New Zealand and The Pacific Islands

VOCAB

Geyser

Maori

Archipelago

Atoll

High Island

Low Island

Trust Territory

Two Islands

• Backbone of both is a string of volcanic mountains formed along the boarder between the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates.

North Island

• Narrow and hilly with a center plateau

• Active geothermal region.

South Island

• Contains the highest mountains

Geyser

History

• Original settlers – Maori – called New Zealand Aotearoa – “Land of the Long White Cloud”

• Origin of Maori is debated– Polynesian– Malaysian – Peruvian

Prior to Europeans….

• New Zealand had many groups of Maori • Traded goods and shared a common culture• But fiercely territorial.• Began to see themselves as a nation after

European settlers moved onto their land.• Europeans took much land through treaties.

• Currently less than 10 percent of the population

• Political party “Mana Motuhake” which means self-determination

• Attempting to reclaim lands that were once theirs before treaties.

Agricultural Economy

• Gentle sloping plains, rich soil and marine west coast climate are ideal for farming.

• Cattle• Sheep

Movies & TV

• Avatar• Lord of the Rings• Narnia• Xena: Warrior Princess

Urbanization

• Most people live in large coastal cities.• 75% live on North Island.• Auckland is the largest city• Capital (Wellington) is located to

symbolically unite the nation.

Did you read about…

• The Kauri Tree?

Pacific Islands

• Types of islands– “High” (volcanic)– “Low” (coral)

• Island Groups– Micronesia– Melanesia– Polynesia

Archipelago

Types of Islands• High • Low

Atoll

Question 1Coral islands

a) Geyser

b) Maori

c) Archipelago

d) Atoll

e) High Island

f) Low Island

g) Trust Territory

Question 2

Hot spring that shoots jets of heated water and steam

a) Geyser

b) Maori

c) Archipelago

d) Atoll

e) High Island

f) Low Island

g) Trust Territory

Question 3Group of islands

a) Geyser

b) Maori

c) Archipelago

d) Atoll

e) High Island

f) Low Island

g) Trust Territory

Question 4

Volcanic Islands

a) Geyser

b) Maori

c) Archipelago

d) Atoll

e) High Island

f) Low Island

g) Trust Territory

Question 5

Ring shaped coral island

a) Geyser

b) Maori

c) Archipelago

d) Atoll

e) High Island

f) Low Island

g) Trust Territory

Question 6

The earliest settlers of New Zealand

a) Geyser

b) Maori

c) Archipelago

d) Atoll

e) High Island

f) Low Island

g) Trust Territory

Micronesia

• Settled between 3000 and 2000 by voyagers from the Philippines, Indonesia and some of the Islands near New Guinea

Melanesia

• Inhabited first beginning more than 40,000 years ago

• First inhabitants were probably from southeast Asia

Polynesia

• Distinct culture and physical characteristics of the Polynesians developed over a long period of time when they were isolate in the Tonga and Samoa Islands

• From that base they explored and settled a huge region of the Pacific.

Question 7

Includes Hawaii a) Micronesia

b) Melanesia

c) Polynesia

Question 8

First inhabited islands

a) Micronesia

b) Melanesia

c) Polynesia

Question 9

Settled by voyagers from the Phillipines

a) Micronesia

b) Melanesia

c) Polynesia

Economic Activities

• Farming - coconuts, pineapples, bananas– (A few of the high islands can support cash

crops like rubber, coffee and sugar cane)

• Fishing• Some mining• Tourism• Most people, however, live at a

subsistence level.

Independence

• Most of the world ignored the Pacific Islands until WWII.

• During the war, Japanese and US forces fought many bloody battles on the Islands.

• After the way, many islands were divided into Trust Territories (territories supervised by other nations).

• The US oversees Guam and American Samoa

• Most islands were granted independence in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

• Independence helped renew interest in the native cultures.

• New governments were often based on traditional forms of leadership.– Tonga remained a kingdom– Western Samoa adopted parliamentary systems, but

representatives are selected by traditional village leaders

– Other nations operate with fully representative democracies

The End!!!