Oceania - Introduction

The Pacific islands are characterized into three groups. Which of the following is NOT one of the island groups?

• Melanesia

• Micronesia

• Piconesia

• Polynesia

Melanesia means "dark" or "black" islands.

• True

• False

Micronesia means "many" islands.

• True

• False

Polynesia means "many" islands.

• True

• False

Though there are estimated to be 20,000 to 30,000 islands in Oceania, how many countries are located in the Oceania island groups?

Glaciers created continental islands by causing sea levels to rise when they melted.

• True

• False

Tectonic plates created atolls when they moved creating new land or separating land.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The movement of tectonic plates can create continental islands - as the plates move, the land can break off of continents.

For example, New Zealand was once part of the Australian continent.

A ______________ is a body of shallow water partly cut off from the ocean by low-lying rock, sand, or coral reefs

A/an ________ forms when a volcanic island surrounded by a coral reef sinks beneath the sea, and the coral reef remains.

When a volcano erupts far beneath the sea, they can rise above the ocean's surface and form ____________ ___________.