Oceania physical map

Oceania physical map.

Oceania is a region of the world that is not a continent stricto sensu. However, since this region is often assimilated to a continent by geographers, this part of the world can be considered as the smallest of the continents emerging from the Earth. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it covers an area of 8,525,989 km² and encompasses all lands between Asia and America, as well as part of the Malay Archipelago. It is divided into four regions: Australasia, Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia.

It covers a macrogeographic region located between Asia and America, with continental Australia as the main landmass of the continent, followed by the much smaller and nearby islands of New Guinea, Tasmania and New Zealand, to which are added some 25,000 small islands scattered in the Pacific Ocean. The desertic or semi-arid region occupies the largest area of the continent with 40% of its territory covered by sand dunes. Oceania is the driest, flattest continent, with the oldest and least fertile lands on earth.

The highest mountain in the continent, Puncak Jaya (4,884 m), on the island of New Guinea, belonging to Indonesia. Mount Kosciuszko, with 2228 m, is the main elevation of continental Oceania.