Oceania

  1. Oceania

    Foodstuffs Promises Refunds After Pricing Error Disrupts New Zealand Supermarkets

    Secondary sources:12
Population
46.5M
Nominal GDP
$2.1T
Countries
14

Latest available observations; nominal GDP is in current US dollars. Sources checked August 24, 2026.

Sources:12

Economic engine

≈46Mpeople across a region spanning roughly a third of Earth
  1. Vast maritime zones
  2. Tuna fisheries
  3. Public revenue
  • AustraliaLargest economy
  • Papua New GuineaSecond population anchor
  • Island statesSmall land, enormous ocean space
Sources:123

Power & institutions

1951the ANZUS security treaty was signed
Pacific order
  • Australia + NZAid donors + military anchors
  • United StatesAlliances + free-association compacts
  • Island statesDiplomatic and maritime weight
  • ChinaA wider economic + security presence
Sources:123

Pressure points

Metresseparate low-lying atolls from rising seas
  • Sea-level riseExistential for atoll nations
  • CyclonesHigh disaster exposure
  • Narrow economiesFishing · remittances · tourism · aid
  • Security competitionInfrastructure + influence contest
Sources:123

Countries at a glance

Open a country for its capital, population, GDP, and key facts.

Australia & New Zealand

2

The region's two developed anchors: Commonwealth realms and ANZUS partners that together account for most of Oceania's economic output, aid, and military weight.

Sources:1

The Pacific Islands

12

Melanesian, Micronesian, and Polynesian states with small populations and vast ocean zones — front-line witnesses to sea-level rise and, increasingly, objects of great-power courtship.

Sources:12

Key institutions

Pacific Islands Forum

The region's premier political grouping, with 18 members spanning Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific island states and territories. Its annual leaders' meeting and Suva-based secretariat coordinate common positions on climate change, fisheries, and regional security.

Sources:1

ANZUS

A 1951 security treaty among Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Washington suspended its treaty obligations to New Zealand in the 1980s over Wellington's nuclear-free policy, so ANZUS operates today chiefly as the US–Australia alliance alongside close Australia–New Zealand defense ties.

Sources:1

Pacific Community (SPC)

Founded in 1947 and headquartered in Nouméa, New Caledonia, with 27 member countries and territories including the region's current and former metropolitan powers. It is the Pacific's principal scientific and technical organization, working on fisheries science, public health, agriculture, and statistics.

Sources:1

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