Pacific ocean
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Nauru
Area: 8.1 sq miles
(21 sq km)
Population: 9,500
Government Center: Yaren
Currency: australian dollar
PaPua New
GuiNea
Area: 178,704 sq miles
(462,840 sq km)
Population: 6,672,500
Capital: Port Moresby
Currency: Kina
PaLau
Area: 177 sq miles
(459 sq km)
Population: 21,000
Capital: Ngerulmud
Currency: uS dollar
SaMoa
Area: 1,093 sq miles
(2,831 sq km)
Population: 198,000
Capital: apia
Currency: Tala
DePeNDeNcieS
Besides the 12
independent nations listed
at the top of the page, there
are many other island groups
in the Pacific. Most of these
islands depend on aid from a larger
country, and some have very low
populations. Pitcairn, for example,
is a British colony and is home to
around 50 people.
FiJi
Area: 7,056 sq miles
(18,274 sq km)
Population: 909,000
Capital: Suva
Currency: Fiji dollar
KiriBaTi
Area: 313 sq miles
(811 sq km)
Population: 106,000
Capital: Baikiri (Tarawa atoll)
Currency: australian dollar
MarShaLL
iSLaNDS
Area: 70 sq miles (181 sq km)
Population: 72,000
Capital: Majuro
Currency: uS dollar
MicroNeSia
Area: 271 sq miles
(702 sq km)
Population: 105,000
Capital: Palikir
Currency: uS dollar
SoLoMoN
iSLaNDS
Area: 11,157 sq miles
(28,896 sq km)
Population: 622,500
Capital: honiara
Currency:
Solomon islands dollar
ToNGa
Area: 288 sq miles
(747 sq km)
Population: 106,500
Capital: Nuku’alofa
Currency: Tongan pa’anga
TuvaLu
Area: 10 sq miles
(26 sq km)
Population: 11,000
Capital: Fongafale
Currency: australian dollar
vaNuaTu
Area: 4,706 sq miles
(12,189 sq km)
Population: 272,000
Capital: Port-vila
Currency: vatu
StAtiStiCS
Area: 305,106 sq miles
(790,225 sq km)
Population: 9,105,000
Number of independent
countries: 12
Languages: english,
local languages and
dialects
Religions: Protestant,
roman catholic, hindu
Highest point: Mount
wilhelm (Papua New
Guinea) 14,793 ft
(4,509 m)
Main occupations:
agriculture, fishing
New caLeDoNia
The Isle of Pines (above) is one of the
smallest inhabited islands in the New
Caledonia group. Like many of
the Pacific Islands, New
Caledonia is governed by
a larger, more powerful
country. France rules
New Caledonia, and
French aid provides
one-third of the
country’s income.
Most of the rest
comes from the
export of nickel—
the islands have
40 percent of
the world’s
reserves of
the metal.
Volcano Mountain Capital
city
Large
city/
town
Large
city and
port
Ancient
monument
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T A R C T I C A
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ARCTIC OCEAN
FIJI
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TUVALU
SOLOMON IS.
PAPUA NAURU
NEW
GUINEA
VANUATU FRENCH
POL YNESIA
O C E A N
(to US)
A M E R I C AN
S A M OA
NORTHERN
MARIANA IS.
(to US)
WAKE IS.
(to US)
S O
U T H E
R N O C E A N
MIDWAY IS.
(to US)
PALAU
GUAM
(to US)
NEW CALEDONIA
A U S T R A L I A
( to France )
PITCAIRN IS.
(to UK)
MARSHALL
ISLANDS
(to France)
WALLIS &
FUTUNA
(to NZ)
TOKELAU
MICRONESIA
H AW A I I
(part of US)
N I U E(to NZ)
(to France)
P A C I F I C
Berin
g^ Sea^ Gulf of
Alaska
Easter I.
(part of Chile}
Galapagos Is.
(part of Ecuador)
C. Horn
Chile
Basin
Pacif ic - Antarctic^ R
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K
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Coc
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Rid
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Vancouver
Seattle
San Francisco
Long Beach
Panama
City
Buenaventura
Guayaquil
Callao
Valparaíso
Wellington
Sydney
Shanghai
Busan
Kobe
Yokohama
Mid
- Pac
if ic Mountain
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Southwest
Pacif ic Basin
Southeast^ Pac
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asin
South
China
Sea
Hong Kong
New
Guinea
C O O K
I S L A N D S
(to NZ)
Aleutian Trench
Tasman
Sea
Coral
Sea
Arafura^ Sea
Sea of
Okhotsk
P
er
u-
Ch
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(^) T
re
nc
h
Pe
ru
(^) B
asin
Tropic of Cancer
Equator
Tropic of Capricorn
San Ambrosio Island
(part of Chile)
Clipperton Island
(to French Polynesia)
US_397_Pacific_Ocean_2.indd 397 12/02/16 5:40 pm