Oceania

Political boundaries of the nations and islands of the Oceania region

Shaded relief of the Oceania region

Oceania describes the lands of the central and south Pacific Ocean, including Australia, New Zealand, Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia, and sometimes parts of the Malay Archipelago. The islands traded with each other, though typically not with faraway lands.

None of these Oceanic societies had metallurgy (e.g., iron) or other technology. But they did have social structures common to nearly every society, with a military class and the rich and poor.

See also[edit]

• People of the world gallery
• Seas in art