a 17th-century Dutch mariner.