Oceania

(proper noun)

A geographical region composed of many islands (Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia) plus Australasia; it is located between Asia, Antarctica, and the Americas.

Examples of Oceania in the following topics:

  • The Rise of Pacific Cultures

    • Art of Oceania properly encompasses the artistic traditions of the people indigenous to Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.
    • At around the same time, art began to appear in New Guinea, including the earliest examples of sculpture in Oceania.
    • Starting around 600 BCE, works of the Dongson culture of Vietnam—known for their bronze working—can be found in Oceania, and their imagery has a strong influence on the indigenous artistic tradition.
    • By 1500, the first European explorers reached Oceania.
    • The four cultural areas of Oceania are illustrated on this map, including the land masses of Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand and the numerous Pacific Islands.

  • New Britain

    • Melanesia, comprising New Britain and the surrounding islands, has perhaps the most striking art of all Oceania.
    • The 17th century, both here and in other regions of Oceania, brought with it increasing encounters with European explorers.

  • Pacific Arts Festival

    • The Festival of Pacific Arts, or Pacific Arts Festival, is a traveling festival hosted every four years by a different country in Oceania.

  • New Guinean Wood Carvings

    • With its diverse cultural heritage, the island of New Guinea holds some of the most striking art in all of Oceania.