Geography

Rain forest, New South Wales Semiarid landscape, Northern Territory

Border Ranges National Park, pictured Australia’s biomes mirror its climates. The interior is grassland and desert.
above left, lies on the rim of a huge Grassland areas have acacia (e-KAY-shuh) shrubs, bunch grasses, and scattered
extinct volcano. More than 170 species eucalyptus (yoo-kuh-LIP-tuhs) trees. About 500 kinds of eucalyptus are found
of birds live in the park. In the western all across Australia. Monsoonal northern Australia has large areas of savanna.
Macdonnell Ranges, above right, careful Plants and animals there depend on seasonal rains. The Cape York Peninsula
observers may see the rock wallabies that has tropical rain forests. Large trees and dense vegetation are common there.
live there. Animals include the tree kangaroo and many native birds, such as parrots and
cockatoos. The south and southwest have Mediterranean scrub forests. The
southeast and east coast have temperate forests.

READING CHECK: Places and Regions What is unique about Australia’s plant and
animal life?

OurAmazing Planet Natural Resources Australia is rich in mineral and energy resources. As
you have learned, water resources are scarce in many areas, particularly the arid
Cane toads have very poisonous interior.
skin, which kills animals that at-
Mineral resources include bauxite, copper, iron ore, and many other valu-
tack or eat them. Brought to able minerals. (See the map of land use and resources in the unit atlas.) Many
Queensland in the 1930s to eat of these minerals are found in the dry interior. Mining centers such as Broken
pests, cane toads have disrupted Hill and Mount Isa have been operating for many years. The Broken Hill mines
in southeast Australia produce lead, silver, and zinc. Other mines yield valuable
native wildlife in much of gems, such as diamonds, opals, and sapphires. Energy resources include coal,
northern Australia. oil, and natural gas. Along Australia’s east coast are large coal deposits. Most of
the oil and natural gas comes from offshore fields. The main fields are in the
714 • Chapter 31 Bass Strait near Tasmania and off the coast of western Australia.

The country’s farming resources are more limited. Most areas have poor
soils, and there is not much water. Only about 6 percent of the land is good for
farming. The best farming areas are in the southeast. Because of the limited
amount of good farmland, many areas are used for grazing. The many artesian
wells and groundwater sources make this possible. Much of the water is too
salty for people, but can be used for sheep.

READING CHECK: Environment and Society What factors affect the location of dif-

ferent types of economic activities in Australia?

History and Culture

Australia’s native peoples have one of the world’s oldest
continuous cultures. However, Australian culture has been
shaped by its history as a British colony. Although it is far
from Europe, Australia’s dominant culture is European.

Early History and Settlement Australia’s first peoples

were the Aborigines (a-buh-RIJ-uh-nees). They came to
Australia from Southeast Asia at least 40,000 years ago.

Early Aborigines lived a nomadic way of life. They hunted

with spears, nets, and boomerangs—curved throwing

sticks. There were many groups, each with a different

name, speaking hundreds of different languages. Although

estimates vary, at least 300,000 Aborigines probably lived in

Australia when European settlers arrived in the late 1700s.

The British settled Australia as a prison colony. The Aborigine elders from Melville Island, off the north coast of
first settlement, set up in 1788, later became the city of Australia, display their spears.
Sydney. By 1830, nearly 60,000 prisoners had been sent

to Australia. Other people came to farm or raise sheep. In

1851 gold was discovered, attracting even more

people. Many settlers forced Aborigines off their Connecting to
land. Aborigines had no resistance to the diseases

brought by Europeans, and many of them died. HISTORY
In Tasmania, the Aborigines were completely

wiped out. Australia’s States and Territories
In the mid-1800s more towns and colonies
Australia’s first colony, New South Wales, was founded in 1788. In the
were founded. Eventually, six large colonies de- 1820s Van Diemen’s Land (later renamed Tasmania) and Western
veloped. (See Connecting to History: Australia’s Australia were added. Later, colonies were created with land taken
States and Territories.) In 1901 these six colonies from New South Wales. These colonies included South Australia,
joined to form the Commonwealth of Australia. Victoria, and Queensland. In 1901 Australia became independent
The new country was a close ally of Great Britain. from Great Britain. Soon after, the country’s political geography
During World Wars I and II many Australians looked much like it does today. The six colonies became states, and
fought alongside British troops. two territories—Northern Territory and the Australian Capital
Territory—were created. (See the chapter map.)
READING CHECK: Human Systems About how

many Aborigines lived in Australia when European settlers Drawing Inferences and Conclusions Look at the chapter map.

arrived? Which major cities do you think developed in each colony?

Australia in 1829 Australia in 1851 Australia by 1911

INDIAN CORAL INDIAN CORAL INDIAN CORAL
OCEAN SEA OCEAN SEA OCEAN SEA

WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES WESTERN NORTHERN
AUSTRALIA 1788 AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA TERRITORY
SOUTH
1829 AUSTRALIA 1911 QUEENSLAND
1859
1836
SOUTH NEW
AUSTRALIA SOUTH
WALES
VICTORIA
1851 VICTORIA

INDIAN VAN DIEMEN’S LAND INDIAN INDIAN TASMANIA AUS.
OCEAN 1825 OCEAN VAN DIEMEN’S LAND OCEAN CAPITAL
TERR.
1911

Australia and New Zealand • 715

Some Common Australian Words People and Languages Australia’s colonial history shaped its
Word Definition society. About 92 percent of Australia’s 19 million people are of
biscuit cookie British or other European ancestry. English is the official lan-
clicks kilometers (or miles) per hour guage. However, it is spoken with a distinct “Aussie” accent and
dunny restroom with just a toilet many special Australian words. (See the table.) Asians make up
esky ice chest about 7 percent of the population. Many Asians began moving to
g'day hello Australia in the 1970s. They have added to the country’s growing
cultural diversity. Aborigines are a small but important group.
mozzies mosquitoes About 200,000 Aborigines now live in Australia. Many of them
have mixed European and Aboriginal ancestry.

Oz Australia

roo kangaroo Settlement and Land Use Most people live in cities along the
saltie saltwater crocodile southeastern coast. These include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane,
and Adelaide. Perth is a large city in western Australia. All to-

shark biscuit inexperienced surfer gether, about 85 percent of Australians live in cities.

Australia’s settlement pattern is tied to the country’s colonial

history. Major cities grew as ports during colonial times. Even today, each state

and territory has just one major city. (See the chapter map.) The only large city

not on the coast is the capital, Canberra. It was not founded until 1913. Inland

settlements, such as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, are generally mining or agricultural

towns. Alice Springs, the outback’s major town, is important for transportation

and tourism. Where people live is also tied to Australia’s natural environment.

Most people settled in the southeast. This area has pleasant climates and reli-

able rainfall. In the dry interior, a lack of water makes settlement and farming

INTERPRETING THE VISUAL RECORD risky. Even today, very few people live there.

Visitors can find fashionable galleries, ho- Religion and Education The large majority of Australians are Christian.
tels, and other establishments on Collins Asian immigration has brought many Buddhists and Muslims. Aborigines
Street in Melbourne, Australia. How can who follow traditional ways emphasize spiritual ties to the land. They believe
you tell from the photograph that that their ancestors created the world during what the Aborigines call the
Melbourne has had a relatively long Dreamtime. These ancestors became part of nature. Such beliefs help
history of prosperity? Aborigines feel close to their ancestral lands.

Australia has a good education system. State and territorial governments
run schools with help from the national government. In the outback, some
students get lessons by radio, e-mail, video, and even satellite connections.
One important national goal is to improve the situation of Aborigines. On av-
erage, they lag far behind other Australians in education. Historically,
Aborigines have not had access to a good education in Australia. In fact,
Aborigines did not even become legal citizens until 1967.

Traditions, Customs, and Food Swimming, surfing, and going to the beach
are popular in Australia, as are organized sports. Most of these sports, such
as rugby and cricket, are originally British games. Bruising Australian Rules
football is very popular in the south. Australian artists, filmmakers, musicians,
and writers have produced works known around the world. Aboriginal art is
also popular. These paintings on tree bark or rocks feature human and animal
figures.

Foods in Australia often mix Mediterranean and Asian styles. Common
foods like beef and lamb are often grilled or roasted and served with potatoes
and other vegetables. Italian and Greek foods are popular. Many immigrants to

716 • Chapter 31

Human Systems

Australia’s Changing Trade Patterns

Most of the world’s developed countries have be- Wool from different breeds of sheep becomes products made by various
come rich through the production and export of manufac- segments of the wool industry, such as carpets, fine fabric, and uphol-
tured goods. However, Australia’s economy has long been stery. The fleece from the largest sheep may weigh 35 pounds (16 kg).
based on the export of raw materials. The country’s lead-
ing exports today include coal, gold, meat, wool, iron ore, these ties are not nearly as strong today. This change
and wheat. Australia ships these materials mainly to began after World War II as U.S. influence in the Pacific
Japan, European Union (EU) countries, ASEAN (Association region began to grow. Trade and other ties between the
of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, and the United United States and Australia strengthened. Trade with
States. Factories in those countries make products using Japan and China also began to grow. Then in 1973 Britain
those raw materials. joined what is now the EU and ended policies that favored
trade with Australia and its other former colonies.
While Australia exports mostly raw materials, it im-
ports mostly manufactured goods. These imports include Today EU countries are significant importers of
computers, machinery, office machines, and transporta- Australian goods. However, Japan and the United States
tion equipment. Most of these imports come from the are the largest single buyers of Australia’s main exports.
United States, Japan, ASEAN countries, and EU countries Japan, for example, imports Australian raw materials and
like the United Kingdom and Germany. natural resources that it lacks at home. In trade, as in other
ways, Australia is increasingly looking toward Asia for its
Since World War II Australia’s government has tried to future.
diversify the country’s economy. Its goal has been to make
and export more manufactured goods. Doing so would Applying What You Know
help the country become less dependent on the export of
raw materials. Many factories now specialize in light manu- 1. Summarizing How and why have Australia’s
facturing. Many also process farm products or minerals for economy and trade patterns changed since World
sale overseas. In addition, Australia produces household War II?
appliances, paper products, processed foods, and textiles.
The country also has a growing wine industry. 2. Drawing Inferences and Conclusions How
might changing trade patterns increase cultural and
Just as Australia’s economy has changed since World other ties between Australia and Asia?
War II, so have its trading partners. Australia has long had
strong trade relations with Britain. In fact, Britain was Australia and New Zealand • 717
Australia’s main trading partner for many years. However,

Australia’s Major Trading Partners

Exports Imports

9% 13% 27%
12% 14%
46%
14%

19% 22% 24%

ASEAN United States
European Union Other
Japan

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook 2001

Australia Australia came from these countries. Asian foods have also become popular.
Large cities now have many Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Chinese restaurants.
Adelaide
READING CHECK: Places and Regions What features of Australia’s history and cul-
ture make it a distinctive region?

Australia Today

Australia is a developed country with a market economy. It has good trans-

portation systems and health care and a tradition of stable democratic govern-

ment. The per capita GDP is about $23,200—very high by world standards.

Also, life expectancy and literacy rates are higher than in the United States.

Australia exports mostly raw materials and imports mostly manufactured

goods. (See the chart.) Most people work in service industries like education,

government, or tourism. Since World War II, Australia’s major trading partners

have changed. Australia used to trade mainly with Britain and other European

INTERPRETING THE VISUAL RECORD countries. Today, however, the country trades mainly with Asia and the United
Workers pick grapes near Adelaide, South States. (See Geography for Life: Australia’s Changing Trade Patterns.)

Australia. Why do you think the south- Mining, Agriculture, and Tourism Mining is an important part of
ern coastal region is a good one for Australia’s economy. In fact, Australia is the world’s leading producer of baux-
growing grapes? ite, diamonds, opals, and lead. It is also a major producer of coal, copper, iron

ore, silver, and many other minerals. Most minerals are exported to Japan or

other countries in East Asia. Many of Australia’s mineral resources are found

in the dry interior.

Only 6 percent of Australia’s land is good for farming. However, the coun-

try’s large size and modern technology make it a major exporter of farm goods.

The main products are wool, meat, and wheat. Wool supports the economy.

The country has about 150 million sheep, or about 15 percent of all the sheep

in the world. As a result, Australia is the world’s leading producer of wool, sup-

plying about 30 percent of the world’s total. Most sheep are raised on the west-

ern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and around Perth. Cattle are raised in

the north. Both sheep and cattle are raised on huge ranches called stations. (See

Cities & Settlements: Life in the Outback.) These ranches are examples of

extensive agriculture. This kind of agriculture uses much land but small in-

puts of capital and labor per unit area. Wheat is Australia’s most important

crop. It is concentrated in the southeast. Tropical

Australia’s Major Exports and Imports crops like bananas, pineapples, and sugarcane grow
along Queensland’s wet coast. Australia produces
Exports Imports many other fruits and vegetables also.

dairy products, meat, fish, machinery and equipment, Tourism is a large and growing industry.
wool, forestry products, vehicles and aircraft, Millions of people come to Australia each year to
manufactures petroleum, consumer goods, enjoy beaches and beautiful landscapes. Major
plastics vacation areas include the Great Barrier Reef,
Queensland’s Gold Coast, Ayers Rock (Uluru), and
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook 2003 major cities like Sydney. Many people from other
countries visit Australia even though they face long
INTERPRETING THE CHART Alumina is a component of bauxite, travel times to get there. The country is about a
the main aluminum ore. It has other uses too, such as in ceramics and 15-hour flight from Los Angeles and a 24-hour flight
pigments. Because so many mineral deposits are far from population from London.
centers, mining these minerals can be expensive. Foreign investment is
crucial. What types of products does Australia export?

718 • Chapter 31

Australia

Ayers Rock

Issues and Challenges Important challenges include addressing INTERPRETING THE VISUAL RECORD
Aboriginal claims to land and protecting the environment. In the late 1980s
Aborigines began protesting mining on sacred lands. They also claimed that Because of the rock’s mineral content,
these lands belonged to them. This dispute has become a national issue. Judges Uluru changes color as the sun rises and
have said that Aborigines have a right to claim traditional lands. As a result, sets. The Aborigines who own the site, the
many farmers, mining companies, and ranchers worry that they might lose Anangu, believe that only two special men
control of the lands they use to earn a living. from the local group may climb Uluru.
How can you tell from the photo that
Another challenge is protecting the environment. Australia’s environment these tourists and the Aborigines view
has changed greatly during the last 200 years. For example, more than a third Uluru differently?
of the country’s woodlands have been cleared or altered. People usually cleared
land to create areas for farming and raising animals. Hardest hit were the coun-
try’s rain forests. About 75 percent of these forests were destroyed. This has
reduced habitat for native wildlife.

Europeans brought many new plants and animals to Australia. New types
of plants and animals that people introduce to an area are called exotic species.
In Australia they include camels, cane toads, prickly pear cacti, and rabbits.
Many have spread across the country and become problems. These new ani-
mals usually have no natural predators. For example, the British brought rab-
bits for sport hunting. However, the number of rabbits rose quickly. They
damaged grazing lands, causing erosion. They became such a problem that peo-
ple purposely introduced a disease among them. This succeeded in lowering
their numbers. However, rabbits and other exotic species still cause problems.

READING CHECK: Human Systems What activities are important to Australia’s market

economy?

Homework
Practice
Online

Keyword: SW3 HP31

Identify Reading for the Main Idea Organizing What You Know

Aborigines 1. Physical Systems How do latitude and el- 5. Create a chart like the one shown
evation influence Australia’s climate regions? below. Use it to describe Australia’s
Define artesian wells, outback, marsupials, three major landform regions.
2. Human Systems How have the human char-
extensive agriculture, exotic species acteristics of Australia changed since the late Great Central Western
1700s? Dividing Lowlands Plateau
Working with Sketch Maps On a map Range
3. Human Systems What political, economic,
of Australia that you draw or that your teacher social, and demographic data give clues to
provides, label the Great Dividing Range, Australia’s level of development?
Central Lowlands, Western Plateau, Great
Barrier Reef, Cape York Peninsula, Tasmania, Critical Thinking
Murray River, Darling River, Great Artesian
Basin, Lake Eyre, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, 4. Drawing Inferences and Conclusions
Adelaide, Perth, and Canberra. Which interior How is the distribution of plants and animals in
area has large amounts of groundwater? Australia related to climate?

Australia and New Zealand • 719

Life in the Outback

Places and Regions West of Australia’s major store. Doctors and schools are even farther away. Such
mountains and rivers, a vast arid region extends across conditions have created a rugged and independent
the country to the Indian Ocean. Some Australians call people. Yet the region defeats those who believe they
this desolate expanse the “back of the beyond,” but it is can truly conquer it. The people of the outback survive
better known as the outback. Temperatures here can only by adapting to the arid environment.
reach 120˚F (48˚C) in the shade. Rainfall averages
under 10 inches (25 cm) per year. The outback’s Coober Pedy, a town west of Lake Eyre in South
riverbeds hold only rock and sand, except after heavy Australia, provides a clear example of this adaptation.
downpours. Dust storms are more common than rain! This isolated community is one of the few stops on the
When it fills with water, Lake Eyre, at the edge of the only paved road that crosses the entire outback. Called
Great Victoria Desert, is the country’s largest lake. the Stuart Highway, this route connects the northern
However, the lake fills completely only about twice in a and southern coasts to Alice Springs, in the Northern
century. Instead, most of the time the “lake” is a huge Territory. With just 27,000 people, “the Alice” is one of
salt flat. the outback’s largest towns.

Adapting to the Environment Fewer than one percent of South Australia’s
1.5 million people live in the state’s interior. A visit to
The outback covers about 75 percent of Australia. It is Coober Pedy quickly reveals why. The people of
the ancestral home of Australia’s first people, the Coober Pedy have had to take extraordinary measures
Aborigines. Today only about 10 percent of Australians to live in such a harsh environment. In the Aborigine
live on this desolate unforgiving land. Population den- language, Coober Pedy means “White Man’s Burrow.”
sity averages fewer than two people per square mile, The name fits. Coober Pedy exists only because of the
and large areas are completely uninhabited. Many out- opal mines nearby. The town is the world’s largest pro-
back dwellers live 300 miles or more from the nearest ducer of these precious stones. In addition, much of
Coober Pedy is itself underground. To escape the blis-

tering heat, businesses, churches, and
many homes are below the surface.
These establishments, and about half
the residents, occupy old mine shafts
or specially dug homes called dugouts.
In these underground places the tem-
perature is 72˚F (22˚C) all year.

Adapting to Isolation

Along a rough dirt road between
Coober Pedy and Lake Eyre lies the
Anna Creek Station homestead. This
small cluster of buildings is the sta-
tion’s headquarters. Covering some

People shop for opals in one of the many belowground
stores in Coober Pedy.

720 • Chapter 31

18,600 square miles (30,000 sq km), Anna

Creek is the largest cattle station in

Australia. However, only 15 people live

here. Besides the station manager and his

family, the population includes a cook,

pilot, and teacher. Several ranch hands—or Anna Creek family members and jackeroos pose for an informal portrait. The children’s
“jackeroos” as cowboys are known in best friends may live hundreds of kilometers away. Still, some residents compare their
Australia—complete the group. far-flung community’s closeness to a small town’s.

For those who are not used to it, station

life can be uncomfortable. The ground is hot and dry. individual 10-minute radio session with his or her

Snakes sun themselves on low sand dunes behind the radio teacher once a week. Other lessons arrive on

buildings. Flies seem to be everywhere. The wind car- videotape. Students mail in their assignments. The

ries a fine red dust that covers everyone and every- teacher grades them and returns them by mail.

thing. For some of the station’s residents, dealing Students work five or six hours a day on these assign-

with the loneliness is difficult. After all, Coober Pedy, ments. A parent or a hired teacher, as at Anna Creek

100 miles to the west, is the closest town. Yet other sta- Station, supervises. Use of the Internet, e-mail, and

tion residents could not imagine living in a city again. video conferencing is increasingly important for

Few of the station’s teachers have lasted more than instruction.

a year before returning to the coast. Even when the sta- March through November is the busiest time at

tion has an on-site teacher, basic education comes Anna Creek. The cattle must be gathered before the

from the School of the Air. Using a high-frequency heat and the flies make life miserable for people and

radio, the children take part in classes broadcast from animals. Calves must be tagged, horns cut, and some

the coastal city of Port Augusta. Every grade level has a livestock shipped to market. The roundups are chal-

half-hour class each day. Each student also receives an lenging. Some 16,000 head of cattle may be spread

across an area larger than the state of Maryland. The

A worker watches a small part of the Anna Creek herd, which had been jackeroos go out for weeks at a time to various
reduced by drought. Although horses are seldom used for roundups, parts of the station. Like education in the outback, this
many outback families keep them for other purposes. job also depends on technology. Jackeroos use
motorcycles instead of horses on these roundups, and

workers in airplanes spot cattle from the sky.

Applying What You Know

1. Analyzing Information How have techno-
logical innovations allowed people to live and
work in the outback?

2. Comparing How is education in the out-
back similar to education in the United
States? How are the two systems different?

Australia and New Zealand • 721

New Zealand

READ TO DISCOVER IDENTIFY

1. What are some important features of New Zealand’s natural Maori
environment?
DEFINE
2. What are New Zealand’s history and culture like?
3. On what is New Zealand’s economy based, and what economic economy of scale

challenge does the country face?

RWeaHdYinIgT MStrAaTtTeEgRyS LOCATE Canterbury Plains
Auckland
PAIRED SUMMARIZING Read this section silently, making North Island Wellington
notes as you read. Working with a partner, take turns summariz- South Island
ing the material and your notes. Stop to discuss ideas that seem Cook Strait
confusing. Include key terms and their definitions. Southern Alps

Natural Environments

The South Pacific island country of New Zealand is about 1,000 miles (1,609 km)
southeast of Australia. Like Australia, New Zealand has a British colonial his-
tory and a high standard of living. However, New Zealand is also very differ-
ent. It is much smaller, more mountainous, and has a wetter and milder
climate. The country has two major islands—North Island and South Island.
(See the chapter map.) They are separated by Cook Strait. Some smaller islands
in the Pacific are also part of New Zealand.

North Island In the north are peninsulas with forests and fertile lowlands.
New Zealand is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, so it is a tectonically active
country. The central and western parts of North Island have active volcanoes,

Tree ferns grow in Waitaanga Forest, North
Island. These plants, which can be more than
30 feet (9 m) tall, have been called living fos-
sils because the species has survived for some
150 million years. A fern leaf is one of New
Zealand’s national symbols.

722 • Chapter 31

geysers, and hot springs. These are created by the collision of the Pacific and OurAmazing Planet
Indo-Australian Plates. Subduction along this plate boundary causes earth-
quakes as well. The eastern part of North Island has rugged hills and small The tuatara (TOO-uh-TAHR-uh), a
coastal lowlands. small reptile, is found only on a few

South Island South Island is larger and has higher elevations than North islands of New Zealand. Tuataras
Island. A steep mountain range called the Southern Alps runs along the west are the last living members of an
coast. The Southern Alps include Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak, ancient group of reptiles related to
which rises to 12,349 feet (3,764 m). The Southern Alps are famous for their the dinosaurs. They appeared on
beautiful scenery, with many glaciers and mountain lakes. Below are thick Earth more than 200 million years
green forests. Along the east coast of South Island lie the Canterbury Plains.
Different grain crops and livestock feeds are grown in this fertile lowland area. ago. Some tuataras may live
to be 100 years old.
READING CHECK: Physical Systems What physical processes have created volcanoes,
geysers, and hot springs on North Island?

Climates and Biomes All of New Zealand has a mild marine west coast
climate. However, temperatures and precipitation vary across the country. In
general, North Island is warmer than South Island and rarely receives snow.
Westerly winds bring moisture. When these winds hit the Southern Alps, they
drop rain and snow. As a result, western South Island receives much more pre-
cipitation than the east, which is in a rain shadow. Most of the west coast aver-
ages more than 100 inches (254 cm) of rainfall each year. Some eastern areas
receive less than 20 inches (51 cm).

Most of New Zealand has a temperate forest biome. Forests cover nearly
30 percent of the country. These forests have mostly evergreen trees. Plant and
animal life includes many endemic species. The most well known of these are
flightless birds like kiwis (KEE-weez), which live in forests. Kiwis sleep during
the day and look for food at night. Moas, a much larger kind of flightless bird,
became extinct several hundred years ago. Unlike Australia, New Zealand has
no endemic mammals except bats. New Zealand also has many exotic species.
European settlers brought cats, cattle, deer, and sheep.

READING CHECK: Places and Regions Which climate and biome are found through-
out New Zealand?

Australia New
Zealand

Mount Cook
National Park

Lake Matheson lies at the foot of Mount Cook
and Mount Tasman on New Zealand’s South
Island.This tiny lake is protected from the wind,
so its still surface reflects the mountains clearly.

Australia and New Zealand • 723

This example of Maori folk art was created in
1888 for a visit by Te Kooti Rikirangi, a Maori
guerrilla and religious leader. Maori artisans
were highly skilled in wood carving and stone
carving. This painted work, therefore, may
show the influence of European art forms.

Natural Resources New Zealand’s main resource is good land for farming.
More than 50 percent of the land supports crops or livestock. Forests are also
important. Pulp and paper are produced from the fast-growing radiata pine
tree, an exotic species brought from California. Much hydroelectric power is
produced from New Zealand’s rivers. This kind of energy supplies 65 percent
of the country’s electricity. Geothermal power is also produced. New Zealand
does not have many large mineral deposits. The most important are coal, gold,
iron ore, and natural gas.

READING CHECK: Places and Regions What is New Zealand’s main resource?

History and Culture

Like Australia, New Zealand was colonized by British settlers. What effects do
you think this had on New Zealand?

Early History and Settlement The first people in New Zealand were the
Maori (MOWR-ee). They came from Pacific islands to the north about 1,000
years ago. Anthropologists call the early Maori moa hunters because moas were
their main prey. Other groups of Maori came later. Most settled on North
Island. Their culture was based on farming, fishing, and hunting.

In 1642 Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to reach
New Zealand. However, the Dutch did not return to settle the islands. In 1769
British explorer James Cook landed on North Island and made contact with
the Maori. He explored both North Island and South Island.

The first European settlers in New Zealand came from the British colony
in Australia. They were missionaries, traders, and whalers. In 1840, British set-
tlers and Maori leaders signed a treaty that gave the British control of the is-
lands. In exchange, the British agreed to protect Maori rights. The British set
up several settlements on North Island in the 1840s. However, troubles be-
tween the Maori and British soon arose. Some British settlers began taking

724 • Chapter 31

Maori lands. Also, diseases introduced by Europeans killed many Maori. These
problems led to the Maori Wars of 1845–72, which the Maori lost.

In 1907 New Zealand became an independent country within the British
Empire. It continued to develop its farming economy. New refrigeration meth-
ods allowed farmers to ship meat and dairy products to Britain. Like Australia,
New Zealand sent troops to fight alongside the British in World Wars I and II.

READING CHECK: Human Systems How did British settlement affect New Zealand’s
human geography?

People and Languages Most New Zealanders have British ancestors and
speak English. Asians and Pacific Islanders are both small but growing minori-
ties. New Zealand’s largest minority group, the Maori, makes up nearly 10 per-
cent of the population.

FOCUS ON CULTURE INTERPRETING THE VISUAL RECORD

The Maori The Maori are related culturally to other peoples of the Pacific Left: Maori train for a celebration. Their
Islands. According to Maori legend, they came to New Zealand in seven canoes. war canoes are in the background. Right:
Then a Maori hero named Maui created North Island by fishing it from the sea. New Zealand’s national rugby team, the
Maori society was made up of different tribes (iwi) ruled by chiefs (ariki). All Blacks, performs a Maori dance and
Tribes lived in villages. Land belonged to smaller groups (hapuu) within each chant called a haka before every interna-
tribe. Maori artists decorated canoes and houses with beautiful designs. tional match. A New Zealand team per-
Tattooing was common. Chiefs and warriors had facial tattoos (moko) that formed a haka overseas for the first time
symbolized their high place in society. in 1888, in Great Britain. By what pro-
cess would the haka enter popular
Maori culture has changed greatly since Europeans came. Today most culture?
Maori live in cities. Many have mixed Maori and European heritage. While
Maori have adapted to Western society, many are behind other New Zealanders
in education and employment.

Australia and New Zealand • 725

Many Maori have maintained traditional ways of life. For example, Maori
often greet each other by pressing their noses together (hongi). Dances called
action songs are also common, as are traditional carved meeting houses.
Although nearly all Maori speak English, some prefer to use the Maori
language in their homes. In 1987 Maori became an official language of
New Zealand.

READING CHECK: Human Systems How have the Maori maintained traditional ways
since the arrival of Europeans?

Settlement Most of New Zealand’s 3.9 million people live in lowland areas
along the coast. About 75 percent live on North Island. More than 80 percent
live in cities. New Zealand’s primate city is Auckland. About 30 percent of all
New Zealanders live in or around Auckland. Other major cities include
Wellington, which is the capital, and Christchurch.

Traditions, Customs, and Food Like in Australia, outdoor activities are
popular in New Zealand. A mild climate makes camping, hiking, and sailing
possible year-round. Skiing is popular at resorts in the Southern Alps.
Organized sports include rugby and cricket, both of which are played through-
out the country. New Zealand also competes in international yachting races. In
fact, practically every sport one can imagine is available. New Zealanders even
enjoy creating new outdoor activities.

In New Zealand sheep outnumber people 13 to 1, so workers who can
shear sheep quickly and well are valued. Recordholders can clip the wool from

a sheep in less than a minute. The best shearers in the
world come to New Zealand to compete against each
other. Champions earn prize money and local fame.

Favorite foods in New Zealand include clam
soup, lamb, and sweet potatoes. A meringue, fresh
fruit, and cream dish called a pavlova is the national
dessert. Tea is popular, reflecting the country’s
British heritage.

READING CHECK: Places and Regions Where do

most New Zealanders live?

Australia Economy and Issues
Wellington
New Zealand’s economy is a combination of farm-
New ing, manufacturing, and tourism. Major exports
Zealand include wool, meat, fish, and dairy products.
Historically, the country’s economy has been based
INTERPRETING THE VISUAL RECORD Cable cars provide transportation on the export of farm goods. However, manufactur-
for residents and visitors in Wellington, New Zealand. Why do you think that ing and services have become much more important
cable cars are an efficient form of transportation in this city? in the past 20 years.
726 • Chapter 31
New Zealand’s pastures support millions of
sheep and cattle. Major crops include wheat, barley,
fruits, potatoes, and vegetables. The country is the

world’s largest producer of kiwi fruit. Many industries are closely INTERPRETING THE VISUAL RECORD Sheep graze in
tied to agriculture. For example, factories make processed foods a pasture on South Island. How does the environment of
like butter and cheese. Most of these are exported. Other indus- this sheep station appear to differ from the one you
tries include wood and paper production, textiles, and machinery. read about in Cities & Settlements: Life in the Outback?
The main industrial center is Auckland. New Zealand has a grow-
ing film industry. Many movies and television programs are filmed
there. One reason is the wide range of settings the varied landscape
provides. Tourism is also important to the economy.

One challenge with developing industries in New Zealand
is the country’s small population. It makes New Zealand a
small market. Therefore, it is harder for industries to develop an
economy of scale—a large production of goods that reduces the
production cost of each item. For example, if a company produced
machines but was only able to sell 10 per year, it might not make
a profit. However, if the company sold 10,000 machines per year,
it would lower the cost of producing each machine and make a
large profit.

Another challenge facing New Zealand is diversifying its econ-
omy. The country depends heavily on exports. Therefore, changes
in world markets can have important effects on its economy. For
example, like Australia, Great Britain used to be New Zealand’s
main trading partner. In 1973 Britain joined what is now the
European Union (EU). Britain then had to raise its tariffs on goods
from non-EU trade partners. As a result, prices on products from
New Zealand rose in Britain. This increase caused the number of
goods New Zealand sold to Britain to fall. Since then, New Zealand
has diversified its exports. It has also found new trading partners.
New Zealand now trades with Australia, the United States, and
Japan. However, global trade is still vital to the country.

READING CHECK: Human Systems How have changes in world trade

patterns affected New Zealand’s economy?

Homework
Practice
Online

Keyword: SW3 HP31

Identify Reading for the Main Idea Organizing What You Know

Maori 1. Physical Systems How do the Southern Alps af- 5. Create a chart like the one shown below. Use
fect New Zealand’s precipitation patterns? it to describe the natural environments of
Define North Island and South Island.
2. Environment and Society How did technologi-
economy of scale cal changes in the early 1900s affect New Zealand’s North Island South Island
export economy?
Working with Sketch Maps
3. The Uses of Geography In New Zealand’s mar-
On a map of New Zealand that you ket economy, how are major commercial industries
draw or that your teacher provides, tied to its agricultural products?
label North Island, South Island,
Cook Strait, Southern Alps, Critical Thinking
Canterbury Plains, Auckland, and
Wellington. What is New Zealand’s 4. Analyzing Information What do you think
primate city? might have attracted early settlers to New Zealand?

Australia and New Zealand • 727

Building Vocabulary Review the video to answer the closing question:
What are some ways to help prevent or limit the
On a separate sheet of paper, explain the following terms by using spread of nonnative species?

them correctly in sentences. Thinking Critically

artesian wells extensive agriculture 1. Drawing Inferences and Conclusions How do you think
environmental conditions in Australia influenced where British
outback exotic species colonists settled?

marsupials Maori 2. Identifying Cause and Effect How do you think the develop-
ment of Australia’s economy has affected the environment?
Aborigines economy of scale
3. Comparing How are life and culture in New Zealand similar to
Locating Key Places life and culture in the United States?

On a separate sheet of paper, match the letters on the map with Using the Geographer’s Tools

their correct labels. 1. Analyzing Maps Study the map of Australia’s states and terri-
tories in Section 1. Why do you think the colony of New South
Western Plateau Southern Alps Wales had land taken away to create other colonies?

Tasmania Sydney 2. Analyzing Charts Study the chart of Australia’s major exports
and imports in Section 1. What types of goods does Australia
North Island Central Lowlands export? How do these exports relate to land use in Australia?

Great Dividing Range Great Barrier Reef 3. Preparing Graphs Use the information in Section 1 to create a
pie graph of Australia’s different ethnic groups. How do you think
D Australia’s population will change during the next 20 years?

CB A Writing about Geography

N F Imagine you are a government consultant in Australia. You have
WE G been asked to write a report comparing different points of view on
mining in lands the Aborigines hold sacred. You may want to use
S H Internet or library resources to find more information. Write a short
report. First, describe how Aborigines feel about mining operations
E in their sacred lands. Then describe a miner’s point of view. Finally,
suggest some ways that this difficult issue could be resolved. When
Understanding the Main Ideas you are finished with your report, proofread it to make sure you
have used standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and
Section 1 punctuation.

1. Physical Systems What are some of the reasons Australia is SKILL BUILDING
dominated by arid and semiarid climates?
Geography for Life
2. Human Systems What is the pattern of the distribution of
major cities in Australia? Why do few people live in the conti- Drawing Sketch Maps
nent’s interior? Places and Regions Review the unit political map. Then draw a

Section 2 sketch map of Australia showing its six states, two territories, five
major cities, and lines of latitude and longitude. On what are the
3. The Uses of Geography How have the physical characteris- country’s state and territorial boundaries based? Study the names
tics of New Zealand changed during the last 1,000 years? of Australia’s states and territories. How are they geographical
names? What clues do they provide about Australia’s culture and
4. Places and Regions What are some important characteristics history?
of New Zealand’s market economy?

5. Places and Regions How are the physical and human geog-
raphy of Australia and New Zealand similar? How are they
different?

728 • Chapter 31

Interpreting Graphs Analyzing Primary Sources

Study the pie graph below. Then use the informa- Read the following excerpt from an article by Bill
tion from the graph to help you answer the ques- Bryson. Then answer the questions.
tions that follow.
“I first realized that I was going to like the
Major Producers of Wool outback when I read that the Simpson
Desert, an area bigger than some European
10% Australia countries, was named in 1929 for a manu-
China facturer of washing machines. . . . It wasn’t
14% New Zealand so much the pleasingly unheroic nature
45% Rest of the world of the name as the realization that an
expanse of land of more than 50,000
31% square miles didn’t even have a name
until 70 years ago.
Source: New Zealand Wool Group
But then that’s the thing about the
1. What answer most accurately reflects the infor- outback—it’s so vast and forbidding that
mation from the graph? much of it has yet to be charted. . . .”
a. New Zealand produces more than half of
the world’s wool. 3. Which of the following is not a reason that the
b. China is the world’s largest wool producer. writer likes the outback?
c. Australia produces more of the world’s wool a. Part of it was named for someone who was
than New Zealand and China combined. not a heroic explorer.
d. Australia produces more than four times the b. The Simpson Desert is in Europe.
wool produced in China. c. Much of it has not been charted.
d. Part of it was unnamed for a long time.
2. How do the countries shown in the graph rank,
from the biggest to the smallest producers of 4. Which might the writer enjoy more—the
the world’s wool? Mojave Desert or Los Angeles? Why?

Alternative Assessment Internet Activity: go.hrw.com

PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY KEYWORD: SW3 GT31

Learning about Your Local Choose a topic on Australia and New Zealand to:
Geography • explore Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
• meet the Aborigines of Australia.
Individual Project: Research • learn about tectonic processes in
Plan, organize, and complete a research project on exotic plants and New Zealand.
animals in your area. In your report answer the following questions:
What are some of the plants and animals that have been introduced
into your area? Where did they come from? Why were they intro-
duced? Have any of these exotic species damaged the environment?
If so, how? How have they affected endemic species? Prepare a re-
port on your project and present it to your class.

Australia and New Zealand • 729

The Pacific
Islands

Outrigger A look at a map will tell you that the
sailboat, Pacific Islands region is characterized
Cook Islands by vast expanses of water. The islands
are scattered over thousands of miles of
ocean, allowing different cultures to
develop in isolation from each other.

A Huli man of Papua New Guinea applies face paint.

Daba Namona! (“Good morning,” in Motu.) My name is Jean Vanessa.
I live in Vabukori, a village in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. I live
with my mother, grandmother, four younger brothers, and my younger sister. My
mother is a journalist, and my grandmother bakes bread for the family in a drum oven.
Sometimes we sell the bread. My grandfather, whom I loved very much, passed away
last year. He was Motu, but my grandmother’s language is Susu.

Our house is big, built on stilts, and painted blue. It is a few yards away from the
village square where we have meetings and church gatherings and play sports. Our
house has one big bedroom. My mum, my sister, my three little brothers, and I sleep
in this room. The others sleep in the main living room area.

For breakfast we usually have tea and bread with fillings such as Vegemite,® jam,
or peanut butter, and sometimes spaghetti or baked beans. Cereal is expensive, so it’s
a real treat. On weekends, we often have fried flour (pancakes) for breakfast. After
breakfast, I take a bus to school. All my classes are taught in English.

I really like Christmas and New Year’s. In Vabukori, we celebrate with much feast-
ing and singing. The villagers are divided into two groups. On Christmas Day one
group cooks for the other one. The other group sings songs about Bible stories from
dawn to dusk. On New Year’s Day the groups exchange roles.

730 • Chapter 32

Natural Environments

Watch the video to understand
the impact of nonnative wildlife.

READ TO DISCOVER IDENTIFY

1. What are the main physical features of the Pacific Islands, and Intertropical Locate, continued
what physical processes affect them? Convergence
Zone (ITCZ) Solomon Islands
2. How is the Pacific Islands region divided into subregions? Vanuatu
3. What climates, biomes, and resources does the region have? DEFINE New Caledonia
Fiji
RWeaHdYinIgT SMtrAaTtTeEgRyS atoll Kiribati
Northern Mariana
READING ORGANIZER Before you read this section, make a LOCATE
table—labeled The Pacific Islands—with three columns. Label Islands
one column An Ocean Realm, the second column Three Island Tahiti Marshall Islands
Groups, and the third column Climates, Biomes, and Resources. As Melanesia Guam
you read this section, write information you find about the Pacific Micronesia Marquesas Islands
Islands in the appropriate column. Include key terms and their Polynesia Samoa
definitions. Papua New Guinea

The Pacific Islands: Physical-Political

MIDWAY LAYSAN
ISLANDS ISLAND

(U.S.) (HAWAII)
150°WTropic of
160°WCancer
170°W
20°N 180° 20°N
170°E
160°E
150°E
140°E

130°E
NORTHERN WAKE ISLAND (U.S.) JOHNSTON HAWAIIAN
MARIANA ATOLL (U.S.) ISLANDS
ISLANDS (U.S.)
(U.S.)
Saipan

GUAM (U.S.) MARSHALL ISLANDS PACIFIC OCEAN

10°N Koror Yap Kwajalein Majuro 10°N Size comparison of
PALAU Atoll KINGMAN REEF (U.S.) the Pacific Islands to the
ISSOLUANTHDEAST M I C R O N E S I A0° PALMYRA ATOLL (U.S.) contiguous United States
Caroline Islands Palikir HOWLAND
Line
FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA Tarawa ISLAND
PAPUA Yaren JARVIS
New Gilbert (U.S.) ISLAND (U.S.) ISLAND Equator 0°
Ireland NAURU District BAKER (U.S.)
Islands 130°W
140°W
NEW GUINEA Bougainville Islands

ASIA M E LNew Guinea TUVALU KIRIBATI
New Honiara Funafuti
Britain TOKELAU
A P O L Y N E S I A10°S
NAUSTRALIA (N.Z.)
Port Guadalcanal Marquesas 10°S
Moresby SOLOMON Pago Society IslPaTanapdhesiTteiuteaPmOFoRLtYEuNNACEIrsHSclIhaAinpedls 20°S
WALLIS AND SAMOA Pago
ISLANDS ESIA FUTUNA (FRANCE) Apia AMERICAN (FRANCE)

CORAL SEA

VANUATU SAMOA (U.S.)

ELEVATIONFEET CNAEWLEDONLIoAyalty Port-Vila Suva TONGA NIUE COOK
FIJI (N.Z.) ISLANDS
20°S (FRANCE) Islands
(N.Z.)
METERS Nuku‘alofa 130°W
ago
13,120 4,000 Tropic of Capricorn
140°W
6,560 2,000 30°S NORFOLK ISLAND PACIFIC OCEAN PITCAIRN
1,640 500 (AUSTRALIA) 150°W ISLAND
200 N (U.K.)
656 0 (Sea level) KERMADEC ISLANDS WE 160°W
(Sea level) 0 Below (N.Z.) 30°S
sea level S
Below 180° SCALE 500 1,000 Miles
sea level 170°E 0
160°E
40°S 0 500 1,000 Kilometers
National capital 40°S
Other cities NEW ZEALAND
Scale is accurate only along the equator.
Projection: Mercator

The Pacific Islands • 731

The Formation of an Atoll An Ocean Realm

A. A coral reef forms along the The Pacific Ocean is the largest natural feature on Earth. It covers about a third
edges of a volcanic island. of the world’s surface. More than 10,000 islands lie within this region. Yet the
Reef total land area of the islands is very small. Most of them are tiny coral islands
where no people live.
B. As the island sinks into the ocean
floor, the coral reef grows upward High and Low Islands Geographers classify the islands of the Pacific as
and forms an offshore barrier reef. either high islands or low islands. High islands can be further divided into con-
tinental and oceanic islands. Both types of high islands tend to be mountain-
Barrier reef ous and rocky, and both may have volcanoes. Continental islands are formed
from continental rock and lie on a shallow continental shelf such as that of
C. When the island is submerged, the Australia. New Guinea, the world’s second-largest island, is a continental is-
reef forms an atoll. A ring of coral land. Oceanic islands such as Tahiti are simply volcanic mountains that have
islands surrounds a shallow lagoon. grown from the ocean floor to its surface.

Lagoon Atoll Low islands form from coral. They are usually small and flat. Low islands
also tend to have a characteristic ring shape. A ring-shaped coral island, or a
A coral polyp builds a limestone ring of several islands linked by underwater coral reefs, is called an atoll.
skeleton that bonds it to a reef. The Within this ring lies a body of water called a lagoon. Kwajalein (KWAH-juh-
skeletons of many dead coral polyps luhn) Atoll in the Marshall Islands is about 80 miles (130 km) long and
form a reef. The coral reef pictured 20 miles (30 km) wide. However, most atolls are much smaller.
shelters a wide variety of marine life
and attracts many fish. FOCUS ON GEOGRAPHY

Tentacle to catch food Coral Reefs Coral is formed by colonies of tiny marine animals. Millions of
these tiny creatures’ skeletons build up into reefs on a volcanic base. Coral reefs
have been called the rain forests of the ocean because of their biological diver-
sity. Reefs cover less than 0.2 percent of the ocean floor. However, about 25 per-
cent of all ocean species inhabit coral reefs, which provide food and shelter.
Coral reefs around the world face natural threats like typhoons and crown-of-
thorns starfish, which eat coral. Reefs can recover from these assaults. However,
they are now also threatened by human activities. Pollution and destructive
fishing practices are among the dangers.

READING CHECK: Physical Systems How might the destruction of the world’s coral
reefs affect the biological diversity of the oceans?

Tissue Mouth
walls
Digestive
Coral cavity
skeleton

732 • Chapter 32

Physical Processes High islands and low islands tend to have very differ-

ent environments. The high islands’ volcanic soils are usually rich. Many high GO TO: go.hrw.com
KEYWORD: SW3 CH32
islands support rain forests. Variations in elevation, rainfall, and soil lead to FOR: Web sites about the
Pacific Islands
differences in plant life within one island as well as between islands. Low is-

lands, on the other hand, are usually much less fertile. They often have no

sources of freshwater.

The Pacific is the site of active tectonic processes. Many islands have active

volcanoes, and many more volcanoes lie deep beneath the ocean’s surface.

Earthquakes are common in some areas. Tsunamis can present a danger as well

to coastal areas.

Tectonic processes have also shaped the Pacific Ocean’s floor. The Pacific’s

average depth is 14,000 feet (4,300 m). However, the deepest point, in the

Mariana Trench, is more than 36,000 feet (11,000 m) below sea level. Oceanic

trenches are the result of subduction. Volcanic ridges, visible on the map as

chains of islands, often run parallel to the trenches.

The Northern Mariana Islands and Tonga Islands The Mariana Trench
are examples of volcanic island chains alongside
deep trenches. 40°N
160°E
150°E
140°E
130°E
120°E

READING CHECK: Physical Systems Which type of SCALE 1,000 Miles
Pacific island can often support rain forests, and why? 0

N JAPAN 0 1,000 Kilometers
WE Projection: Miller Cylindrical
30°N
30°N

CHINA S

Three Island Groups Tropic of Cancer

Geographers divide the Pacific Islands into three NORTHERN
large subregions—Melanesia, Micronesia, and MARIANA
Polynesia. These groupings are based on the cultural 20°N PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 20°N
variations and spatial arrangement of the islands.
(U.S.)
Melanesia lies closest to Australia. It includes the
SEA a Trench PACIFIC

PHILIPPINES GUAM

(U.S.) O C E A N
Profile line
10°N Marian 10°N

eastern half of New Guinea, which makes up most PALAU FEDERATED STATES
of Papua (PA-pyooh-uh) New Guinea. From there Equator OF MICRONESIA
Melanesia stretches east to include the Solomon
Islands, Vanuatu (van-wah-TOO), New Caledonia, 0° 0°
and Fiji. Most of the Melanesian islands have moun-
PAPUA New Ireland
NEW
120°E GUINEA

tains and volcanoes. INDONESIA

Micronesia lies east of the Philippines, mostly 10°S Depth Profile

north of the equator. Micronesia includes the Guam

Caroline Islands, the Gilbert Islands of Kiribati, the PACIFIC OCEAN

Northern Mariana Islands, and the Marshall Islands. These are a mix of high 6,000 feet

islands and low islands. The Northern Mariana Islands are a chain of volca- 12,000 feet

noes. Guam, the largest, is made up of a limestone plateau in the north and 18,000 feet Mariana
volcanic hills in the south. In contrast, the Gilbert Islands are all coral atolls. 24,000 feet Trench

Polynesia is the largest of the three subregions. It covers a huge triangle

with its corners at Easter Island, the Hawaiian Islands, and New Zealand.

See the unit atlas for Easter Island’s isolated location about 2,000 miles 30,000 feet

(3,200 km) west of South America. Polynesia also includes the Cook, 36,000 feet
Marquesas, Samoa, Society, and Tonga Islands, and the Tuamotu Archipelago.

READING CHECK: Places and Regions What are the three subregions of the Pacific The Mariana Trench is the deepest known
place on Earth’s surface. The trench is more

Islands? than 1,580 miles (2,550 km) long.

The Pacific Islands • 733

INTERPRETING THE VISUAL RECORD Climates, Biomes, and Resources

The band of clouds in the photo marks the Most of the region’s islands lie between the Tropic of
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. As you might expect,
which moves north or south of the equa- climates there are generally hot with high rainfall. Only
tor throughout the year to the area with Papua New Guinea, with its mountainous interior, has
the warmest surface temperature. Does areas with highland climates. Here mountain peaks have
this photo show the ITCZ north or tundra and alpine grasslands despite their location in low latitudes. Some parts
south of the equator? Which hemi- of the region have distinct wet and dry seasons. For example, in the far western
sphere was experiencing summer Pacific, wet and dry seasons are influenced by monsoons. In Papua New
when this photo was taken? How Guinea and some other areas, heavy rainfall supports thick tropical rain forests.
can you tell? Trade winds play an important role in the climates of the islands.
Northeast trade winds flow from the Tropic of Cancer. Southeast trade winds
flow from the Tropic of Capricorn. The area where these prevailing winds meet
near the equator is called the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). This
area has generally calm humid air at low elevations. However, the warm, moist
air of the ITCZ condenses and cools as it rises, causing heavy rainfall.
Typhoons most often occur in the western Pacific, while the southeastern
Pacific has very few. These swirling oceanic storms can be very destructive.
Fish and shellfish are important resources for the region. Lobsters, octo-
puses, sharks, shrimp, and tuna are just a few of the sea creatures people catch.
Cultured pearls are harvested from oysters in French Polynesia and the Cook
Islands. Other resources are less plentiful. Papua New Guinea and some other
islands of Melanesia export timber. Only the large continental high islands
have useful metal deposits. Papua New Guinea has major gold and copper de-
posits. New Caledonia is rich in nickel.

READING CHECK: Places and Regions What are the main natural resources of the

Pacific?

Homework
Practice
Online

Keyword: SW3 HP32

Identify Reading for the Main Idea Organizing What You Know

Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) 1. Places and Regions What physical pro- 5. Create a chart like the one shown
cesses have shaped the region’s islands? What below. Use it to make generalizations
Define environmental hazards affect the region? about the two types of islands found
in the region.
atoll 2. Physical Systems What factors form the
basis for dividing the Pacific Islands into three High Low
Working with Sketch Maps subregions? islands islands

On a map of the Pacific Islands region that Critical Thinking Surface
you draw or that your teacher provides, label landforms and
Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, 3. Analyzing Information Why does New elevation
Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Kiribati, Northern Guinea have highland climates? What factors
Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Guam, affect the region’s climates? Soil-building
Marquesas Islands, and the Samoa Islands. process
Outline Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. 4. Drawing Inferences and Conclusions
Which of the three subdivisions lie mostly How do you think the distribution of mineral Soil fertility
south of the equator? Which lies mostly north resources in the region relates to how different
of the equator? islands are formed? Vegetation

734 • Chapter 32

History and Culture

READ TO DISCOVER DEFINE

1. What are some important events in the history of the region? trust territories
2. What are the traditions and culture of the region like? pidgin languages
matrilineal
RWeaHdYinIgT SMtrAaTtTeEgRyS
LOCATE
TAKING NOTES Taking notes while you read will help you
understand and remember the information in this section. Your Wake Island
notes will be useful for reviewing the material. Use the headings American Samoa
in this section to create an outline. As you read about the history
and culture of the Pacific Islands, write details you learn beneath
each heading. Include key terms and their definitions.

History Polynesians created these stone figures,
the tallest of which stands 37 feet (11 m)
Researchers have used archaeology and other evidence to learn that waves of high, on Easter Island, or Rapa Nui (RAH-
people from Southeast Asia settled the region. Much later, Europeans and others pah NOO-ee), as it is also known. After a
arrived and brought many changes. period of peace and prosperity that lasted
from about A.D. 1000 to 1500, rapid popu-
Migration Patterns Humans may have lived on New Guinea at least 33,000 lation growth and deforestation created
years ago. Human migration into the Pacific may have begun even earlier than an environmental crisis. Hunger and fight-
that. (See Geography for Life: Migration into the Pacific.) Over thousands of ing over scarce resources devastated the
years, different peoples spread to different island groups. They sometimes mixed island’s people.
with earlier settlers. Over time, the peoples of Micronesia and Polynesia devel-
oped some distinct cultural features and became different in appearance. While
the peoples of the two regions are different from each other, they share many cul-
tural features. On the other hand the third region, Melanesia, is more distinct.

The Pacific Islands • 735

rAmazing PlanetOu Cultural patterns, languages, and physical traits there all differ from those in
Micronesia and Polynesia. Many Melanesians seem to be genetically linked to
The French—like the British in the Aborigines of Australia. However, peoples and cultures within Melanesia
Australia—used their colony in vary a great deal. Movement and mixing of peoples may have gone on for
thousands of years. The picture is not complete, and more research may pro-
New Caledonia as a prison. vide new details.
They sent more than 22,000
French prisoners there between READING CHECK: Human Systems Where did the first settlers of the Pacific Islands

1864 and 1897. come from?

INTERPRETING THE VISUAL RECORD European Arrival Europeans began to explore the Pacific Islands in the
Captain James Cook, one of Europe’s 1500s. Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese navigator working for Spain, sailed
greatest explorers, led three voyages to across the Pacific in 1520–21. Other explorers followed. Spanish, Dutch,
the Pacific Ocean. William Hodges was English, and French sailors came to explore, trade, spread Christianity, and
the official artist on Cook’s second trip. claim territory. Later, Germany, Japan, and the United States entered the race
Hodges painted this view of Matavai Bay, for colonies in the area. The United States captured Guam and the Philippines
in Tahiti, in the 1770s. How might this from Spain during the Spanish-American War in 1898. By the end of the 1800s,
painting have influenced Europeans’ foreign powers controlled nearly the whole region.
perceptions of the Pacific Islands?
At first, colonial control was limited. American and European whale
hunters sailed into the Pacific, sometimes setting up small outposts. Before the
discovery of petroleum, whale oil was very valuable for lighting and industrial
uses. With little or no regulation by the colonial countries, the whalers and
traders badly exploited the people of the islands. This disrupted traditional
cultures in many areas. Some Pacific islanders were enslaved. Unknowingly, the
Europeans also spread deadly diseases, including measles and influenza.

Over time, colonial rule became more organized. Colonial powers set up
plantations and military bases. The British brought thousands of workers from
India to work on sugar plantations in Fiji. Despite the colonial presence,
the Pacific Islands remained uninvolved in global politics until the 1940s.
World War II then brought sudden changes to the Pacific region. Many

736 • Chapter 32

islands became battlefields between 1941 and 1945. Others Yap
were used as bases. Armies, planes, and ships moved through Islands Federated States
the region. Japan conquered many islands early in the war.
Over time, the United States and its allies pushed back the of Micronesia
Japanese and defeated them. At the end of the war, the Papua
United Nations made some islands trust territories. These New Guinea
were areas placed under the control of another country
while they prepared for independence. Australia

Independence Since the end of World War II, the islands A piece of traditional stone money leans against the wall of this
of the Pacific have moved away from colonialism. Some have men’s meeting house on the island of Yap. Although the U.S. dollar
become fully independent. A few other islands are still is the common currency in Yap, the stone disks are used for some
colonies of or are otherwise associated with an outside major transactions, such as land purchases.
country. Guam, Wake Island, and American Samoa are
U.S. territories. The Northern Mariana Islands form a com-
monwealth with the United States, similar to Puerto Rico’s
situation. The Federated States of Micronesia are in free
association with the United States. This status allows their
citizens to work in this country. In return, the United States
can keep military bases on the islands. Australia, Chile,
France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom also have
territories in the Pacific.

READING CHECK: Human Systems Why did Europeans and

other outsiders come to the Pacific Islands?

Traditions and Culture

Each of the societies of the Pacific developed its own culture. Despite the many
variations, it is possible to make some generalizations about cultural features.
Groups on the same island or within an island chain often shared cultural char-
acteristics. Some similarities extended through a subregion or even through the
entire region.

Today the Pacific Islands are home to a great number of different ethnic
groups and languages. How did this happen? Huge stretches of ocean between
islands allowed different cultures and languages to develop independently
from one another. On New Guinea, thick rain forests and rugged mountains
separated different groups of people in a similar way. Today the peoples of
Papua New Guinea speak more than 700 different languages. Some of them are
spoken by only a few hundred people.

Reflecting the lasting influence of colonialism, English and French are used
in government and education in many parts of the region. To communicate
within island groups where languages differ, some Pacific peoples have devel-
oped simplified languages based on English. These are called pidgin languages.

Education Almost all children in Polynesia and Micronesia now receive
education through the high school level. Schooling is not yet available to
everyone in Melanesia. There are several universities in the Pacific Islands.
Most teach mainly in English, but a French-language university has locations
in both New Caledonia and Tahiti.

The Pacific Islands • 737

Connecting to Religion Early traditional religions of the Pacific had some
TECHNOLOGY similarities. People commonly worshipped several gods and god-
desses. Each supernatural being was linked to specific areas of
Navigation Skills of the human life or natural phenomena. Carved statues, costumes,
Pacific Islanders masks, and dance were usually part of religious rituals. The spirits
of ancestors also were important to some peoples.
To the untrained eye, the open ocean looks
empty and featureless. How would you find Christianity is the main religion in the Pacific Islands today.
your way from one tiny island to another? What Roman Catholic and Protestant missionaries spread their faiths
if you were in a wooden sailboat without a through the area during the colonial period. Churches are impor-
compass, radio, or other modern instruments? tant to community life in many parts of the region. However, peo-
ple still practice local religions in parts of Melanesia, including
The sailors of the Pacific Islands used many Papua New Guinea.
skills to navigate the ocean. At the start of a trip,
they would take their bearings from landmarks READING CHECK: Human Systems How did French, English, and
on shore to plot their direction. Then they
would note the rising points of certain stars and Christianity spread to the Pacific Islands?
steer by "star paths." Winds and currents were
also familiar to the sailors. The flights of birds Food Before Europeans came, three root crops—sweet potatoes,
and the movements of clouds provided clues. taro, and yams—were among the key foods in the Pacific Islands.
The sailors noted the reflections of lagoons on Three tree crops—bananas, breadfruit, and coconut—were also
the bottoms of clouds. They could even tell the important to the diet. The coconut palm was particularly useful.
way waves were deflected off of distant islands. Pacific Islanders ate the soft flesh of the coconut and drank
Understanding all these signs helped these the milk. They used the shells as containers and got fibers from the
sailors reach their destinations, sometimes coconut’s outer husk. The people also made roofs and baskets from
across thousands of miles of ocean. People of coconut palm tree fronds. Rice was the only grain grown in the re-
the Pacific Islands still use many of these skills. gion. It was grown only in parts of the Mariana Islands.

Expert navigators of the Pacific Islands teach others Around the Pacific, fish are the main source of protein. Before
how to use a compass based on the locations of European contact, the domesticated animals of the Pacific Islands
certain stars. were limited to chickens, dogs, and pigs. People on some islands ate

738 • Chapter 32 fruit bats. Not all these animals
were found on all islands. For
example, no dogs lived in
the Marquesas Islands. Easter
Island had only chickens. Many
islands had no domesticated
animals at all. In general, people
served meat—especially pigs—
only at special celebrations. In
Samoa, for example, an occa-
sion’s importance could be
measured by the number of
pigs served.

Today imported foods such
as canned meat, boxed cake
mixes, and soft drinks are a
growing part of people’s diet.
The need for money to buy im-
ported goods has pushed many
farmers to switch to growing
cash crops such as sugarcane
for export.

Traditional Societies Historically, people in

the region tended to be organized into clans or

tribes. They lived in places that ranged from

small villages to communities with thousands

of people. Patterns of social interactions within

these groups had some features in common.

Polynesian groups often had complex rules

of behavior and social ranks. On some islands,

like Tahiti and Tonga, political status was kept

within certain families. Individuals of high

rank had great power over the common peo-

ple. Chiefs distributed land and organized

work such as the digging of irrigation systems. Hawaii

Competition for land, resources, and status Papua
New Guinea

often led to war. Australia Fiji
Elsewhere in the Pacific, people placed less
New Zealand
emphasis on inherited rank. People could gain

status by giving feasts or presenting valuable This Fijian chief’s home contains traditional
handicrafts. Fiji has a Great Council of
gifts. They could also gain status by organizing trade with other groups or Chiefs that elects the country’s president.

other islands. Many Melanesian peoples selected a leader through a kind of

competition. A leader won supporters through his abilities or his wealth.

Marriage or descent from an important family could also help determine lead-

ership. The amount of power a leader held varied from group to group.

One interesting feature of Micronesia was that local groups were often

matrilineal. That is, people traced kinship through the mother. When a mar-

riage took place, the husband became part of the wife’s clan, rather than the

other way around. In some societies, women held high status. For example,

Tongan women outranked men in several situations.

Art in the Pacific Islands was often connected to religion. Wood carvings,

for example, usually showed gods and ancestors. Today island artists create

similar carvings and sell them to tourists.

READING CHECK: Human Systems How did a Melanesian leader win his position?

Define Reading for the Main Idea Homework
1. Environment and Society What food crops did Pacific Practice
trust territories, pidgin Online
languages, matrilineal Islanders grow before contact with Europeans?
2. Human Systems What six foreign countries have Keyword: SW3 HP32
Working with
Sketch Maps territories in the Pacific? Organizing What You Know
5. Create word webs like the one
On the map you created in Critical Thinking
Section 1, label Wake Island 3. Analyzing Information How did physical features affect mi- shown below to describe the people,
and American Samoa. In languages, religions, educational
which of the Pacific Islands’ gration and the distribution of culture groups in the region? systems, food, and traditional customs
three subregions is American 4. Analyzing Information How is the colonial history of the of the region.
Samoa located?
Pacific Islands reflected in the region’s culture today? How has People
importing food changed the region?
The Pacific Islands • 739

Human Systems

Migration into the Pacific

To learn about the past, geographers study many Migration and Settlement of the Pacific Islands
clues. One great historical mystery is how the remote and

numerous Pacific Islands were settled. Geographers have 160°E N 140°W
drawn from different areas of study to map the migra- 140°E E 160°W
tion and settlement of the Pacific Islands. Tropic of
Cancer W S PACIFIC Hawaiian 20°N
One idea developed after a geographer drifted on a 20°N OCEAN Islands
raft in the ocean for some time. He proposed that South Mariana Marshall
Americans could have drifted west across the Pacific to Islands Islands
reach Polynesia. Evidence from the field of botany may
support this theory. Polynesians raise sweet potatoes. MICRONESIA
However, the plant is native to South America.
Caroline Islands
Geographers also study what cultures leave behind.
For example, a type of pottery called Lapita ware is c. 10A00.DB. .1C.– Line c. A.D. 400
found throughout the western Pacific region. Lapita c. 10A0.D0.B1.C.– Islands
ware is named for a certain site in New Caledonia. These
ceramic vessels are of many types and are highly deco- 0° New New Gilbertc. A.D. 1–A.D. 500 Equator 0°
rated. The people who made this pottery had excellent
navigation and canoe-building skills. They were also Britain Ireland Islands Phoenix
farmers. Archaeologists have compared samples of pot- Islands
tery from the region’s different islands. They concluded New M E
that the Lapita culture spread from Fiji to Tonga and Guinea L A Tuvalu POLYNESI A
Solomon
Islands Tahiti
c. 1500–1000 B.C. N
ESIA Samoa c. A.D.
c. 1500 c1. 0105000B–.C. Islands Society
CORAL –1000 c. 1500– Islands To
SEA 1000 B.C. c. 200 B.C. Easter
Vanuatu Island
20°S Fiji Tonga Cook (Chile) 300
B.C. Islands Islands Islands
Kermadec Tropic of c. A.D. 1000
New Capricorn
Caledonia

AUSTRALIA

Islands c. A.D.1000 140°W

180°
160°E

140°E
NEW 40°S
40°S ZEALAND
c.1500 Probable date and
SCALE after A.D. 1000 route of colonization
0 500 1,000 Miles Chatham
Islands
0 500 1,000 Kilometers

Projection: Mercator

Samoa. Fiji and Tonga may have been settled by 1300 B.C. INTERPRETING THE MAP Which of the three subdivisions of the
Physical geography can also offer hints about the Pacific Islands was settled first? How might the winds in this area
have affected early migration patterns?
islands’ settlement. For example, when ocean levels were

lower during the ice ages some Pacific Islanders may have

traveled across land bridges. At that time, New Guinea

and Australia were joined by dry land. that evolved in central Polynesia had their beginnings in

Today most Polynesians believe their people came from Tonga and Samoa. From there, some people moved east-

places to the west—like Indonesia and the Philippines. The ward to the Marquesas Islands. During the next 200 years,

islands of Southeast Asia are large and close together. It is one group went south to Easter Island and another to the

likely that mainland people who needed new fishing areas Hawaiian Islands. By about A.D. 500, Polynesians had spread

and land set off for the nearby islands. Overpopulation of throughout the region, with the exception of New Zealand,

their homeland was probably a major factor. After these which they reached in about A.D. 1000.

travelers perfected their navigation skills, their voyages took

them farther east. Eventually, they migrated through the Applying What You Know
Melanesian islands into Polynesia.

People from other parts of the world, such as South 1. Summarizing What are two theories about how
America, may have visited the islands. However, the people the Pacific Islands were settled?
who actually settled the islands were most likely from

Southeast Asia. Geographers think Polynesian migration 2. Evaluating Based on what you know, what geo-

and settlements east and north eventually formed a huge graphic tools would you use to learn about how

triangle in the Pacific Ocean. (See the map.) The cultures your state was settled?

740 • Chapter 32

The Region Today

READ TO DISCOVER IDENTIFY

1. What are the economies of the Pacific Islands region like? Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
2. What are some demographic characteristics of the region?
3. What challenges do the people of the region face? DEFINE

Reading Strategy copra
phosphates
READING ORGANIZER Create a spider map on a sheet of
paper. Label the circle the Pacific Islands Today. Create legs for LOCATE Suva
Economy; Population and Migration Today; and Facing Challenges. Papeete
As you read the section, write main ideas and supporting details Yap
beneath each leg. Include key terms and their definitions. Nauru
Port Moresby

Economy Hawaii

The region’s economies have changed as they have become linked with the Papua Cook
global economy. However, regional trade networks linked the islands long be- New Guinea Islands
fore European contact. The uneven distribution of resources, even on the
larger islands, made trade essential. Trade networks not only stretched Australia
throughout island chains but also operated across wide areas of the Pacific.
Traders carried goods such as feathers, food, mats, shells, spices, and wood in New
their canoes. Trading sometimes took on symbolic or political meanings. For Zealand
example, many people in the Carolines offered yearly gifts to the chiefs of vil-
lages on the island of Yap. In exchange, the Yapese chiefs allowed people from Workers process pineapple in a Cook
the Carolines to continue to use land that the Yapese had claimed. Islands factory. Growing pineapples has
caused extensive soil erosion on some
More recently, development in the region has been slow. Industries here of these islands.
face a number of hurdles. Local markets are small, and raw materials are lim-
ited. The need to import raw materials and export finished products adds to The Pacific Islands • 741
the cost of goods made in the region. For these reasons, the Pacific Islands re-
gion overall is poor. On many islands, people still rely on fishing and sub-
sistence farming for food. Many of the main crops are those grown long ago.
Coconut oil and copra—dried coconut meat—have been major exports.
Some plantations grow introduced crops like cacao, pineapples, and vanilla.

Each country of the Pacific controls an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
These zones stretch 200 nautical miles (370 km) from each country’s shores.
The countries can charge fees for economic activities within their EEZs. Fees
paid by foreign businesses, particularly big tuna-fishing companies, provide
much-needed income.

Mining has become important in Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, and
Nauru. The people of the Pacific may someday profit from the mining of metal
deposits from the ocean floor. The technology needed to mine these minerals
may not be practical for many years, however.

Some islands have tried to move toward a manufacturing economy. The
Northern Mariana Islands, Cook Islands, Fiji, and Tonga export textiles and
clothing. Tourism provides more income than manufacturing, however. Clear
blue water, white sand, and island culture draw visitors from around the world,
particularly Japan and the United States. Tourism is a vital industry for some
places, such as Tahiti and Tonga. Other islands have attracted few tourists.

READING CHECK: Places and Regions What role might technology play in the de-
velopment of the region’s resources?

Population and Migration Today

Overall, the population of the Pacific Islands is low. Even Papua New Guinea,

which is larger than California, has only about 5 million people. However,

some of the smaller island countries are very crowded.

There are few big cities in the region. Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea

stands out as the largest city. It has a population of about 200,000. Suva, the

capital of Fiji, is home to about 170,000 people. Papeete, a city on the island of

Tahiti, has a population of about 24,000. It is the capital of French Polynesia

and a regional center for tourism, transportation, and trade.

Although the cities of the Pacific are not large, the region saw rapid urban

growth in the late 1900s. Population movement from island to island has also

increased. People tend to move to cities and the more populated islands. At the

same time, there is a great deal of emigration or movement out of the region.

Many Pacific Islanders move to Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

The reasons for all three of these patterns are similar. The populations of most

islands in the region have very high rates of natural increase. In fact, some of

Tourists relax at a hotel on a small island those rates are among the highest in the world. Birthrates in the Pacific have re-
west of Tahiti. Visitors can enjoy a range
of activities—from windsurfing to watch- mained high while death rates have fallen. Populations have grown rapidly,
ing a guide feed sharks.
straining resources. This is particularly true in the smaller islands. The search for

jobs, education, and a better standard of living pushes

people to move to other islands or to other regions.

Hawaii While emigration may keep a population from
growing too quickly, it can also cause problems.
Papua French Young productive workers are often the ones who
New Guinea Polynesia move away. As a result, some islands have a shortage

Tahiti

Australia

New of skilled labor.
Zealand

READING CHECK: Human Systems What are the
causes of migration within and out of the region?

Facing Challenges

In addition to rapid population growth, the region
faces other challenges. These include concerns about
how economic development will affect the environ-
ment. Political problems and issues of nuclear testing
and climate also cloud the region’s future.

With their small land area, many islands are par-
ticularly vulnerable to environmental destruction. For

742 • Chapter 32

example, cutting forests in Melanesia could lead to rapid soil

erosion. Also, mining has polluted some streams in Papua New

Guinea. In addition, overfishing may reduce future catches.

The tiny island country of Nauru—less than 8 square

miles (21 sq km) in area—displays an extreme case of envi-

ronmental exploitation. Mining phosphates—chemicals used

to make fertilizer—brings essential income to Nauru. The gov-

ernment shares some of the profits with Nauru’s people. It has

invested the rest of the money. Those investments may provide Hawaii

income after the supply of phosphates runs out. However, strip Papua Nauru
mining has steadily ruined most of the island’s surface. New
Guinea
Another concern involves past nuclear weapons testing.
France, Great Britain, and the United States used their Pacific Australia

New
Zealand

territories as nuclear testing grounds. They exploded bombs Phosphate mining on Nauru has left about 90 percent of the
from the 1940s to the 1960s. France continued underground island a wasteland. In the photo above, ancient coral remains
testing until the late 1990s, even though French Polynesians after the phosphate material has been removed.
and other countries protested. Some people fear the radiation

from the tests may cause health problems in the future.

Finally, the possibility of global warming is a special worry for the people

of the Pacific. As you read earlier, many researchers believe worldwide temper-

atures are rising. As a result, melting polar ice might raise ocean levels. If the

ocean rises even slightly, many low-lying islands will be submerged or become

more vulnerable to storms.

Some islands have also suffered from political violence in recent years.

Beginning in the 1970s, Papua New Guinea’s military fought against a group

demanding independence for the island of Bougainville. This fighting contin-

ued through the 1990s. Ethnic divisions have led to another conflict in Fiji.

Indo-Fijians make up more than half of that country’s population. They are

descended from workers the British brought from India. Beginning in the

1970s, some ethnic Fijians became concerned about losing political control to

Indo-Fijians. Tensions between the two groups have led to violence.

READING CHECK: Environment and Society How have humans modified the envi-
ronment in parts of the region?

Homework
Practice
Online

Keyword: SW3 HP32

Identify Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 2. Places and Regions What are five sources Organizing What You Know➚
of income for the Pacific Islands region? 5. Create a cause-effect diagram like the
Define copra, phosphates
3. Environment and Society Why is the one below. Use it to identify the pat-
Working with Sketch Maps On the map possibility of global warming particularly wor- terns of human movement in the
risome to the peoples of the Pacific? Pacific Islands today.
you created in Section 2, label Yap, Nauru, Port
Moresby, Suva, and Papeete. Which is the region’s Critical Thinking ➚
largest city? 4. Evaluating How have policies about re- ➚Desire for jobs

Reading for the Main Idea source development affected environments in and a better
1. Human Systems What two roles did tra- Melanesia and Nauru? What economic impact standard of living
have these policies had?
ditional trade networks play in the Pacific? The Pacific Islands • 743

Exotic Invaders

Environment and Society The Pacific Islands are the island. Today native forest birds can only be found
home to some of the most unusual creatures on on the island’s northernmost tip. Guam could become
Earth. Unfortunately, the introduction of exotic the first place on Earth to lose all its native birds.
plants and animals threatens or endangers many of
these species. When new plants or animals are A Detective Story
brought to an island, disaster can result. In the most
extreme cases, the original plants or wildlife die off At first, researchers were not sure why the island’s
and are replaced by the invaders. birds were disappearing. Possible reasons for the de-
cline included disease, hunting, loss of habitat, pesti-
The Brown Tree Snake cides, and predators. An introduced animal could also
be responsible. Brown tree snakes, cats, dogs, and rats
The brown tree snake provides a dramatic example were all potential suspects.
of the effect an exotic invading animal can have on
island wildlife. This snake was once found only in Researchers used a geographic approach to solve
Australia, eastern Indonesia, New Guinea, and the the puzzle. First, they noticed that the snake was the
Solomon Islands. During the 1940s and 1950s, the only suspect not found on three nearby islands. These
snakes probably stowed away in ships’ cargoes and islands did not experience the same decline in bird
came to Guam accidentally. Soon they began to mul- populations as Guam. The scientists also noted that
tiply and spread throughout the island. Today, in birds and bird eggs are important sources of food for
some of the island’s forest areas, as many as 12,000 the snake. The brown tree snake then became the
snakes live within just one square mile. In the 1960s number one suspect. Next, researchers gathered data
local residents began to notice that there were fewer about the date, location, and number of bird and
and fewer birds. Since then, native birds like the snake sightings on Guam. Poultry owners helped by
Guam flycatcher have practically disappeared from reporting when they first saw the snakes. Government
biologists provided information about the number of
birds on different parts of the island over previous
years. Scientists then plotted this data on a map. They
saw that as the snake’s range moved north the range
of native birds grew smaller and smaller. This evi-
dence proved that the snake was the main culprit in
the decline of native birds.

744 • Chapter 32

The Rabbits of Laysan Islands of Trouble
Islands’ small size and their isolation from other areas
Laysan Island is another example of the disastrous of land make them particularly vulnerable to invad-
effects introducing exotic animals can have on island ing species. Unlike plants and animals living on con-
habitats. About 1903, workers brought rabbits to this tinents, those on islands quickly run out of new
small sandy strip of land north of Hawaii. A year later, places to go when an exotic invader takes over. Islands
the workers left. In 1923, visitors returned and found are like fragile little rafts. They have limited space and
Laysan Island a barren wasteland with only a few a limited food supply. When one creature takes too
stunted trees. At some time the rabbits had multiplied much space and food, the other creatures often find
to more than 5,000 and eaten most of the plants. themselves with nowhere to go.
Several types of native birds had also disappeared.
Even the rabbits were dying out. With most of the Applying What You Know
plants gone, the rabbit population had shrunk to
about 200. The remaining rabbits were removed. 1. Summarizing What steps did researchers take
Within 10 years, plants had taken root again and sev- to solve the mystery of the disappearing birds?
eral kinds of birds had returned to the island.
Scientists now consider Laysan a success story. 2. Identifying Cause and Effect What role did
people play in bringing the brown tree snake
The small photo opposite shows a brown tree snake. Goats, such as the to Guam and rabbits to Laysan? What were
feral animal in the inset photo below, are an exotic species in Hawaii. the results of each event?
They have eaten practically all the native plants in some areas. In the
background you can see what part of Kauai’s coast looked like before
(left) and after (right) the goats stripped the area’s vegetation.

The Pacific Islands • 745

Building Vocabulary Review the video to answer the closing question:
What are some ways to help prevent or limit the
On a separate sheet of paper, explain the following terms by using spread of nonnative species?

them correctly in sentences. Thinking Critically

atoll matrilineal 1. Summarizing What environmental hazards affect the Pacific
Islands region? What impact might these hazards have on the
Intertropical Convergence copra land and people living there?

Zone (ITCZ) Exclusive Economic 2. Comparing How do fishing, subsistence farming, and planta-
tion agriculture play different roles in the region?
trust territories Zone (EEZ)
3. Analyzing Information How have migration, war, and trade
pidgin languages phosphates affected the people and culture of the region?

Locating Key Places Using the Geographer’s Tools

On a separate sheet of paper, match the letters on the map with 1. Interpreting Charts Review the unit Fast Facts chart, the unit
their correct labels. Comparing Standards of Living chart, and information from this
chapter. Then use that information and the World Factbook
Tahiti Northern Mariana Islands (go.hrw.com) to rank the countries of this region by level of
development. Write a short paragraph explaining why you
Papua New Guinea Wake Island ranked the countries as you have.

Solomon Islands Nauru 2. Evaluating Maps Look at the map of the ocean floor in
Section 1. What does this map tell you about the region’s
Fiji geography? What are some clues that this is a tectonically
active region?
F N
G WE 3. Creating and Interpreting Maps Construct a map of the
Pacific Islands region. Label the subregions of the Pacific
C S Islands. Then use arrows to show the origin and direction of mi-
gration of people into the region over time. Label each arrow
[C32000002A] with the origin of migration. How would you expect these mi-
E [Chapter AReview Map–no title needed] grations to have influenced the region’s cultures?

BD Writing about Geography

Understanding the Main Ideas Write a speech from the point of view of a resident of French
Polynesia calling for greater political independence from France.
Section 1 Include specific reasons why you feel this way. When you are fin-
ished with your speech, proofread it to make sure you have used
1. Places and Regions What are the two types of islands in the standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.
Pacific? What are their origins?
SKILL BUILDING
Section 2
Geography for Life
2. Human Systems What geographic factors helped a large
number of languages to develop in the region? Gather and Organize Information from Maps
The World in Spatial Terms Using the physical-political map of
3. Environment and Society What food crops have traditionally
been important in the region? What uses did Pacific Islanders the region, pick five Pacific islands. For each island, measure its
find for the coconut palm? approximate distance from Honolulu, Hawaii; Port Moresby, Papua
New Guinea; Sydney, Australia; Suva, Fiji; and Papeete, Tahiti.
Section 3 Finally, create a chart to organize this information.

4. Human Systems Why is manufacturing not a major factor in
the region’s economy?

5. Human Systems What are the three patterns of human
movement in the Pacific Islands today?

746 • Chapter 32

Elevation Map: Guadalcanal Analyzing Secondary Sources

160°E N 160°40'E Read the following passage and answer the
questions.
9°20'S W E 9°20'S
9°40'S S 9°40'S “Today the Pacific Islands are home to
Honiara a great number of different ethnic groups
and languages. How did this happen?
Mataniko R. Huge stretches of ocean between islands
naru R. allowed different cultures and languages
Lunga R. Te to develop independently from one
another. On New Guinea, thick rain
Guadalcanal forests and rugged mountains separated
different groups of people in a similar
Mount Makarakomburu way. Today the peoples of Papua New
8,028 ft. (2,447 m) Guinea speak more than 700 different
languages. Some of them are spoken by
159°40'E only a few hundred people.”

CORAL SEA 30 Miles 160°E ELEVATION 3. Which feature was not a major factor in the
160°20'E development of the region’s diverse cultural
10°S geography?
SCALE a. ice cap
0 b. rain forest
c. mountain range
0 30 Kilometers FEET METERS d. ocean
Projection: Lambert Conformal Conic
6,000 1,830 4. What do the region’s oceans, forests, and
Interpreting Maps 4,000 1,220 mountains have in common?
2,000 610
Use the information from the 1,000 305
map above to answer the 0
questions that follow. 0

1. What is the elevation of Guadalcanal’s highest
area?
a. less than 1,000 feet (305 m)
b. between 1,000 and 2,000 feet (305 m and
610 m)
c. above 9,000 feet (2,740 m)
d. above 6,000 feet (1,830 m)

2. How does the elevation of the island change
from north to south?

Alternative Assessment Internet Activity: go.hrw.com

PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY KEYWORD: SW3 GT32

Learning about Your Local Choose a topic about the Pacific Islands to:
Geography • tour the South Pacific.
• learn the traditions of the Pacific
Individual Project: Navigating with Landmarks Islands.
Just as Pacific Islanders navigated across vast ocean distances, you • explore the diversity of the region.
navigate from place to place every day. Like those sailors, you prob-
ably do not use a map or compass to find your way. Write detailed
descriptions of some of your daily journeys, such as from home to
school or from school to a job. Include how you get from place to
place and what landmarks you use to find your destination.

The Pacific Islands • 747

Using Transparencies • Keep writing away from the edges
of a transparency so that the text is

Using Media Services: visible on the screen.
Overhead Transparencies
• Colored text can draw attention to
certain words. Use a pen of a dif-

As you read in an earlier workshop, ferent color to highlight, underline,

media services include a variety of tools or circle the text or to draw arrows,

that can be used to communicate infor- checks, or stars for emphasis. Be sure

mation. These tools include sites on the to use a water-soluble pen if you

World Wide Web, CD–ROMs, laser need to reuse the transparency.

discs, DVDs, and a variety of software • You might want to include graphics
programs. Other tools also include to keep your presentation interesting.
VCRs, music CDs, and slides.
Before you begin a presentation,
You have likely seen a teacher use a practice laying down the transparencies
common media tool called an overhead so they appear right-side up on the
projector. You can use an overhead pro- screen. You might want to number the
jector to display information from transparencies in case you drop them.
transparencies. Transparencies allow Also, darken the room slightly so your
you to quickly reorder your presenta- audience can see and read properly.
tion or to repeat and emphasize some- Stand next to the screen after you place
thing. All you need for an overhead a transparency. Your audience will not
presentation are the projector, trans- have to look back and forth between
parency film, some transparency pens, you and the screen. Point to certain
a screen, and an electrical outlet. messages for emphasis by using a pen

Developing the Skill Putting together overhead pre- or pointer. You can also use a sheet of paper to reveal a
sentations is not difficult. The following hints will help: portion of the transparency at a time. Doing so may
allow you to use fewer transparencies. Finally, remem-
• Choose the main points and keep the number of ber to talk to the audience, not to the screen.
words to a minimum. List just a few points on

each transparency. You might list just one point Practicing the Skill
on a transparency if it is particularly important

or needs extended discussion. 1. Create a transparency presentation about exotic

• Either create your transparencies as you go, as if species that have been introduced into the Pacific

you were using a chalkboard, or use a computer Islands region.

to make professional-looking transparencies. If 2. Use transparencies to summarize key points

you use a computer, you will need to photocopy about the history of Australia and New Zealand.

the original image onto the transparency. 3. Conduct research to learn how former Olympic

• Make sure the lettering is big enough for people cities have reused their Olympic sites. Then

to see. If you choose to make handwritten trans- develop a proposal for reusing Sydney’s 2000

parencies, take your time. You want the writing to Olympic site. Create transparencies to illustrate

be clear and neat. your proposal.

748 • Unit 10

Making Decisions The Decision-Making Parliament House in Canberra, Australia
Process
World Wide Web, to find needed information. You can
You make decisions every day. also use newspapers, other periodicals, one or more
questionnaires, and field work to gather information.
Some decisions are easy to Identify the Situation
make and take little time. More Identify Options Draw conclusions from the gathered
information and identify your options. Then weigh the
difficult decisions can take advantages and disadvantages of each. You might orga-
nize your options in a list or chart.
much longer to make. Perhaps Gather Information
Predict Consequences It is important to understand
you are deciding whether you the consequences of each option you have. Who would
be affected by each option? What might those effects be?
should join an organization, Identify Options Which consequences are positive? Which are negative?
buy a new CD player, or take a You might rank the consequences from best to worst.

certain class. Such decisions Take Action Follow through with your decision.
Choose and implement the best option. You might
often require that you gather Predict Consequences want to monitor the effects of your actions. The in-
formation you learn could be useful in making deci-
information, identify options, sions on future issues you might face.

predict consequences, and take Take Action Practicing the Skill
an appropriate action to im-
Consider a long-running debate in Australia about
plement a decision. whether the country should become a republic
or maintain ties to the British monarchy. In 1999
A similar process can be used to make decisions in Australian voters rejected a proposal to make their
country a republic. However, some Australians
geography. Suppose, for example, that a government in continue to work to replace the British monarch
with a president or other head of state from
the Pacific Islands is debating whether to adopt new Australia itself. Imagine that you have been asked
to work on a new commission. That commission
laws that would protect important natural resources has been charged with recommending whether or
not Australia should become a republic. Working
and local ecosystems. Government officials would need with a small group of four or five students, use the
decision-making process to develop a proposal for
to learn about the area, including local ecosystems and Australia’s future political status.

how human activities affect those ecosystems. Officials The Pacific World • 749

would also have to consider the kinds of protections

that might be useful. In addition, they would need to

predict how those laws might affect the local environ-

ment, economic development, and the ways of life for

people there. Finally, the government would have to

decide what laws to pass and then do so.

Developing the Skill As you can see, four key steps
make up the decision-making process. You might want
to copy the flowchart on this page and make notes
about each step.

Gather Information To learn more about the issue,
gather the necessary facts. Look for possible causes and
solutions. Also, prioritize your needs and wants before
you move to the next step of identifying your options.
You might use a variety of databases, such as sites on the

Gazetteer Abu Dhabi (24°N 54°E) capital of the United Arab Emirates, 433
Abuja (ah-BOO-jah) (9°N 7°E) capital of Nigeria, 499
Phonetic Respelling and Acapulco (17°N 100°W) city on the southwestern coast of
Pronunciation Guide
Mexico, 221
Many of the place-names in this textbook have Accra (6°N 0°) capital of Ghana, 499
been respelled to help you pronounce them. Addis Ababa (9°N 39°E) capital of Ethiopia, 517
The letter combinations used in the respelling Adriatic Sea sea between Italy and the Balkan Peninsula, 349
throughout the narrative are explained in the Aegean (ee-JEE-uhn) Sea sea between Greece and Turkey, 349
following phonetic respelling and pronunciation Afghanistan landlocked country in Southwest Asia, 433
guide. The guide is adapted from Merriam- Africa second-largest continent; surrounded by the Atlantic
Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster’s
Geographical Dictionary, and Merriam-Webster’s Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea, S37–S38
Biographical Dictionary. Ahaggar Mountains mountain range in southern Algeria, 483
Albania country in the western Balkan region of Europe on the
MMARAKR K AASS IINN RR EESSPPEE LLLLII NNGG EXAM PLE
Adriatic Sea, 349
a alphabet a *AL-fuh-bet Alberta province in western Canada, 189
Aleutian Islands volcanic island chain extending from Alaska
a¯ Asia ay AY-zhuh
into the Pacific Ocean, 165
ä cart, top ah KAHRT, TAHP Alexandria (31°N 30°E) city in northern Egypt, 483
Algeria country in North Africa located between Morocco and
e let, ten e LET, TEN
Libya, 483
e¯ even, leaf ee EE-vuhn, LEEF Algiers (37°N 3°E) capital of Algeria, 483
Alps major mountain system in south-central Europe, 349
i it, tip, British i IT, TIP, BRIT-ish Altiplano broad, high plateau in Peru and Bolivia, 257
Amazon River major river in South America, 257
¯ı site, buy, Ohio y SYT, BY, oh-HY-oh Amman (32°N 36°E) capital of Jordan, 449
Amsterdam (52°N 5°E) capital of the Netherlands, 305
iris eye EYE-ris Amu Dar’ya (uh-MOO duhr-YAH) river in Central Asia that drains

k card k KAHRD into the Aral Sea, 403
Amur (ah-MOOHR) River river in northeast Asia forming part of
o¯ over, rainbow oh OH-vuhr, RAYN-boh
the border between Russia and China, 381
u˙ book, wood ooh BOOHK, WOOHD Andes (AN-deez) great mountain range in South America, 257
Andorra European microstate in the Pyrenees mountains, S34
o˙ all, orchid aw AWL, AWR-kid Andorra la Vella (43°N 2°E) capital of Andorra, S34
Angkor ancient capital of the Khmer Empire in Cambodia, 659
o˙i foil, coin oy FOYL, KOYN Angola country in southern Africa, 533
Ankara (40°N 33°E) capital of Turkey, 449
au˙ out ow OWT Antananarivo (19°S 48°E) capital of Madagascar, 533
Antarctica continent around the South Pole, S41
e cup, butter uh KUHP, BUHT-uhr Antarctic Circle line of latitude located at 661/2° south of

ü rule, food oo ROOL, FOOD the equator; parallel beyond which no sunlight shines
on the June solstice (first day of winter in the Southern
yü few yoo FYOO Hemisphere), S21–S22
Antarctic Peninsula peninsula stretching toward South America
zh vision zh VIZH-uhn from Antarctica, S41
Antigua and Barbuda island country in the Caribbean, 239
*A syllable printed in small capital letters receives heavier emphasis Antwerp (51°N 4°E) major port city in Belgium, 305
than the other syllable(s) in a word. Apennines (A-puh-nynz) mountain range in Italy, 349
Apia (14°S 172°W) capital of Western Samoa, 731
Appalachian Mountains mountain system in eastern North
America, 165
Arabian Peninsula peninsula in Southwest Asia between the
Red Sea and Persian Gulf, 433
Arabian Sea sea between India and the Arabian Peninsula, 433
Aral (AR-uhl) Sea inland sea between Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan, 403
Arctic Circle line of latitude located at 661/2° north of the equa-
tor; the parallel beyond which no sunlight shines on the
December solstice (first day of winter in the Northern
Hemisphere), S21–S22
Arctic Ocean ocean north of the Arctic Circle; world’s fourth-
largest ocean, S21–S22
Argentina second-largest country in South America, 257

750 • Gazetteer

Armenia country in the Caucasus region of Asia; for- Gazetteer
mer Soviet republic, 381
Beirut (34°N 36°E) capital of Lebanon, 449
Ashgabat (formerly Ashkhabad) (38°N 58°E) capital of Belarus country located north of Ukraine; former Soviet
Turkmenistan, 403
republic, 381
Asia world’s largest continent; located between Europe Belém (1°S 48°W) port city in northern Brazil, S32
and the Pacific Ocean, S35–S36 Belfast (55°N 6°W) capital and largest city of Northern

Asmara (15°N 39°E) capital of Eritrea, 517 Ireland, 305
Astana (51°N 71°E) capital of Kazakhstan, 403 Belgium country between France and Germany in western
Astrakhan (46°N 48°E) old port city on the Volga River in
Europe, 305
Russia, 381 Belgrade (45°N 21°E) capital of Serbia on the Danube River, 349
Asunción (25°S 58°W) capital of Paraguay, 257 Belize country in Central America bordering Mexico and
Atacama Desert desert in northern Chile, 257
Athens (38°N 24°E) capital and largest city in Greece, 349 Guatemala, 239
Atlanta (34°N 84°W) capital and largest city in the U.S. state of Belmopan (17°N 89°W) capital of Belize, 239
Benghazi (32°N 20°E) major coastal city in Libya, 483
Georgia, 165 Benin (buh-NEEN) country in West Africa between Togo and
Atlantic Ocean ocean between the continents of North and
Nigeria, 499
South America and the continents of Europe and Africa; Bergen (60°N 5°E) seaport city in southwestern Norway, 305
world’s second-largest ocean, S21–S22 Berlin (53°N 13°E) capital of Germany, 327
Atlas Mountains African mountain range north of the Bern (47°N 7°E) capital of Switzerland, 327
Sahara, 483 Bhutan South Asian country in the Himalayas located north of
Auckland (37°S 175°E) New Zealand’s largest city and main
seaport, 711 India and Bangladesh, 585
Augrabies (oh-KRAH-bees) Falls waterfalls on the Orange River Birmingham (52°N 2°W) major manufacturing center of central
in South Africa, 533
Australia only country occupying an entire continent (also called Great Britain, 305
Australia); located between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Bishkek (43°N 75°E) capital of Kyrgyzstan, 403
Ocean, S22 Bissau (12°N 16°W) capital of Guinea-Bissau, 499
Austria country in central Europe south of Germany, 327 Black Sea sea between Europe and Asia, 349
Azerbaijan country in the Caucasus region of Asia; former Soviet Blue Nile East African river that flows into the Nile River in
republic, 381
Sudan, 517
Bab al-Mandab narrow strait that connects the Red Sea with the Bogotá (5°N 74°W) capital and largest city of Colombia, 257
Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean beyond, 433 Bolivia landlocked South American country, 257
Bombay See Mumbai.
Baghdad (33°N 44°E) capital of Iraq, 433 Bonn (51°N 7°E) city in western Germany; replaced by Berlin as
Bahamas island country in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of
the capital of reunified Germany, 327
Florida, 239 Borneo island in the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia, 679
Bahrain country on the Persian Gulf in Southwest Asia, 433 Bosnia and Herzegovina country in the western Balkans region
Baja California peninsula in northwestern Mexico, 221
Baku (40°N 50°E) capital of Azerbaijan, 381 of Europe between Serbia and Croatia, 349
Bali island in Indonesia east of Java, 679 Bosporus a narrow strait separating European and Asian
Balkan Mountains mountain range that rises in Bulgaria, 349
Baltic Sea body of water east of the North Sea and Turkey, 449
Boston (42°N 71°W) capital and largest city of
Scandinavia, 305
Baltimore (39°N 77°W) city in Maryland on the western shore of Massachusetts, 165
Botswana country in southern Africa, 533
Chesapeake Bay, 165 Brahmaputra River major river of South Asia that begins in
Bamako (13°N 8°W) capital of Mali, 499
Bandar Seri Begawan (5°N 115°E) capital of Brunei, 679 the Himalayas of Tibet and merges with the Ganges River
Bangkok (14°N 100°E) capital and largest city of Thailand, 659 in Bangladesh, 563
Bangladesh country in South Asia, 585 Brasília (16°S 48°W) capital of Brazil, 257
Bangui (4°N 19°E) capital of the Central African Republic, 499 Bratislava (48°N 17°E) capital of Slovakia, 327
Banjul (13°N 17°W) capital of Gambia, 499 Brazil largest country in South America, 257
Barbados island country in the Caribbean, 239 Brazilian Highlands region of old, eroded mountains in south-
Barcelona (41°N 2°E) Mediterranean port city and Spain’s eastern Brazil, 257
Brazzaville (4°S 15°E) capital of the Republic of the Congo, 499
second-largest city, 349 Bridgetown (13°N 59°W) capital of Barbados, 239
Basel (48°N 8°E) city in northern Switzerland on the Rhine Brisbane (28°S 153°E) seaport and capital of Queensland,
Australia, 711
River, 327 British Columbia province on the Pacific coast of Canada, 189
Basseterre (17°N 63°W) capital of St. Kitts–Nevis, 239 British Isles island group consisting of Great Britain and
Bay of Bengal body of water between India and the western Ireland, 305
Brittany region in northwestern France, 305
coasts of Myanmar (Burma) and the Malay Peninsula, 563 Brunei (brooh-NY) country on the northern coast of Borneo in
Bay of Biscay body of water off the western coast of France and Southeast Asia, 679

the northern coast of Spain, 305
Beijing (40°N 116°E) capital of China, 615

Gazetteer • 751

Gazetteer Central Lowlands area of Australia between the Western
Plateau and the Great Dividing Range, 711
Brussels (51°N 4°E) capital of Belgium, 305
Bucharest (44°N 26°E) capital of Romania, 349 Central Siberian Plateau upland plains and valleys between the
Budapest (48°N 19°E) capital of Hungary, 327 Yenisey and Lena Rivers in Russia, 381
Buenos Aires (34°S 59°W) capital of Argentina, 257
Bujumbura (3°S 29°E) capital of Burundi, 517 Chad landlocked country in northern Africa, 499
Bulgaria country on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, 349 Chang (Yangtze) River major river in central China, 615
Burkina Faso (boor-KEE-nuh FAH-soh) landlocked country in West Chao Phraya (chow PRY-uh) River major river in Thailand, 659
Chelyabinsk (chel-YAH-buhnsk) (55°N 61°E) manufacturing city
Africa, 499
Burma See Myanmar. in the Urals region of Russia, 381
Burundi landlocked country in East Africa, 517 Chernobyl (51°N 30°E) city in north-central Ukraine; site of a

Cairo (30°N 31°E) capital of Egypt, 483 major nuclear accident in 1986, 381
Calcutta See Kolkata. Chicago (42°N 88°W) major city on Lake Michigan in northern
Calgary (51°N 114°W) city in the western Canadian province of
Illinois, 165
Alberta, 189 Chile country on the west coast of South America, 257
Callao (kah-YAH-oh) (12°S 77°W) port city in Peru, S32 China country in East Asia; most populous country in the
Cambodia country in Southeast Asia west of Vietnam, 659
Cameroon country in Central Africa, 499 world, 615
Campeche (20°N 91°W) city in Mexico on the west coast of the Chis‚ ina˘ u (formerly Kishinev) (47°N 29°E) capital of Moldova, 349
Chongqing (30°N 108°E) city in southern China along the Chang
Yucatán Peninsula, 221
Canada country occupying most of northern North America, 189 River, 615
Canadian Shield major landform region in central Canada along Christchurch (44°S 173°E) city on the eastern coast of South

Hudson Bay, 189 Island, New Zealand, 711
Canberra (35°S 149°E) capital of Australia, 711 Ciudad Juárez (32°N 106°W) city in northern Mexico opposite
Cancún (21°N 87°W) resort city in Mexico on the Yucatán
El Paso, 221
Peninsula, 221 Cologne (51°N 7°E) manufacturing and commercial city along the
Cantabrian (kan-TAY-bree-uhn) Mountains mountains in north-
Rhine River in Germany, 327
western Spain, 349 Colombia country in northern South America, 257
Cape Horn (56°S 67°W) cape in southern Chile; southernmost Colombo (7°N 80°E) capital city and important seaport of Sri

point of South America, 257 Lanka, 585
Cape of Good Hope cape on the southwest coast of South Colorado Plateau uplifted area of horizontal rock layers in the

Africa, 533 western United States, 165
Cape Town (34°S 18°E) major seaport city and legislative capital Columbia River river that drains the Columbia Basin in the

of South Africa, 533 northwestern United States, 165
Cape Verde island country in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Comoros island country in the Indian Ocean off the coast of

West Africa, 499 Africa, 533
Caracas (kuh-RAHK-uhs) (11°N 67°W) capital of Venezuela, 257 Conakry (10°N 14°W) capital of Guinea, 499
Cardiff (52°N 3°W) capital and largest city of Wales, 305 Congo Basin region in Central Africa, 499
Caribbean Sea arm of the Atlantic Ocean between North Congo, Democratic Republic of the largest and most popu-

America and South America, 239 lous country in Central Africa, 499
Carpathian Mountains mountain system in Eastern Europe, 327 Congo, Republic of the Central African country located along
Casablanca (34°N 8°W) seaport city on the western coast of
the Congo River, 499
Morocco, 483 Congo River major navigable river in Central Africa that flows
Cascade Range mountain range in the northwestern United
into the Atlantic Ocean, 499
States, 165 Copenhagen (56°N 12°E) seaport and capital of Denmark, 305
Caspian Sea large inland salt lake between Europe and Asia, 403 Córdoba (31°S 64°W) large city in Argentina northwest of Buenos
Castries (14°N 61°W) capital of St. Lucia, 239
Cauca River river in western Colombia, 257 Aires, S32
Caucasus Mountains mountain range between the Black Sea Cork (52°N 8°W) seaport city in southern Ireland, 305
Costa Rica country in Central America, 239
and the Caspian Sea, 381 Côte d’Ivoire (KOHT dee-VWAHR) (Ivory Coast) country in West
Cayenne (5°N 52°W) capital of French Guiana, 257
Central African Republic landlocked country in Central Africa Africa, 499
Crimean Peninsula peninsula in Ukraine that juts southward
located south of Chad, 499
Central America narrow southern portion of the North American into the Black Sea, 381
Croatia country and former Yugoslav republic in the western
continent, 239
Balkans region of Europe, 349
Cuba country and largest island in the Caribbean, 239
Cuzco (14°S 72°W) city southeast of Lima, Peru; former capital of

the Inca Empire, 257
Cyprus island republic in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, 449
Czech Republic Central European country and the western part

of the former country of Czechoslovakia, 327

Dakar (15°N 17°W) capital of Senegal, 499
Dallas (33°N 97°W) city in northern Texas, 165

752 • Gazetteer

Damascus (34°N 36°E) capital of Syria and one of the world’s Gazetteer
oldest cities, 449
Fergana Valley fertile valley in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and
Danube River major river in Europe that flows into the Black Sea Tajikistan, 403
in Romania, 349
Fès (34°N 5°W) city in north-central Morocco, 483
Dardanelles narrow strait separating European and Asian Fiji South Pacific island country; part of Melanesia, 731
Turkey, 449 Finland country in northern Europe located between Sweden,

Dar es Salaam (7°S 39°E) capital and major seaport of Norway, and Russia, 305
Tanzania, 517 Florence (44°N 11°E) city on the Arno River in central Italy, 349
France country in west-central Europe, 305
Dead Sea salt lake on the boundary between Israel and Jordan Frankfurt (50°N 9°E) main city of Germany’s Rhineland region, 327
in southwestern Asia, 449 Freetown (9°N 13°W) capital of Sierra Leone, 499
French Guiana French territory in northern South America, 257
Deccan Plateau the southern part of the Indian Funafuti (9°S 179°E) capital of Tuvalu, 731
subcontinent, 563
Gabon country in Central Africa located between Cameroon and
Delhi (29°N 77°E) city in India, 563 the Republic of the Congo, 499
Denmark country in northern Europe, 305
Detroit (42°N 83°W) major industrial city in Michigan, 165 Gaborone (24°S 26°E) capital of Botswana, 533
Devil’s Island (5°N 53°W) French island off the coast of French Galway (53°N 9°W) city in western Ireland, 305
Gambia country along the Gambia River in West Africa, 499
Guiana in South America, S31 Ganges River major river in India flowing from the Himalayas
Dhaka (24°N 90°E) capital and largest city of Bangladesh, 585
Dinaric Alps mountains extending inland from the Adriatic coast southeastward to the Bay of Bengal, 563
Gangetic (gan-JE-tik) Plain vast plain in northern India, 563
to the Balkan Peninsula, 349 Gao (GOW) (16°N 0°) city in Mali on the Niger River, 499
Djibouti country located in the Horn of Africa, 517 Gaza Strip area occupied by Israel from 1967 to 1994; partly
Djibouti (12°N 43°E) capital of Djibouti, 517
Dnieper River major river in Ukraine, 381 under Palestinian self-rule since 1994, 449
Doha (25°N 51°E) capital of Qatar, 433 Geneva (46°N 6°E) city in southwestern Switzerland, 327
Dominica Caribbean island country, 239 Genoa (44°N 10°E) seaport city in northwestern Italy, 349
Dominican Republic country occupying the eastern part of Georgetown (8°N 58°W) capital of Guyana, 257
Georgia (Eurasia) country in the Caucasus region; former Soviet
Hispaniola in the Caribbean, 239
Donets Basin industrial region in eastern Ukraine, 373 republic, 381
Douro River river on the Iberian Peninsula that flows into the Germany country in central Europe located between Poland and

Atlantic Ocean in Portugal, 349 France, 327
Drakensberg mountain range in southern Africa, 533 Ghana country in West Africa, 499
Dublin (53°N 6°W) capital of the republic of Ireland, 305 Glasgow (56°N 4°W) city in Scotland, United Kingdom, 305
Durban (30°S 31°E) port city in South Africa, 533 Gobi desert that makes up part of the Mongolian plateau in East
Dushanbe (39°N 69°E) capital of Tajikistan, 403
Asia, 615
Eastern Ghats mountains on the eastern side of the Deccan Golan Heights hilly region in southwestern Syria occupied by
Plateau in southern India, 563
Israel, 449
Ebro River river in Spain that flows into the Mediterranean Göteborg (58°N 12°E) seaport city in southwestern Sweden, 305
Sea, 349 Gran Chaco (grahn CHAH-koh) dry plains region in Paraguay,

Ecuador country in western South America, 257 Bolivia, and northern Argentina, 257
Edmonton (54°N 113°W) provincial capital of Alberta, Great Artesian Basin Australia’s largest source of groundwater;

Canada, 189 located in interior Queensland, 711
Egypt country in North Africa located east of Libya, 483 Great Barrier Reef world’s largest coral reef; located off the
Elburz Mountains mountain range in northern Iran, 433
El Salvador country on the Pacific side of Central America, 239 northeastern coast of Australia, 711
England southern part of Great Britain and part of the United Great Basin dry region in the western United States, 165
Great Bear Lake lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada, 189
Kingdom in northern Europe, 305 Great Britain name for island and country of northern and
English Channel channel separating Great Britain from the
western Europe, 291
European continent, 305 Great Dividing Range mountain range of eastern Australia, 711
equator the imaginary line of latitude that lies halfway between

the North and South Poles and circles the globe, S21–S22
Equatorial Guinea Central African country, 499
Eritrea (er-uh-TREE-uh) East African country located north of

Ethiopia, 517
Essen (51°N 7°E) industrial city in western Germany, 327
Estonia country located on the Baltic Sea; former Soviet

republic, 327
Ethiopia East African country in the Horn of Africa, 517
Euphrates River major river in Iraq in southwestern Asia, 433
Europe continent between the Ural Mountains and the Atlantic

Ocean, S33–S34

Gazetteer • 753

Gazetteer Hispaniola large Caribbean island divided into the countries of
Haiti and the Dominican Republic, 239
Greater Antilles larger islands of the West Indies in the
Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) (11°N 107°E) major city in
Puerto Rico, 239 southern Vietnam; former capital of South Vietnam, 659

Great Lakes largest freshwater lake system in the world; located Hokkaido¯ (hoh-KY-doh) major island in northern Japan, 637
in North America, 175 Honduras country in Central America, 239
Hong Kong (22°N 115°E) former British colony in East Asia; now
Great Plains plains region in the central United States, 165
Great Rift Valley valley system extending from eastern Africa to part of China, 615
Hong (Red) River major river that flows into the Gulf of Tonkin
Southwest Asia, 517
Great Slave Lake lake in the Northwest Territories of in Vietnam, 659
Honiara (9°S 160°E) capital of the Solomon Islands, 731
Canada, 189 Honshu¯ (HAWN-shoo) largest of the four major islands of
Greece country in southern Europe located at the southern end
Japan, 637
of the Balkan Peninsula, 349 Houston (30°N 95°W) major port and largest city in Texas, 165
Greenland self-governing province of Denmark between the Huang (Yellow) River one of the world’s longest rivers; located

North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, 305 in northern China, 615
Grenada Caribbean island country, 239 Hudson Bay large bay in Canada, 189
Guadalajara (21°N 103°W) city in west-central Mexico, 221 Hungary country in central Europe between Romania and
Guadalquivir (gwah-dahl-kee-VEER) River river in southern
Austria, 327
Spain, 349
Guam (14°N 143°E) South Pacific island and U.S. territory in Iberian Peninsula peninsula in southwestern Europe occupied
by Spain and Portugal, 349
Micronesia, 731
Guatemala most populous country in Central America, 239 Iceland island country between the North Atlantic and Arctic
Guatemala City (15°N 91°W) capital of Guatemala, 239 Oceans, 305
Guayaquil (gwy-ah-KEEL) (2°S 80°W) port city in Ecuador, 214
Guiana Highlands elevated region in northeastern South India country in South Asia, 563
Indian Ocean world’s third-largest ocean; located east of Africa,
America, 257
Guinea country in West Africa, 499 south of Asia, west of Australia, and north of Antarctica, S22
Guinea-Bissau (GI-nee bi-SOW) country in West Africa, 499 Indochina Peninsula peninsula in Southeast Asia that includes
Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain North American landform
the region from Myanmar (Burma) to Vietnam, 659
region stretching along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Indonesia largest country in Southeast Asia; made up of more
Mexico, 149
Gulf of Bothnia part of the Baltic Sea west of Finland, 305 than 17,000 islands, 679
Gulf of California part of the Pacific Ocean east of Baja Indus River major river in Pakistan, 585
California, Mexico, 221 Inland Sea body of water in southern Japan between Honshu¯ ,
Gulf of Finland part of the Baltic Sea south of Finland, S33
Gulf of Guinea (GI-nee) gulf of the Atlantic Ocean south of Shikoku, and Kyu¯ shu¯ , 637
western Africa, 499 Interior Plains vast area between the Appalachians and Rocky
Gulf of Mexico gulf of the Atlantic Ocean between Florida,
Texas, and Mexico, 165 Mountains in North America, 165
Gulf of St. Lawrence gulf between New Brunswick and Iran country in southwestern Asia; formerly called Persia, 433
Newfoundland Island in North America, 189 Iraq (i-RAHK) country located between Iran and Saudi Arabia, 433
Guyana (gy-AH-nuh) country in South America, 257 Ireland country west of Great Britain in the British Isles, 305
Irian Jaya western part of the island of New Guinea that is part
Haiti country occupying the western third of the Caribbean island
of Hispaniola, 239 of Indonesia, 679
Irish Sea sea between Great Britain and Ireland, 305
Halifax (45°N 64°W) provincial capital of Nova Scotia, Canada, 189 Irrawaddy River important river in Myanmar (Burma), 659
Hamburg (54°N 10°E) seaport on the Elbe River in northern Islamabad (34°N 73°E) capital of Pakistan, 585
Israel country in southwestern Asia, 449
Germany, 327 I˙stanbul (formerly Constantinople) (41°N 29°E) largest city and
Hanoi (ha-NOY) (21°N 106°E) capital of Vietnam, 659
Harare (18°S 31°E) capital of Zimbabwe, 533 leading seaport in Turkey, 449
Havana (23°N 82°W) capital of Cuba, 239 Italy country in southern Europe, 349
Helsinki (60°N 25°E) capital of Finland, 305
Himalayas mountain system in Asia; world’s highest Jakarta (6°S 107°E) capital of Indonesia, 679
Jamaica island country in the Caribbean Sea, 239
mountains, 585 Japan country in East Asia consisting of four major islands and
Hindu Kush high mountain range in northern Afghanistan, 433
more than 3,000 smaller islands, 637
Java major island in Indonesia, 679
Jerusalem (32°N 35°E) capital of Israel, 449
Johannesburg (26°S 28°E) city in South Africa, 533

754 • Gazetteer

Jordan Southwest Asian country stretching east from the Dead Gazetteer
Sea and Jordan River into the Arabian Desert, 449

Jordan River river in southwestern Asia that separates Israel
from Syria and Jordan, 449

Jutland Peninsula peninsula in northern Europe made up of
Denmark and part of northern Germany, 305

Kabul (35°N 69°E) capital and largest city of Afghanistan, 433 Labrador mainland region in the territory of Newfoundland and
Labrador, Canada, 189
Kalahari Desert dry plateau region in southern Africa, 533
Lagos (LAY-gahs) (6°N 3°E) former capital of Nigeria and the
Kamchatka Peninsula peninsula along Russia’s northeastern country’s largest city, 499
coast, 381
Lahore (32°N 74°E) industrial city in northeastern Pakistan, 585
Kampala (0° 32°E) capital of Uganda, 517
Lake Baikal (by-KAHL) world’s deepest freshwater lake; located
Kao-hsiung (23°N 120°E) Taiwan’s second-largest city and major north of the Gobi in Russia, 381
seaport, 615
Lake Chad shallow lake between Nigeria and Chad in western
Karachi (25°N 69°E) Pakistan’s largest city and major seaport, 585 Africa, 499

Karakoram Range high mountain range in northern India and Lake Malawi (also called Lake Nyasa) lake in southeastern
Pakistan, 585 Africa, 533

Kara-kum (kahr-uh-KOOM) desert region in Turkmenistan, 403 Lake Maracaibo (mah-rah-KY-buh) extension of the Gulf of
Venezuela in South America, 257
Kashmir mountainous region in northern India and Pakistan, 563
Lake Nasser artificial lake in southern Egypt created in the
Kathmandu (kat-man-DOO) (28°N 85°E) capital of Nepal, 585 1960s by the construction of the Aswa¯ n High Dam, 483

Kazakhstan country in Central Asia; former Soviet Lake Nicaragua lake in southern Nicaragua, 239
republic, 403
Lake Poopó (poh-oh-POH) lake in western Bolivia, 257
Kenya country in East Africa south of Ethiopia, 517
Lake Tanganyika deep lake in the Great Rift Valley in Africa, 517
Khabarovsk (kuh-BAHR-uhfsk) (49°N 135°E) city in southeastern
Russia on the Amur River, 381 Lake Titicaca lake between Bolivia and Peru at an elevation of
12,500 feet (3,810 m), 257
Khartoum (16°N 33°E) capital of Sudan, 517
Lake Victoria large lake in East Africa surrounded by Uganda,
Khyber Pass major mountain pass between Afghanistan and Kenya, and Tanzania, 517
Pakistan, 585
Lake Volta large artificial lake in Ghana, 499
Kiev (50°N 31°E) capital of Ukraine, 381
Laos landlocked country in Southeast Asia, 659
Kigali (2°S 30°E) capital of Rwanda, 517
La Paz (17°S 68°W) administrative capital and principal industrial
Kilimanjaro (3°S 37°E) (ki-luh-muhn-JAHR-oh) highest point in city of Bolivia at an elevation of 12,001 feet (3,658 m); highest
Africa (19,341 ft.; 5,895 m); located in northeast Tanzania near capital in the world, 257
the Kenya border, 517
Lapland region extending across northern Finland, Sweden, and
Kingston (18°N 77°W) capital of Jamaica, 239 Norway, 305

Kingstown (13°N 61°W) capital of St. Vincent and the Las Vegas (36°N 115°W) city in southern Nevada, 165
Grenadines, 239
Latvia country on the Baltic Sea; former Soviet republic, 327
Kinshasa (4°S 15°E) capital of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, 499 Lebanon country in Southwest Asia, 449

Kiribati South Pacific country in Micronesia and Polynesia, 731 Lesotho country completely surrounded by South Africa, 533

Kjølen (CHUHL-uhn) Mountains mountain range on the Lesser Antilles chain of volcanic islands in the eastern
Scandinavian Peninsula, 305 Caribbean Sea, 239

Ko¯ be (KOH-bay) (35°N 135°E) major port city in Japan, 637 Liberia country in West Africa, 499

Kolkata (23°N 88°E) giant industrial and seaport city in eastern Libreville (0° 9°E) capital of Gabon, 499
India, 563
Libya country in North Africa located between Egypt and
Korea Peninsula peninsula on the east coast of Asia, 637 Algeria, 483

Koror (7°N 134°E) capital of Palau, 731 Liechtenstein microstate in west-central Europe located
between Switzerland and Austria, 327
Kosovo province in southern Serbia, 349
Lilongwe (14°S 34°E) capital of Malawi, 533
Kuala Lumpur (3°N 102°E) capital of Malaysia, 679
Lima (12°S 77°W) capital of Peru, 257
Kuril (KYOOHR-eel) Islands Russian islands northeast of the
island of Hokkaido¯ , Japan, 381 Limpopo River river in southern Africa forming the border
between South Africa and Zimbabwe, 533
Kuwait country on the Persian Gulf in southwestern Asia, 433
Lisbon (39°N 9°W) capital and largest city of Portugal, 349
Kuwait City (29°N 48°E) capital of Kuwait, 433
Lithuania European country on the Baltic Sea; former Soviet
Kuznetsk Basin (Kuzbas) industrial region in central republic, 327
Russia, 381
Ljubljana (lee-oo-blee-AH-nuh) (46°N 14°E) capital of
Kyo¯ to (KYOH-toh) (35°N 136°E) city on the island of Honshu¯ Slovenia, 349
and the ancient capital of Japan, 637
Lomé (6°N 1°E) capital of Togo, 499
Kyrgyzstan (kir-gi-STAN) country in Central Asia; former Soviet
republic, 403 London (52°N 0°) capital of the United Kingdom, 305

Kyu¯ shu¯ (KYOO-shoo) southernmost of Japan’s main islands, 637 Luanda (9°S 13°E) capital of Angola, 533

Kyzyl Kum (ki-zil KOOM) desert region in Uzbekistan and Lubumbashi (loo-boom-BAH-shee) (12°S 27°E) industrial city in
Kazakhstan, 403 the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 477

Gazetteer • 755

Gazetteer Melanesia island region in the South Pacific that stretches from
New Guinea to Fiji, 731
Luxembourg small European country bordered by France,
Germany, and Belgium, 305 Melbourne (38°S 145°E) capital of Victoria, Australia, 711
Mexican Plateau large, high plateau in central Mexico, 221
Luxembourg (50°N 7°E) capital of Luxembourg, 305 Mexico country in North America, 221
Luzon chief island of the Philippines, 679 Mexico City (19°N 99°W) capital of Mexico, 221
Miami (26°N 80°W) city in southern Florida, 165
Macao (22°N 113°E) former Portuguese territory in East Asia; Micronesia island region in the South Pacific that includes the
now part of China, 615
Mariana, Caroline, Marshall, and Gilbert island groups, 731
Macedonia Balkan country; former Yugoslav republic, 349 Micronesia, Federated States of island country in the western
Madagascar largest of the island countries off the eastern coast
Pacific, 731
of Africa, 533 Milan (45°N 9°E) city in northern Italy, 349
Madrid (40°N 4°W) capital of Spain, 349 Minsk (54°N 28°E) capital of Belarus, 381
Magdalena River river in Colombia that flows into the Caribbean Mississippi River major river in the central United States, 165
Mogadishu (2°N 45°E) capital and port city of Somalia, 517
Sea, 257 Moldova European country located between Romania and
Magnitogorsk (53°N 59°E) manufacturing city in the Urals region
Ukraine; former Soviet republic, 349
of Russia, 381 Monaco (44°N 8°E) European microstate bordered by
Majuro (7°N 171°E) capital of the Marshall Islands, 731
Malabo (4°N 9°E) capital of Equatorial Guinea, 499 France, 305
Malawi (muh-LAH-wee) landlocked country in Central Africa, 533 Mongolia landlocked country in East Asia, 615
Malay Archipelago (ahr-kuh-PE-luh-goh) large island group off Monrovia (6°N 11°W) capital of Liberia, 499
Montenegro (43°N 19°E) country in the western Balkans
the southeastern coast of Asia including New Guinea and the
islands of Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, 679 region, 349
Malay Peninsula peninsula in Southeast Asia, 679 Monterrey (26°N 100°W) major industrial center in northeastern
Malaysia country in Southeast Asia, 679
Maldives island country in the Indian Ocean south of India, 585 Mexico, 221
Male (5°N 72°E) capital of the Maldives, 585 Montevideo (mawn-tay-bee-THAY-oh) (35°S 56°W) capital of
Mali country in West Africa along the Niger River, 499
Malta island country in southern Europe located in the Uruguay, 257
Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and North Africa, 349 Montreal (46°N 74°W) financial and industrial city in Quebec,
Managua (12°N 86°W) capital of Nicaragua, 239
Manama (26°N 51°E) capital of Bahrain, 433 Canada, 189
Manaus (3°S 60°W) city in Brazil on the Amazon River, 257 Morocco country in North Africa south of Spain, 483
Manchester (53°N 2°W) major commercial city in west-central Moroni (12°S 43°E) capital of Comoros, 533
Great Britain, 305 Moscow (56°N 38°E) capital of Russia, 381
Manila (15°N 121°E) capital of the Philippines, 679 Mount Elbrus (43°N 42°E) highest European peak (18,510 ft.;
Manitoba prairie province in central Canada, 189
Maputo (27°S 33°E) capital of Mozambique, 533 5,642 m); located in the Caucasus Mountains, 381
Marseille (43°N 5°E) seaport in France on the Mediterranean Mount Everest (28°N 87°E) world’s highest peak (29,035 ft.;
Sea, 305
Marshall Islands Pacific island country in Micronesia, 731 8,850 m); located in the Himalayas, 585
Maseru (29°S 27°E) capital of Lesotho, 533 Mozambique (moh-zahm-BEEK) country in southern Africa, 533
Masqat (Muscat) (23°N 59°E) capital of Oman, 433 Mumbai (Bombay) (19°N 73°E) India’s largest city, 563
Mato Grosso Plateau highland region in southwestern Munich (MYOO-nik) (48°N 12°E) major city and manufacturing
Brazil, S31
Mauritania African country stretching east from the Atlantic center in southern Germany, 327
coast into the Sahara, 499 Murray-Darling Rivers major river system in southeastern
Mauritius island country located off the coast of Africa in the
Indian Ocean, 533 Australia, 711
Mazatlán (23°N 106°W) seaport city in western Mexico, 221 Myanmar (MYAHN-mahr) (Burma) country in Southeast Asia
Mbabane (26°S 31°E) capital of Swaziland, 533
Mecca (21°N 40°E) important Islamic city in western Saudi between India, China, and Thailand, 659
Arabia, 433
Mediterranean Sea sea surrounded by Europe, Asia, and Nairobi (1°S 37°E) capital of Kenya, 517
Africa, S22 Namib Desert Atlantic coast desert in southern Africa, 533
Mekong River important river in Southeast Asia, 659 Namibia (nuh-MI-bee-uh) country on the Atlantic coast in south-

ern Africa, 533
Nanjing (32°N 119°E) city along the upper Chang River in

China, 615
Naples (41°N 14°E) major seaport in southern Italy, 349
Nassau (25°N 77°W) capital of the Bahamas, 239
Nauru South Pacific island country in Micronesia, 731
N’Djamena (12°N 15°E) capital of Chad, 499
Negev desert region in southern Israel, 449
Nepal South Asian country located in the Himalayas, 585
Netherlands country in west-central Europe, 305
New Brunswick province in eastern Canada, 189
New Caledonia French territory in the South Pacific Ocean

east of Queensland, Australia, 731

756 • Gazetteer

New Delhi (29°N 77°E) capital of India, 563 Gazetteer
Newfoundland and Labrador province in eastern Canada
Oslo (60°N 11°E) capital of Norway, 305
including Labrador and the island of Newfoundland, 189 Ottawa (45°N 76°W) capital of Canada; located in Ontario, 189
New Guinea large island in the South Pacific Ocean north of Ouagadougou (wah-gah-DOO-GOO) (12°N 2°W) capital of Burkina

Australia, 731 Faso, 499
New Orleans (30°N 90°W) major port city in Louisiana located
Pacific Ocean Earth’s largest ocean; located west of North and
on the Mississippi River, 165 South America and east of Asia and Australia, S21–S22
New York Middle Atlantic state in the northeastern United
Pakistan South Asian country located northwest of India, 585
States, 165 Palau South Pacific island country in Micronesia, 731
New York most populous city in the United States, 165 Palikir capital of the Federated States of Micronesia, 731
New Zealand island country located southeast of Australia, 711 Pamirs mountain area mainly in Tajikistan in Central Asia, 403
Niamey (14°N 2°E) capital of Niger, 499 Panama country in Central America, 239
Nicaragua country in Central America, 239 Panama Canal canal connecting the Pacific Ocean and
Nice (44°N 7°E) city on the southeastern coast of France, 305
Nicosia (35°N 33°E) capital of Cyprus, 449 Caribbean Sea; located in central Panama, 239
Niger (NY-juhr) country in West Africa, 499 Panama City (9°N 80°W) capital of Panama, 239
Nigeria country in West Africa, 499 Papua New Guinea country on the eastern half of the island of
Niger River river in West Africa, 499
Nile Delta region in northern Egypt where the Nile River flows New Guinea, 731
Paraguay landlocked country in South America, 257
into the Mediterranean Sea, 483 Paraguay River river that divides Paraguay into two separate
Nile River world’s longest river (4,160 miles; 6,693 km); flows into
regions, 257
the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, 483 Paramaribo (6°N 55°W) capital of Suriname in S. America, 257
Nizhniy Novgorod (Gorki), Russia (56°N 44°E) city on the Paraná River large river in southeastern South America, 257
Paris (49°N 2°E) capital of France, 305
Volga River east of Moscow, 381 Patagonia arid region of plains and windswept plateaus in south-
North America continent including Canada, the United States,
ern Argentina, 257
Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean islands, S21 Peloponnese (PE-luh-puh-neez) peninsula forming the southern
North China Plain region of northeastern China, 615
Northern European Plain broad coastal plain from the Atlantic part of the mainland of Greece, 349
Persian Gulf body of water between Iran and the Arabian
coast of France into Russia, S33
Northern Ireland the six northern counties of Ireland that remain Peninsula, 433
Perth (32°S 116°E) capital of Western Australia, 711
part of the United Kingdom; also called Ulster, 305 Peru country in South America, 257
Northern Mariana Islands U.S. commonwealth in the South Philadelphia (40°N 75°W) important port and industrial center in

Pacific, 731 Pennsylvania in the northeastern United States, 165
North Island one of the two main islands of New Zealand, 711 Philippines Southeast Asian island country located north of
North Korea country on the northern part of the Korea Peninsula
Indonesia, 679
in East Asia, 637 Phnom Penh (12°N 105°E) capital of Cambodia, 659
North Pole the northern point of Earth’s axis, S41 Phoenix (34°N 112°W) capital of Arizona, 165
North Sea major sea between Great Britain, Denmark, and the Plateau of Brazil area of upland plains in southern Brazil, 257
Plateau of Tibet high plateau in western China, 615
Scandinavian Peninsula, 305 Podgorica capital of Montenegro, 349
Northwest Highlands region of rugged hills and low mountains Poland country in central Europe located east of Germany, 327
Polynesia island region of the South Pacific Ocean that includes
in Europe, including parts of the British Isles, northwestern
France, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Scandinavian the Hawaiian and Line Island groups, Samoa, French
Peninsula, 291 Polynesia, and Easter Island, 731
Northwest Territories territory in northern Canada, 189 Po River river in northern Italy, 349
Norway European country located on the Scandinavian Port-au-Prince (pohr-toh-PRINS) (19°N 72°W) capital of Haiti, 239
Peninsula, 305 Port Elizabeth (34°S 26°E) seaport in South Africa, 533
Nouakchott (nooh-AHK-shaht) (18°N 16°W) capital of Portland (46°N 123°W) seaport and largest city in Oregon, 165
Mauritania, 499 Port Louis (20°S 58°E) capital of Mauritius, 533
Nova Scotia province in eastern Canada, 189 Port Moresby (10°S 147°E) seaport and capital of Papua New
Novosibirsk (55°N 83°E) industrial center in Siberia, Russia, 381 Guinea, 731
Nuku’alofa capital of Tonga, 731 Port-of-Spain (11°N 61°W) capital of Trinidad and Tobago, 239
Nunavut territory of northern Canada, 189 Porto-Novo (6°N 3°E) capital of Benin, 499
Nuuk (Godthåb) (64°N 52°W) capital of Greenland, 305 Portugal country in southern Europe located on the Iberian
Peninsula, 349
Ob River large river that drains Russia and Siberia, 381 Port-Vila (18°S 169°E) capital of Vanuatu, 731
Oman country on the Arabian Peninsula; formerly known as

Masqat (Muscat), 433
Ontario province in central Canada, 189
Orange River river in southern Africa, 533
Orinoco River river in South America, 257
Orizaba (19°N 97°W) volcanic mountain (18,700 ft.; 5,700 m)

southeast of Mexico City; highest point in Mexico, 221
O¯ saka (oh-SAH-kuh) (35°N 135°E) major industrial center on

Japan’s southwestern Honshu¯ island, 637

Gazetteer • 757

Gazetteer Sahara desert region in northern Africa; world’s largest
desert, 483
Prague (50°N 14°E) capital of the Czech Republic, 327
Praia (PRIE-uh) (15°N 24°W) capital of Cape Verde, 499 St. George’s (12°N 62°W) capital of Grenada in the Caribbean
Pretoria (26°S 28°E) administrative capital of South Sea, 239

Africa, 533 St. John’s (17°N 62°W) capital of Antigua and Barbuda in the
Prince Edward Island province in eastern Canada, 189 Caribbean Sea, 239
Pripet Marshes (PRI-pet) marshlands in southern Belarus and
St. Kitts-Nevis Caribbean country in the Lesser Antilles, 239
northwest Ukraine, 381 St. Lawrence River major river linking the Great Lakes with the
Puerto Rico U.S. commonwealth in the Greater Antilles in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean in southeastern
Caribbean Sea, 239 Canada, 189
Pusan (35°N 129°E) major seaport city in southeastern South St. Lucia Caribbean country in the Lesser Antilles, 239
St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) (60°N 30°E) Russia’s
Korea, 637 second-largest city and former capital, 381
P’yo˘ ngyang (pyuhng-YANG) (39°N 126°E) capital of North St. Vincent and the Grenadines Caribbean country in the
Lesser Antilles, 239
Korea, 637 Sakhalin Island Russian island north of Japan, 381
Pyrenees (PIR-uh-neez) mountain range along the border of Salvador (13°S 38°W) seaport city of eastern Brazil, 257
Salzburg city in Austria, 327
France and Spain, 349 Samarqand (40°N 67°E) city in southeastern Uzbekistan, 403
Samoa South Pacific island country in Polynesia, 731
Qatar Persian Gulf country located on the Arabian Peninsula, 433 Sanaa (15°N 44°E) capital of Yemen, 433
Qattara Depression lowland region in northern Egypt, 483 San Diego (33°N 117°W) seaport and city in California, 165
Quebec province in eastern Canada, 189 San Francisco (38°N 122°W) seaport and city in California, 165
Quebec City (47°N 71°W) provincial capital of Quebec, San José (10°N 84°W) capital of Costa Rica, 239
San Juan (19°N 66°W) capital of Puerto Rico, 239
Canada, 189 San Marino microstate in southern Europe surrounded by
Quito (0° 79°W) capital of Ecuador, 257 Italy, 349
San Marino (45°N 12°E) capital of San Marino, S34
Rabat (34°N 7°W) capital of Morocco, 483 San Salvador (14°N 89°W) capital of El Salvador, 239
Rangoon See Yangon. Santiago (33°S 71°W) capital of Chile, 257
Red Sea sea between the Arabian Peninsula and northeastern Santo Domingo (19°N 70°W) capital of the Dominican
Republic, 239
Africa, 433 São Francisco River river in eastern Brazil, 257
Reykjavik (RAYK-yuh-veek) (64°N 22°W) capital of Iceland, 305 São Paulo (24°S 47°W) Brazil’s largest city, 257
Rhine River major river in west-central Europe, 327 São Tomé (1°N 6°E) capital of São Tomé and Príncipe, 499
Riga (57°N 24°E) capital of Latvia, 327 São Tomé and Príncipe island country located off the Atlantic
Río Bravo Mexican name for the river between Texas and coast of Central Africa, 499
Sarajevo (sar-uh-YAY-voh) (44°N 18°E) capital of Bosnia and
Mexico, 221 Herzegovina, 349
Rio de Janeiro (23°S 43°W) city in southeastern Brazil, 257 Saskatchewan province in central Canada, 189
Río de la Plata estuary between Argentina and Uruguay in Saudi Arabia country occupying much of the Arabian Peninsula
in southwestern Asia, 433
South America, 257 Scandinavia peninsula of northern Europe occupied by Norway
Riyadh (25°N 47°E) capital of Saudi Arabia, 433 and Sweden, 305
Rocky Mountains major mountain range in North Scotland northern part of the island of Great Britain, 305
Sea of Azov sea in Ukraine connected to and north of the Black
America, 165 Sea, S33
Romania country in the eastern Balkans region of Europe, 349 Sea of Japan body of water separating Japan from mainland
Rome (42°N 13°E) capital of Italy, 349 Asia, 637
Rosario (roh-SAHR-ee-oh) (33°S 61°W) city in eastern Sea of Marmara sea separating European and Asian Turkey, 449
Sea of Okhotsk inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the eastern coast
Argentina, S32 of Russia, 381
Roseau (15°N 61°W) capital of Dominica in the Caribbean, 239 Seattle (48°N 122°W) largest city in the U.S. Pacific Northwest;
Ross Ice Shelf ice shelf in Antarctica, S41 located in Washington, 165
Rub‘ al-Khali (Empty Quarter) uninhabited desert area in south- Seine River river that flows through Paris in northern France, 305
Senegal country in West Africa, 499
eastern Saudi Arabia, 433 Senegal River river in West Africa, 499
Russia world’s largest country, stretching from Europe and Seoul (38°N 127°E) capital of South Korea, 637
Serbia landlocked country on the Balkan Peninsula, 349
the Baltic Sea to eastern Asia and the coast of the Bering Seychelles island country located east of Africa in the Indian
Sea, 381 Ocean, 533
Rwanda country in East Africa, 517 Shanghai (31°N 121°E) major seaport city in eastern China, 615

758 • Gazetteer

Shannon River river in Ireland; longest river in the British Gazetteer
Isles, 305
Taiwan (TY-WAHN) island off the southeastern coast of China, 615
Shikoku (shee-KOH-koo) smallest of the four main islands of Tajikistan (tah-ji-ki-STAN) country in Central Asia; former Soviet
Japan, 637
republic, 403
Siberia vast region of Russia extending from the Ural Mountains Taklimakan Desert desert region in western China, 615
to the Pacific Ocean, 381 Tallinn (59°N 25°E) capital of Estonia, 327
Tampico (22°N 98°W) Gulf of Mexico seaport in central eastern
Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range in western Mexico, 221
Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range in eastern Mexico, 221 Mexico, 221
Sierra Nevada one of the longest and highest mountain ranges Tanzania East African country located south of Kenya, 517
Tarai (tuh-RY) region in Nepal along the border with India, 585
in the United States; located in eastern California, 165 Tarawa capital of Kiribati, 731
Sinai (SY-ny) Peninsula peninsula in northeastern Egypt, 483 Tarim Basin arid region in western China, 615
Singapore small island country located at the tip of the Malay Tashkent (41°N 69°E) capital of Uzbekistan, 403
Tasmania island state of Australia, 711
Peninsula in Southeast Asia, 679 Tasman Sea part of South Pacific Ocean between Australia and
Skopje (SKAW-pye) (42°N 21°E) capital of Macedonia, 349
Slovakia country in central Europe; formerly the eastern part of New Zealand, 711
Tbilisi (42°N 45°E) capital of Georgia in the Caucasus region, 381
Czechoslovakia, 327 Tegucigalpa (14°N 87°W) capital of Honduras, 239
Slovenia country in the western Balkans region of Europe; former Tehran (36°N 52°E) capital of Iran, 433
Tel Aviv (tehl uh-VEEV) (32°N 35°E) largest city in Israel, 449
Yugoslav republic, 349 Thailand (TY-land) country in Southeast Asia, 659
Sofia (43°N 23°E) capital of Bulgaria, 349 Thar (TAHR) Desert sandy desert of northwestern India and
Solomon Islands South Pacific island country in Melanesia, 731
Somalia East African country located in the Horn of Africa, 517 eastern Pakistan; also called the Great Indian Desert, 563
South Africa country in southern Africa, 533 Thessaloníki (41°N 23°E) city in Greece, 349
Southern Alps mountain range in South Island, New Thimphu (28°N 90°E) capital of Bhutan, 585
Tian Shan (TIEN SHAHN) high mountain range separating
Zealand, 711
South Island one of the two main islands of New Zealand, 711 northwestern China from Russia and some Central Asian
South Korea country occupying the southern half of the Korea countries, 403
Tiber River river that flows through Rome in central Italy, 349
Peninsula, 637 Tibesti Mountains mountain group in northwest Chad, 499
South Pole the southern point of Earth’s axis, S41 Tierra del Fuego group of islands at the southern tip of South
Spain country in southern Europe occupying most of the Iberian America, 257
Tigris River major river in southwestern Asia, 433
Peninsula, 349 Tijuana (33°N 117°W) city in northwestern Mexico, 221
Sri Lanka island country located south of India; formerly known Timor island of the Malay Archipelago north of Australia, 679
Tiranë (ti-RAH-nuh) (42°N 20°E) capital of Albania, 349
as Ceylon, 585 Togo West African country located between Ghana and Benin, 499
Stockholm (59°N 18°E) capital of Sweden, 305 Tokyo (36°N 140°E) capital of Japan, 637
Strait of Gibraltar (juh-BRAWL-tuhr) strait between the Iberian Tombouctou (Timbuktu) (17°N 3°W) city in Mali and an ancient
trading center in West Africa, 499
Peninsula and North Africa that links the Mediterranean Sea Tonga South Pacific island country in Polynesia, 731
to the Atlantic Ocean, 349 Toronto (44°N 79°W) capital of the province of Ontario,
Strait of Magellan strait in South America connecting the South Canada, 189
Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans, S31 Transantarctic Mountains major mountain range that divides
Sucre (19°S 65°W) constitutional capital of Bolivia, 257 Antarctica into East and West, 58
Sudan East African country; largest country in Africa, 517 Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean country in the Lesser
Suez Canal canal linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea Antilles, 239
in northeastern Egypt, 483 Tripoli (33°N 13°E) capital of Libya, 483
Sumatra large island in Indonesia, 679 Tropic of Cancer parallel 231/2° north of the equator; parallel
Suriname (soohr-uh-NAH-muh) country in northern South on the globe at which the Sun’s most direct rays strike Earth
America, 257 during the June solstice (first day of summer in the Northern
Suva (19°S 178°E) capital of Fiji, 731 Hemisphere), S21–S22
Swaziland country in southern Africa, 533 Tropic of Capricorn parallel 231/2° south of the equator; parallel
Sweden country in northern Europe, 305 on the globe at which the Sun’s most direct rays strike Earth
Switzerland country in west-central Europe located between during the December solstice (first day of summer in the
Germany, France, Austria, and Italy, 327 Southern Hemisphere), S21–S22
Sydney (34°S 151°E) largest urban area and leading seaport in Tunis (37°N 10°E) capital of Tunisia, 483
Australia, 711 Tunisia country in North Africa located on the Mediterranean
Syr Dar’ya (sir duhr-YAH) river draining the Pamirs in Central coast between Algeria and Libya, 483
Asia, 403 Turin (45°N 8°E) city in northern Italy, 349
Syria Southwest Asian country located between the
Mediterranean Sea and Iraq, 449
Syrian Desert desert region covering parts of Syria, Jordan, Iraq,
and northern Saudi Arabia, 449

Tagus River longest river on the Iberian Peninsula in southern
Europe, 349

Tahiti French South Pacific island in Polynesia, 731
Taipei (25°N 122°E) capital of Taiwan, 615

Gazetteer • 759

Gazetteer Wales part of the United Kingdom occupying the western portion
of Great Britain, 305
Turkey country of the eastern Mediterranean occupying Anatolia
and a corner of southeastern Europe, 449 Warsaw (52°N 21°E) capital of Poland, 327
Washington, D.C. (39°N 77°W) U.S. capital; located between
Turkmenistan country in Central Asia; former Soviet republic, 403
Tuvalu South Pacific island country in Polynesia, 731 Virginia and Maryland on the Potomac River, 165
Wellington (41°S 175°E) capital of New Zealand, 711
Uganda country in East Africa, 517 West Bank area of Palestine west of the Jordan River; occupied
Ukraine country located between Russia and Eastern European;
by Israel in 1967; political status is in transition, 449
former Soviet republic, 381 Western Ghats (GAWTS) steep, rugged hills facing the Arabian
Ulaanbaatar (oo-lahn-BAH-tawr) (48°N 107°E) capital of
Sea on the western side of the Deccan Plateau in India, 563
Mongolia, 615 Western Plateau large plain covering more than half of
United Arab Emirates country located on the Arabian
Australia, 711
Peninsula, 433 Western Sahara disputed territory in northwestern Africa;
United Kingdom country in Europe occupying most of the British
claimed by Morocco, 483
Isles; Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 305 West Siberian Plain region with many marshes east of the Urals
United States North American country located between Canada
in Russia, 381
and Mexico, 165 White Nile part of the Nile River system in eastern Africa, 517
Ural Mountains mountain range in west-central Russia that Windhoek (22°S 17°E) capital of Namibia, 533
Windsor (42°N 83°W) industrial city across from Detroit, Michigan,
divides Asia from Europe, 381
Uruguay South American country on the northern side of the in the Canadian province of Ontario, 189
Winnipeg (50°N 97°W) provincial capital of Manitoba in central
Río de la Plata between Brazil and Argentina, 257
Uzbekistan country in Central Asia; former Soviet republic, 403 Canada, 189
Witwatersrand (WIT-wawt-uhrz-rahnd) a range of low hills in

north central South Africa, 533
Wuhan (31°N 114°E) city in south central China, 615

Xi River river in southeastern China, 615

Vaduz (47°N 10°E) capital of Liechtenstein, S34 Yamoussoukro (7°N 5°W) capital of Côte d’Ivoire, 499
Valletta (36°N 14°E) capital of Malta, 349 Yangon (Rangoon) (17°N 96°E) capital of Myanmar (Burma), 659
Valparaíso (33°S 72°W) Pacific port for the national capital of Yaoundé (4°N 12°E) capital of Cameroon, 499
Yekaterinburg (formerly Sverdlovsk) (57°N 61°E) city in the Urals
Santiago, Chile, S32
Vancouver (49°N 123°W) Pacific port in Canada, 189 region in Russia, 381
Vanuatu South Pacific island country in Melanesia, 731 Yemen country located in the southwestern corner of the Arabian
Vatican City (42°N 12°E) European microstate surrounded by
Peninsula, 433
Rome, Italy, 349 Yenisey (yi-ni-SAY) major river in central Russia, 381
Venezuela country in northern South America, 257 Yerevan (40°N 45°E) capital of Armenia, 381
Victoria (4°S 55°E) capital of the Seychelles, 533 Yucatán Peninsula peninsula in southeastern Mexico, 221
Vienna (48°N 16°E) capital of Austria, 327 Yugoslavia former country of six republics on Europe’s Balkan
Vientiane (18°N 103°E) capital of Laos, 659
Vietnam country in Southeast Asia, 659 Peninsula, 349
Vilnius (54°N 25°E) capital of Lithuania, 327 Yukon Territory Canadian territory bordering Alaska, 189
Vinson Massif (78°S 87°W) highest mountain (16,066 ft.;
Zagreb (46°N 16°E) capital of Croatia, 349
4,897 m) in Antarctica, S41 Zagros Mountains mountain range in southwestern Iran, 433
Virgin Islands island chain lying just east of Puerto Rico in the Zambezi (zam-BEE-zee) River major river in central and southern

Caribbean Sea, 239 Africa, 533
Vistula River river flowing through Warsaw, Poland, to the Baltic Zambia country in southern Africa, 533
Zimbabwe (zim-BAH-bway) country in southern Africa, 533
Sea, 327 Zürich (47°N 9°E) Switzerland’s largest city, 327
Vladivostok (43°N 132°E) chief seaport of the Russian Far East, 381
Volga River Europe’s longest river; located in west-central

Russia, 381

Wake Island (19°N 167°E) U.S. South Pacific island territory north
of the Marshall Islands, 731

760 • Gazetteer

This glossary contains terms you need to under- Glossary
stand as you study world geography. A brief defi-
nition or explanation of the meaning of the term abdicate Resign, 387
as it is used in World Geography Today follows Aborigines (a-buh-RIJ-uh-nees) Australia’s first peoples, 715
each term. The page number refers to the page abyssal plains Areas of the ocean floor where rocks gradu-
on which the term is introduced in the textbook.
ally sink because they have no supporting heat below
Phonetic Respelling and them; the world’s flattest and smoothest regions, 65
Pronunciation Guide acculturation Process in which an individual or group adopts
some of the traits of another culture, 96
Many of the key terms in this textbook have acid rain Polluted rain that can damage trees and kill fish in
been respelled to help you pronounce them. lakes, 77
The letter combinations used in the respelling African National Congress (ANC) A political organization
throughout the narrative are explained in the that pushed for an end to apartheid in South Africa, 539
following phonetic respelling and pronunciation Afrikaners (a-fri-KAH-nuhrz) Dutch, French, and German set-
guide. The guide is adapted from Merriam- tlers and their descendants in South Africa, 538
Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster’s agribusiness The operation of specialized commercial farms
Geographical Dictionary, and Merriam-Webster’s for more efficiency and profits, 126
Biographical Dictionary. alliances Agreements between countries to support one an-
other against enemies, 328
MMAARRKK AASS IINN RREESSPPEELLLLIINNGG EXAMPLE alluvial fan Fan-shaped deposit of mud and gravel often
found along the bases of mountains, 69
a alphabet a *AL-fuh-bet alluvial soils Soils deposited by streams or rivers, 158
a¯ Asia ay AY-zhuh animist religions Religions in which people believe in the
presence of the spirits and forces of nature, 102
ä cart, top ah KAHRT, TAHP annex To formally join an area to a country, 643
Antarctic Circle The parallel 66 1/2° south of the equator, 30
e let, ten e LET, TEN apartheid (uh-PAHR-tayt) Official policies that forced black
South Africans to live in separate areas and use separate
e¯ even, leaf ee EE-vuhn, LEEF facilities from white South Africans, 539
aquaculture Raising and harvesting fish and marine life in
i it, tip, British i IT, TIP, BRIT-ish ponds or other bodies of water, 619
aqueducts Artificial channels for transporting water, 78
¯ı site, buy, Ohio y SYT, BY, oh-HY-oh aquifers Rock layers where groundwater is plentiful, 78
arable Fit for growing crops, 175
iris eye EYE-ris arboreal Tree-dwelling, 661
archipelago (ahr-kuh-PEH-luh-goh) Large group of
k card k KAHRD islands, 680
Arctic Circle A parallel 66 1/2° degrees north of the
o¯ over, rainbow oh OH-vuhr, RAYN-boh equator, 31
arid Dry, 54
u˙ book, wood ooh BOOHK, WOOHD armistice Truce, 644
artesian wells Wells in which water flows naturally to the
o˙ all, orchid aw AWL, AWR-kid surface, 712
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an organiza-
o˙i foil, coin oy FOYL, KOYN tion founded to promote economic development as well
as political cooperation among its members, 670
au˙ out ow OWT atlas A collection of maps in one book, 11
atmosphere The envelope of gases that surrounds a planet
e cup, butter uh KUHP, BUHT-uhr like Earth, 35
atoll A ring-shaped coral island or ring of several islands
ü rule, food oo ROOL, FOOD linked by underwater coral reefs, 732
autarky (AW-tahr-kee) A system in which a country tries to
yü few yoo FYOO produce all the goods that it needs, 388
autonomy Self-government, 351
zh vision zh VIZH-uhn ayatollahs Religious leaders of the highest authority among
Shia Muslims, 443
*A syllable printed in small capital letters receives heavier emphasis
than the other syllable(s) in a word.

Glossary • 761

Glossary command economy An economic system in which the gov-
ernment decides what to produce, where to make it, and
balance of power Condition existing when countries or what price to charge, 115
alliances have such equal levels of strength that war
is prevented, 328 commonwealth Self-governing territory associated with an-
other country, 250
barrier islands Coastal islands created from sand deposited
by ocean waves and currents in shallow water, 150 communes Collective farms grouped together to organize
farming and plan public services, 623
basins Low areas of land, often surrounded by mountains, 151
bauxite Ore from which aluminum is made, 241 communism An economic and political system in which the
Bedouins Nomadic herders in Southwest Asia, 441 government owns or controls almost all the means of
Berbers Cultural group that has lived in North Africa since long production, 115

before waves of Arab armies crossed the continent, 489 compass rose A map element with arrows pointing in all four
bilingual Able to speak two languages, 169 principal directions, 14
biodiversity The level of variety of plants and animals, 534
biosphere The part of Earth that includes all life forms, 35 complementary region A region formed by the combination
birthrate The number of live births each year for every of two areas with different activities or strengths, each of
which benefits the other, 342
1,000 people living in a place, 89
Bolsheviks A communist group that overthrew the govern- condensation The process by which water vapor changes
from a gas into liquid droplets, 46
ment during the Russian Revolution in 1917, 387
boycott Refusal to buy certain goods from a country or confederation A group of states joined together for a com-
mon purpose, 336
business, 570
buffer state A small country between two larger, more power- Confucianism A philosophy based on the teachings of
Confucius, an ancient Chinese philosopher, 624
ful countries, 265
coniferous forests Forests of cone-bearing evergreen
cacao Type of tree from which we get cocoa beans, 246 trees, 55
calligraphy Artistic handwriting or lettering, 624
cantons Largely self-governing states within a country such conquistadores (kahn-kees-tuh-DAWR-ez) Spanish conquerors
of foreign lands during the colonial era, 225
as Switzerland, 336
capitalism An economic system in which businesses, indus- consensus General agreement, 197

tries, and resources are privately owned, 115 constitutional monarchy A type of government with a king or
caravans Groups of people traveling together for queen as head of state and a parliament as the lawmaking
branch, 307
protection, 408
Caricom Caribbean Community and Common Market, 252 contiguous Connecting or bordering, 14
cartography The study of maps and mapmaking, 5
cash crops Crops grown for sale in a market, 230 Continental Divide The crest dividing North America’s major
caste Group of people who are born into a certain position in river systems into those flowing eastward and those flow-
ing westward, 153
society, as in Hinduism, that restricts the occupation and
associations of their members, 571 continental drift The process by which Earth’s plates slowly
central business district (CBD) City center dominated by move across the upper mantle, 63
large stores, offices, and buildings, 123
Chibcha Early people of the Colombian Andes who developed continental shelves Areas where continental surfaces extend
gold-working skills, 263 under the shallow ocean water around the continents, 66
Chishima Current (Oyashio) Cold ocean current that cools
northern Japan in the summer, 639 continents Large landmasses on Earth’s surface, 10
city-states Self-governing cities and their surrounding areas,
as in ancient Greece, 360 contour plowing Plowing fields across a hill, rather than up
climate Weather conditions in a region over a long time, 41 and down the hill, 75
climate graphs Graphs showing average temperature and
precipitation in a place, 18 copra Dried coconut meat, 741
colonies Territories controlled by people from a foreign
land, 167 core Earth’s center, where pressures and temperatures are
very high, 63

cork Bark that is stripped from the trunks of cork oaks, 353

Corn Belt A region of the U.S. Midwest that specializes in
growing corn, 175

cosmopolitan Having many foreign influences, 316

Cossacks People from the southern steppe frontiers of the
Russian Empire who played an important role in that
empire’s expansion, 387

cottage industries Small-scale industries based in the
home, 576

coup (KOO) A change of government caused by a group taking
control by force, 266

creole A language blending African, European, or indigenous
Caribbean languages, 251

crop rotation The practice of planting different crops in a field
in alternating years, 76

cultural boundaries Boundaries that are based on culture
traits, 129

culture All the features of a people’s way of life, 94

culture region An area in which people have many shared
culture traits, 95

culture traits Learned activities and behaviors that people
often take part in, 94

762 • Glossary

cyclones Winds around centers of low atmospheric Glossary
pressure, 42

czar (ZAHR) Title of the emperor of Russia before the Russian
Revolution, 387

Dairy Belt A region of the U.S. Midwest that specializes in ecosystems Communities of plants and animals, 50
dairy products, 175
ecotourism Type of tourism focusing on guided travel through
Dalits Hindus in India who are not part of any caste, 571 natural areas, 248

death rate Total number of deaths each year for every 1,000 edge cities Clusters of large buildings away from the central
people in a place, 89 business district of a city, 124

deciduous forests Forests made up of trees that lose their El Niño (ehl NEEN-yoh) Ocean and weather pattern in which
leaves during part of the year, 55 the southeastern Pacific Ocean is warmer than usual, af-
fecting regional climates, 260
deforestation Destruction or loss of forests, 76
emigrants People who leave a country to live somewhere
degrees Units used to measure distances between parallels else, 89
and between meridians, 10
enclaves Areas that are completely surrounded by another
delta Accumulation of sediment at the mouth of a river, 69 region, 362

demilitarized zone (DMZ) A buffer zone into which opposing endemic species Plants and animals native to a certain
armies may not enter, 644 place, 682

democracy A system of government in which the people de- environment Combination of Earth’s four spheres, including
cide who will govern, 130 all of the biological, chemical, and physical conditions that
affect life, 35
demography Statistical study of human populations, 87
equator An imaginary line that circles the globe halfway be-
depressions Large low areas, 484 tween the North Pole and South Pole, 10

desalinization Process of removing salt from ocean water, 70 equinox The time when both of Earth’s poles are at a 90 de-
gree angle from the Sun and the Sun’s direct rays strike
desertification Spreading of desert conditions, 501 the equator, 31

developed countries Countries with high levels of industrial- erg A sea of sand created by high, shifting sand dunes, 484
ization and high standards of living, 117
erosion Movement of surface material from one location to
developing countries Countries with less productive another by water, wind, and ice, 67
economies than developed countries and low standards
of living, 117 escarpment Steep face at the edge of a plateau or other
raised area, 534
dharma For Hindus, the importance of doing one’s duty ac-
cording to one’s station in life, 571 estuaries Semi-enclosed bodies of water, seawater, and fresh-
water formed where a river meets an inlet of the sea, 71
dialect A regional variety of a language, 100
ethnic groups Human populations that share a common cul-
dictator A leader who rules with almost absolute authority, 226 ture or ancestry, 95

Diet (DEE-uht) Japan’s elected lawmaking body, 644 ethnic religions Religions found among people of one
ethnic group and that generally have not spread into
diffusion A process occurring when an idea or innovation other cultures, 102
spreads from one person or group to another and is
adopted, 97 Eurasia The landmass of Europe and Asia combined, 382

dikes Walls built to hold back water, 293 European Union Organization of European countries featuring
close cooperation on trade, economic, political, and social
doldrums Areas with no prevailing winds, 44 issues, 315

domestication The process in which people grow plants and evaporation Process by which liquid changes to gas, 46
tame animals for their own use, 120
exclave An area separated from the rest of a country by the
domino theory The idea that if one country fell to commu- territory of other countries, 338
nism, neighboring countries would follow like falling
dominoes, 664 Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Zone extending 200 nautical
miles (370 km) from a country’s shore that includes re-
double cropping Harvesting two crops in the same plot each sources controlled by that country, 741
year, 619
exotic rivers Rivers that begin in humid regions and then flow
drainage basin A region drained by a river and its across dry areas, 434
tributaries, 71
exotic species New types of plants and animals that people
dryland farming Growing crops that can rely on limited rain- introduce to an area, 719
fall rather than irrigation, 412
export economy A type of economy in which goods are pro-
dual economies Economies in which some goods are duced mainly for export rather than for domestic use, 650
produced for export while other goods are produced
for local consumption, 509 extensive agriculture A kind of agriculture using much land
but small inputs of capital and labor per unit area, 718
dynasty Line of hereditary rulers, 438

economy of scale Large production of goods that reduces the fall line A natural boundary between two landform regions with
production cost of each item, 727 different elevations marked by rapids and waterfalls, 150

Glossary • 763