The New Childrens Encyclopedia

NEW ZEALAND is one of

the most isolated countries in

the world. It is about 1,250

miles (2,000 km) away from

its nearest neighbor, Australia.

. WILDLIFE
Kangaroos live in the
bush, surviving on
grasses. They are most
active in the early
morning and evening,
when it is cooler.

FAMOUS PLACES

The Pacific Islands

The thousands of islands scattered across

the Pacific are divided into three main

groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and

Polynesia. Some of these islands

were formed by underwater

volcanoes; others are the

tips of circular coral

reefs, called atolls.

■ The Great Barrier Reef, off

Australia’s northeast coast, is

the world’s largest coral reef.

( p. 76). It has built up over

thousands of years.

■ The town of Rotorua on New

Zealand’s North Island is famous

for its geysers and bubbling pools

of hot mud, caused by volcanic

activity under the ground.

. DINGOES are wild
dogs. They come from
domestic dogs that people
brought to Australia.

POLYNESIA means

“many islands”—there are

more than 1,000 of them.

MICRONESIA means

“small islands.” The

islands in this group are

coral reefs, or atolls.

. THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE
were the first inhabitants of Australia.
Today, in outback communities the
traditions are passed on.

CONTINENTS OF

THE WOLRD

Huahine Tahiti,

Polynesia

Murray^

Da

rlin

g^

G

re

at

(^) B
ar
ri
er
(^) R
ee
f
So
uth
ern
Al
ps^
G
re
at
(^) D
iv
id
in
g
(^) R
a
n
g
e
Mount
Wilhelm
14,793ft
(4509m)
Solomon
Sea
Coral
Sea
Tasman
Sea
Gulf of
Carpentaria
Coo
k (^)
(^) St
ra
it
Bass^ St
rait
Torres^ Strait^
PACIFIC
OCEAN
PACIFIC
OCEAN
Lake Eyre
North
VICTORIA
AUSTRALIANCAPITAL TERRITORY
NEW
SOUTH WALES
QUEENSLAND
TASMANIA
M
ar
ian
a^
Isl
an
sd
Tu
ng
ar
u
So
lom
on
(^) Isl
an
ds
Southern (^) Cook
(^) Island
s (^)
Tuam
otu
Isla
nds
Societ
y (^) Is
lan
ds
L
in
e
Is
la
n
d
s
Caroline (^) I
sland
s (^)
Îles
(^) Lo
yau
té
Northern^ Cook^ Islands^
Banks
Islands
Marquesas
Islands
Ratak Chain
Ralik Chain
Rarotonga
Penrhyn
Tahiti
Îles Gambier
Vanua
Levu
Viti
Levu
North
Island
Tasmania
South
Island
Ya p
New
Guinea
Kiritimati
Bikini Atoll
Kosrae
Chuuk
Pohnpei
New
Britain
Saipan
Millennium Island
Tarawa
Stewart
Island
Guadalcanal
Mount Isa
Madang
Rabaul
Cairns
Lae
Rockhampton
Geelong
Townsville
Hobart
Newcastle
Dunedin
Christchurch
Hamilton
Adelaide Auckland
Melbourne
Sydney
Brisbane
Port Augusta
HAGÅTÑA
PALIKIR
FONGAFALE
HONIARA
PORT-VILA
APIA
NUKU'ALOFA
PAG O
PAG O
PAPEETE
AVARUA
NOUMÉA
SUVA
PORT MORESBY
CANBERRA
WELLINGTON
P
o
l
y
n
e
s
i
a
M i
c r o n e s i a
M e
l a n e s i a
Guam
(to US)
New Caledonia
(to France)
Pitcairn
Islands
(to UK)
Niue
(to NZ)
American
Samoa
(to US)
Wallis &
Futuna
(to France)
Tokelau
(to NZ)
Northern Mariana
Islands
(to US)
Cook
Islands
(to NZ)
French
Polynesia
(to France)
MICRONESIA
MARSHALL
ISLANDS
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
SOLOMON
ISLANDS
VANUATU
NEW
ZEALAND
ALIA
TUVALU
NAURU
KIRIBATI
FIJI
TONGA
SAMOA
KIRIBATI
KIRIBATI