We show you which are the countries and capitals of Oceania, with their different cultural regions and dependencies. Also, complete and updated maps.
What are the countries and capitals of Oceania?
Oceania is the smallest of all the continents. It is located south of the Pacific Ocean, west of the Indian Ocean and southeast of Asia. It has an approximate area of 8.7 million square kilometers, which represents only 5.9% of the total land surface on the planet.
88% of its surface is occupied by a single country, Australia. The remaining thirteen countries that make up the continent and the colonial territories of the region are distributed in the remaining 12%.
The total population of Oceania amounts to 42 million inhabitants, which represents only 0.5% of the world total. More than 90% of that population is concentrated in three countries: Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
| Country | Capital | Population | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Canberra | 26,005,000 |  |
| Federated States of Micronesia | Palikir | 114,000 |  |
| fiji | Suva | 929,000 |  |
| Marshall Islands | Majuro | 41,100 |  |
| Solomon Islands | Honiara | 724,000 |  |
| Kiribati | Tarawa | 131,000 |  |
| Nauru | Yaren | 12,600 |  |
| New Zealand | Wellington | 5,124,000 |  |
| Palau | Ngerulmud | 18,050 |  |
| Papua New Guinea | Port Moresby | 10,142,000 |  |
| Samoa | Apia | 222,000 |  |
| Tonga | Nukuʻalofa | 106,000 |  |
| Tuvalu | Vaiaku | 11,300 |  |
| Vanuatu | Port Vila | 326,000 |  |
Colonial dependencies of Oceania
The colonial dependencies are territories that are part of Oceania, but are administered by countries on other continents. The territories of Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and Hawaii belong to the United States; Easter Island is administered by Chile; New Caledonia, Wallis and Fortuna and French Polynesia belong to France, and the Pitcairn Islands are a territory of the United Kingdom.
In the case of the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau, they are territories that belong to New Zealand, but are far from the main islands that make up the country.
| Name | Capital | Population | Dependence |
|---|---|---|---|
| guam | Agaña | 177,000 | USA |
| Hawaii | Honolulu | 1,490,000 | USA |
| Cook Islands | Avarua | 19,560 | New Zealand |
| Easter Island | Hanga Roa | 8,277 | Chili |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Saipan | 57,031 | USA |
| Pitcairn Islands | Adamstown | 47 | United Kingdom |
| Niue | Alofi | 1,681 | New Zealand |
| New Caledonia | Noumea | 281,383 | France |
| French Polynesia | Papeete | 306,279 | France |
| American Samoa | Payment Payment | 55,500 | USA |
| Tokelau | Atafu | 1,650 | New Zealand |
| Wallis and Futuna | Mata – Utu | 15,763 | France |
Regions of Oceania
Cultural regions
The countries of Oceania can be grouped into four cultural regions:
- Australia. It only includes Australia due to its political importance and territorial extension.
- Polynesia. It includes New Zealand, Kiribati, Tonga, Tuvalu, Samoa and some colonies such as French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Easter Island and the Hawaiian Islands.
- Melanesia. It includes Vanuatu, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and the colonial territory of New Caledonia, which belongs to France.
- Micronesia. It includes Palau, Nauru, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and colonies such as the Guam Islands and the Northern Marianas, which belong to the United States.
Territorial regions
The fourteen countries of Oceania can be grouped into two distinct territorial regions:
- large islands. They are those islands that have more than 200,000 square kilometers in area. This group includes Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.
- small islands. They are those that have less than 200,000 square kilometers in area, although the majority have less than 1,000. Includes, from largest to smallest, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Kiribati, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Marshall, Tuvalu and Nauru. These last two, with 25 and 21 square kilometers respectively, are among the smallest countries in the world.
Most important cities in Oceania
Melbourne
It is the most populated city in Australia and the continent. It has a population of 4,875,000 inhabitants and a metropolitan area that exceeds 5 million.
Sydney
Until 2019 it was the most populated city on the continent. Currently, it has 4,859,000 inhabitants, but its metropolitan area exceeds 5 million.
Brisbane
It has a population of 2,400,000 inhabitants. Its metropolitan area exceeds 4 million. It is the third most populated city in Australia.
Perth
It has a population of 2,100,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the State of Western Australia.
Auckland
It has a population of 1,700,000 inhabitants. It is the most populated city in New Zealand.
Adelaide
It has a population of 1,600,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the State of South Australia.
Port Moresby
It has a population of 410,000 inhabitants. It is the most populated city and the capital of Papua New Guinea.
Honolulu
It has a population of 377,000 inhabitants, but its metropolitan area exceeds 950,000. It is the capital of Hawaii and the most populated city in the colonial territories of Oceania.
References
- World Bank. (2024). Population, total. https://datos.bancomundial.org/
- Flores E. (2023). What are the capitals of the fourteen countries of Oceania? Debate. https://www.debate.com.mx/
- Padilla, N. (2022). Natural bases of Oceania. Nülan. http://nulan.mdp.edu.ar/
