New Zealand is like the earth’s very own geological museum and treasure trove – with green meadows, volcanic mountains, snow peaks in the southern Alps, glaciers, hot springs, bubbling mud fields, clear-water lakes and deep fjords. The Cook Strait separates the North and South Islands of the country. With a tour of New Zealand, you… Read More »
Yearbook 2012 Nauru. In February, Nauru became the first Pacific nation to be authorized by the International Seabed Authority to prospect for seabed metals. The license was granted to a Nauru company, which at the end of the year would begin the search for copper, manganese, cobalt and nickel in the water off Nauru. In… Read More »
Yearbook 2012 Micronesia Federation. In March, the Micronesian parliament voted for a new law against trafficking. It was a requirement from the United States for the country to receive continued US financial support. In 2011, the US had put the Micronesian Federation on its list of countries that did not do enough to deal with… Read More »
Yearbook 2012 Marshall Islands. Following the November 2011 parliamentary elections, the new parliament, Nitijela, gathered in early January. The 33 members then elected a new president. Senator Christopher Loeak won over incumbent President Jurelang Zedkaia by 21 votes to 11. Loeak had been in Parliament since 1985 and held several ministerial posts in previous governments.… Read More »
Yearbook 2012 Kiribati. In the presidential election, held January 13, incumbent President Anote Tong was re-elected with 42% of the vote. He had two opponents. Doctor and businessman Tetaua Taitai took home 35% of the vote and opposition leader Rimeta Beniamina received just under 23%. The turnout was around 68%. A few days after the… Read More »
Yearbook 2012 Fiji. On January 7, the state of emergency, which had prevailed in Fiji since September 2007, was claimed, according to a statement from Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama a few days earlier, when he also promised that a dialogue on a new constitution would start in February. Bainimarama had received harsh criticism from the… Read More »
Yearbook 2012 Australia. On February 22, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd resigned with the statement that he no longer had the confidence of Prime Minister Julia Gillard. He also said he did not think she could lead the Labor Party to victory in the 2013 election. It immediately led to speculation about a leader fight within… Read More »
According to countryaah, Oceania population is 43,021,460 as of 2021. Oceania Plant Geography The small, low coral islands have a species-poor flora with screw palms, coconut palms and other widespread species. By contrast, on larger coral islands and especially on high islands of volcanic origin, such as Hawaii, Fiji and New Caledonia, the species richness… Read More »