Region Overview

This vast island region is spread over a huge area of the Pacific Ocean, to the south of Southeast Asia. The most westerly point is Cape Inscription in Australia. The northern most point is Eastern Island in the Midway Islands. The highest point of elevation is Mount Wilhelm on Papua-New Guinea, which stands at a height of 4509m. Natural features include the great deserts of Australia, the Great Dividing Range and the Great Barrier Reef.

Australasia is made up of Australia, New Zealand, Papua-New Guinea and several nearby islands. This region is linked with three groups of Pacific islands – Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia – which form an even wider region, called Oceania.

The climate and geography of Australasia and Oceania is incredibly varied as the region itself, ranging from the rainforests of northern Australia and the glaciers of southern New Zealand, to the coral atolls and volcanoes which form many of the Pacific islands.
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