Oceania

Oceania is the smallest continent in the world, the one with the fewest countries (only 14) and the least populated one. Australia is the main country in the continent due to its size and wealth. It also has several nations dependent on other countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and France.

The continent is bounded by three oceans: the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Antarctic Glacier and it is divided into four main regions: Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.

One of the most idiosyncratic features of Oceania is that it is made up of a large number of small islands. The main spoken language is English.

Oceania's climate is tropical, subtropical and, in certain regions, mild with seasons varying from wet to dry. The wetter areas, such as the Papua New Guinea region, are covered with broad-leaved forests and jungles. In drier areas one typically finds grasslands, savannas and shrubland.

In the New Zealand region, some glaciers are found (due to cooler temperatures and strong winds) that extend to merge with the coastal areas of the continent.

Oceania is considered one of eight 'ecological zones' on the surface of the planet, along with the Palaearctic, Nearctic, Afrotropical, Neotropical, Neotropical, Australasian, Indomalaya and Antarctic.