Oceania is a varied continent. It is made up of many regions. The histories and cultures of these islands are all special.
Polynesia is made up of around 1,000 islands. Humans arrived here around 3,000 years ago. The first people were called the Lapita. They can be traced back to traders from Taiwan. The natives found that the island did not have many resources. They took plants and animals with them that they would need.
Australasia is made up of Australia, New Zealand, and some smaller islands. Humans arrived here around 50,000 years ago. There are many indigenous groups in Australia. They have their own cultures and languages.
Melanesia is made up of four countries. The largest is Papua New Guinea. Settlers from Australia and other islands arrived here 40,000 years ago. At the time, Neanderthals still roamed Europe.
Micronesia is made up of around 2,100 islands! It is believed that humans arrived here around 4,000 years ago. There are not many records to be found. Most research is based on languages.
Many islands in Oceania have one thing in common. They practiced cannibalism. For thousands of years, native people ate human flesh. In Fiji, tribe leaders ate the flesh of their enemies. They thought it gave them power. Fiji was given the name Cannibal Isles. Because of this, many Europeans avoided Fiji.
Ratu Udre Udre is the world's most famous cannibal. It is said that he ate 999 people. He is even in the Guinness World Records!
Oceania changed when it was found by Europeans. Almost all of Oceania has been a colony at some time.
Exploration began in the 1500s. The continent was first discovered by Portuguese voyagers. Then, the Spanish arrived in Oceania on merchant ships. During the expedition, they became the first people to circumnavigate the world.
In 1768, Captain James Cook travelled to the Pacific Ocean. In 1769, he reached New Zealand. He mapped out the coastline. He then travelled west and did the same to Australia. He was the first European to touch Australia's east coast.
On Cook's third expedition, he reached Hawaii. It was there that he was killed by villagers on a beach. He is famous for his exploration of the Pacific Ocean.
Oceania has seen its fair share of warring. Both Australia and New Zealand fought in World War I and II. They defended Britain against Germany.
Battles between the USA and Japan also took place in Oceania. New Guinea and the Solomon Islands were invaded by Japan. They were freed in 1945 when Japan was defeated.
There has been lots of tension between natives and Indo-Fijians who came to the island in the last 200 years. In 1987, the country was led by a multi-ethnic group. The natives did not like that. They thought it was racist against Fijians. It led to a coup. There have been three coups in Fiji's recent history.
Now, most islands in Oceania are independent. Samoa was the first in 1962. Many others followed in the 1970s. The natives have a strong sense of culture that continues to live on.