Australia’s interior is mainly desert, surrounded by more temperate grasslands.
This area is also a major wine-producing region. Wheat and other cereals, oilseeds, and legumes are mainly produced in this region. The country’s southern region has a Mediterranean climate. This area is used principally for dairy and beef production. Most high and low islands have tropical climates and limited agricultural products.Īustralia has the most diverse climate on the continent because of its large size and position on the Tropic of Capricorn, which runs through the middle of the country. The continental islands of Australia, New Zealand, and to a lesser degree, Papua New Guinea, have a diversity of climates and agricultural products. In Australia and Oceania, an island’s overall land area, latitude, relation to different winds, and geographic isolation determine its climate. The continental islands of Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea support rich natural-resource economies, while the other Pacific Islands rely on their natural resources for subsistence more than economic development.
Oceania’s natural resources are best defined in connection with its island groups. Oceania’s physical geography, environment and resources, and human geography can be considered separately. The name “Oceania” justly establishes the Pacific Ocean as the defining characteristic of the continent. Most of Oceania is under the Pacific, a vast body of water that is larger than all the Earth’s continental landmasses and islands combined. It includes Australia, the smallest continent in terms of total land area.
Oceania is a region made up of thousands of islands throughout the Central and South Pacific Ocean.