Author: Obaidullah Noorzahi
The Influence of Islam in America (Part 9)
The Advancement of Islam in the Oceania Continent and Australia
An Overview of the Geography of the Oceania Continent
The Oceania continent, covering an area of 8,510,000 square kilometers, is located in the central and southern Pacific Ocean, extending alongside Southeast Asia in the form of islands. This includes Australia, the largest inhabited island in the world, as well as Tasmania, New Zealand, and the island territories of Melanesia and Polynesia. It is the smallest and least populated continent in the world, entirely situated in the southern hemisphere.
The climate of this region is oceanic due to its island geography. Generally, it is temperate in mountainous areas and hot and dry in the deserts of central Australia. The islands originate from coral, volcanic, and continental sources; coral islands (atolls) are particularly unsuitable for agriculture. According to the latest statistics (from 1990), the Pacific continent has a population of 2,630,000, with 72% living in urban areas. The relative population density is 1.3 people per square kilometer, and the annual growth rate is 1.5%.
The populace consists of indigenous peoples, immigrants from South, Southeast, and West Asia, Europeans, and mixed-race individuals. The majority of the continent’s population identifies as Christian, with Muslims and adherents of indigenous religions making up the remainder.
Australia
Australia, the largest island in the world, along with Tasmania, which is one of its states, covers an area of 7,682,000 square kilometers and has a coastline of 20,000 kilometers. Its elongation in the direction of geographical latitude has caused this land’s humidity to decrease, with southeast winds contributing to its dryness. Its minimal elevation further reduces humidity and moisture in the atmosphere.
In terms of temperature, Australia is a dry and hot continent, with an average temperature of 26 degrees Celsius, although maximum temperatures in the central desert can reach about 55 degrees Celsius. Between the Western Plateau and the eastern mountain ranges lies a relatively large plain through which the country’s longest river, the Darling, flows. Meanwhile, parts of central Australia are covered by arid desert.
When Europeans arrived in Australia, about half a million native people speaking approximately 500 languages lived in the land. These indigenous individuals, characterized by their dark skin, were primarily hunters and migrated to Australia about thirty thousand years ago from eastern and southeastern Asia. Muslims are noted to be the first to discover this land; according to Chinese evidence, they set foot in Australia in the 15th century, a claim supported by recent archaeological excavations in northern Australia. The Dutch are believed to have arrived in 1606. Following them, the Spanish, Portuguese, and Danes also explored Australia during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.
Eighteen years after the renowned English navigator James Cook explored the Australian region, a group of English settlers sailed to Australia and settled in its southeastern areas. The colonization of Australia and the exploitation of its resources began in earnest in 1768 under English rule. From 1851 to 1859, the discovery of gold fields in the regions of Victoria and New South Wales led to a significant influx of European immigrants to Australia.
In 1900, Queen Victoria established Australia as a Commonwealth by law, and 45 years later, in 1945, the country became a member of the United Nations.
Australia consists of six states and two territories. The states have federal governance, while the territories are administered by the central government. The capital city is Canberra, located in the southeast of New South Wales. Australia has a population of 17 million, with 87% residing in urban areas and an average household size of 2.8 people. Around 90% of immigrants are European, while the remainder includes indigenous peoples and immigrants from Asia. 36% of the population identifies as Anglican (Protestant), 31% as Catholic, and the remaining individuals are Muslim or follow indigenous and primitive religions.
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