Portal:Oceania

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The Oceania Portal

An orthographic projection of Oceania

Oceania (UK: /ˌoʊsiˈɑːniə, ˌoʊʃi-, -ˈeɪn-/ OH-s(h)ee-AH-nee-ə, -⁠AY-, US: /ˌoʊʃiˈæniə, -ˈɑːn-/ ^ⓘ OH-shee-A(H)N-ee-ə) is a geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its continental landmass. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, at the centre of the water hemisphere, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of about 9,000,000 square kilometres (3,500,000 sq mi) and a population of around 44.4 million as of 2022. Oceania is the smallest continent in land area and the second-least populated after Antarctica.

Oceania has a diverse mix of economies from the highly developed and globally competitive financial markets of Australia, French Polynesia, Hawaii, New Caledonia, and New Zealand, which rank high in quality of life and Human Development Index, to the much less developed economies of Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Western New Guinea. The largest and most populous country in Oceania is Australia, and the largest city is Sydney. Puncak Jaya in Indonesia is the highest peak in Oceania at 4,884 m (16,024 ft).

The rock art of Aboriginal Australians is the longest continuously practiced artistic tradition in the world. Most Oceanian countries are parliamentary democracies, with tourism serving as a large source of income for the Pacific island nations. (Full article...)

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Downtown Honolulu

Honolulu (/ˌhɒnəˈluːluː/ ^ⓘ HON-ə-LOO-loo; Hawaiian: [honoˈlulu]) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island of Oʻahu, and is the westernmost and southernmost major U.S. city. Honolulu is Hawaii's main gateway to the world. It is also a major hub for business, finance, hospitality, and military defense in both the state and Oceania. The city is characterized by a mix of various Asian, Western, and Pacific cultures, reflected in its diverse demography, cuisine, and traditions.

Honolulu is Hawaiian for "sheltered harbor" or "calm port"; its old name, Kou, roughly encompasses the area from Nuʻuanu Avenue to Alakea Street and from Hotel Street to Queen Street, which is the heart of the present downtown district. The city's desirability as a port accounts for its historical growth and importance in the Hawaiian archipelago and the broader Pacific region. Honolulu has been the capital of the Hawaiian Islands since 1845, firstly of the independent Hawaiian Kingdom, and since 1898 of the U.S. territory and state of Hawaii. The city gained worldwide recognition following the Empire of Japan's attack on nearby Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which prompted the entry of the U.S. into World War II; the harbor remains a major U.S. Navy base, hosting the United States Pacific Fleet, the world's largest naval command. (Full article...)

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A rai stone (Yapese: raay), or fei stone, is one of many large artifacts that were manufactured and treasured by the native inhabitants of the Yap islands in Micronesia. They are also known as Yapese stone money or similar names.

The typical rai stone is carved out of crystalline limestone and shaped like a disk with a hole in the center. The smallest may be 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in) in diameter. The largest extant stone is located on Rumung island, near the Riy village; it is 3.6 metres (12 ft) in diameter and 50 centimetres (20 in) thick, and weighs 4,000 kilograms (8,800 lb). (Full article...)

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... that Michaela Foster, a New Zealand footballer playing in the 2023 World Cup, is known for her mana?

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The following are images from various Oceania-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Polynesia is one of three major cultural areas of the Pacific Ocean islands, along with Melanesia and Micronesia. (from Polynesia)
Image 2Polynesians with outrigger canoes at Waikiki Beach, Oahu Island, early 20th century (from Polynesia)
Image 3New Caledonia (from Melanesia)
Image 4Chronological dispersal of Austronesian peoples across the Indo-Pacific (from Melanesia)
Image 5Polynesian (Hawaiian) navigators sailing multi-hulled canoe, c. 1781 (from Polynesia)
Image 6Painting of Tahitian Women on the Beach by Paul Gauguin—Musée d'Orsay (from Polynesia)
Image 7Micronesia is one of three major cultural areas of the Pacific Ocean islands, along with Melanesia and Polynesia. (from Micronesia)
Image 8Mokoliʻi Isle near Oahu, Hawaii (from Polynesia)
Image 9Mount Marpi in Saipan. (from Micronesia)
Image 10German New Guinea before and after the German-Spanish treaty of 1899 (from Micronesia)
Image 11Grinding stones discovered from archaeology in Samoa (from Polynesia)
Image 12King Kamehameha I receiving the Russian naval expedition of Otto von Kotzebue. Drawing by Louis Choris in 1816. (from Polynesia)
Image 13Map showing the migration and expansion of the Austronesians which began at about 3000 BC from Taiwan. The Polynesian branch is shown in green. (from Polynesia)
Image 14An illustration of the Cross Spikes Club of the US Navy on Bikini Atoll, one of several Marshall Islands used for atomic bomb tests. (from Micronesia)
Image 15Moai at Ahu Tongariki on Rapa Nui (from Polynesia)
Image 16A depiction of a royal heiau (Hawaiian temple) at Kealakekua Bay, c. 1816 (from Polynesia)
Image 17Subregions (Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia and Australasia), as well as sovereign and dependent islands of Oceania (from Micronesia)
Image 18The Polynesian spread of colonization in the Pacific (from Polynesia)
Image 19Subregions (Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, and Australasia), as well as sovereign and dependent islands of Oceania (from Polynesia)
Image 20Outline of sovereign (dark orange) and dependent islands (bright orange) (from Melanesia)
Image 21Kili Island is one of the smallest islands in the Marshall Islands. (from Micronesia)
Image 22Spinner dolphins (from Micronesia)
Image 23Polynesia is generally defined as the islands within the Polynesian Triangle. (from Polynesia)
Image 24Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister of Samoa from 1998 to 2021, who initiated the Polynesian Leaders Group in late 2011. (from Polynesia)
Image 25Languages of Micronesia. (from Micronesia)
Image 26A Melanesian child from Vanuatu (from Melanesia)
Image 27Māori war canoe drawn after James Cook's voyage to New Zealand. (from Polynesia)
Image 28On February 14, 1779, Capt. James Cook was killed on the island of Hawaii (from Polynesia)
Image 29Chronological dispersal of Austronesian peoples across the Indo-Pacific (from Micronesia)
Image 30Carving from the ridgepole of a Māori house, ca 1840 (from Polynesia)
Image 31Map from 1961 of the US Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, formerly Japan's South Seas Mandate. (from Micronesia)
Image 32Outline of sovereign (dark orange) and dependent islands (bright orange) (from Micronesia)
Image 33Chamorro people in 1915 (from Micronesia)
Image 34Canoe carving on Nanumea atoll, Tuvalu (from Polynesia)
Image 35Image of the Castle Bravo nuclear test, detonated on 1 March 1954, at Bikini Atoll (from Micronesia)
Image 36Outline of sovereign (dark orange) and dependent islands (bright orange) (from Polynesia)
Image 37Aerial view of Solomon Islands (from Melanesia)
Image 38A common fishing canoe va'a with outrigger in Savaiʻi island, Samoa, 2009 (from Polynesia)
Image 39Cook's Bay on Moorea, French Polynesia (from Polynesia)
Image 40Melanesia is one of three major cultural areas of the Pacific Ocean islands, along with Micronesia and Polynesia. (from Melanesia)
Image 41Tarawa Atoll (from Micronesia)
Image 42The arrival of Abel Tasman in Tongatapu, 1643; drawing by Isaack Gilsemans (from Polynesia)
Image 43Cinder plain of Mount Yasur in Vanuatu (from Melanesia)
Image 44A pan flute from Solomon Islands, 19th century (from Melanesia)
Image 45Köppen-Geiger climate classification map of Melanesia (from Melanesia)
Image 46German trading station at Jaluit Atoll with a Marshallese korkor outrigger canoe in the foreground (from Micronesia)
Image 47Beach scenery at Laura, Majuro, Marshall Islands (from Micronesia)
Image 48Manila Galleon in the Marianas and Carolinas, c. 1590 Boxer Codex (from Micronesia)
Image 49Sailors of Melanesia in the Pacific Ocean, 1846 (from Melanesia)
Image 50Map of Melanesia, showing its location within Oceania (from Melanesia)
Image 51Australia's concept of Australasia, which includes Australia, New Zealand and, in this case, Melanesia (from Australasia)