Oceania

Most people know Oceania by the name of Australasia (the region containing Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea), but it actually covers a much wider range of small, but equally important islands. Extending far out into the Pacific Ocean, the countries of Oceania are notable for their size differences; Australia is the sixth biggest in the world, and the islands of Nauru, Tuvalu and Palau are amongst the smallest. 

The climate throughout Oceania is generally referred to as tropical, with weather ranging from humid to bone-dry as the seasons change. The higher and more mountainous areas are the only places to ever really see snow, with the lower islands much more susceptible to strong ocean wind; however, these winds can often bring enough rain to make some lush forests, while inland regions see very little rainfall and can be dry wastelands.

Australia and New Zealand are the most well known countries of this region, and are both extremely popular travel destinations. Taking students here will be undoubtedly be the trip of a lifetime for many of them, with the wildlife, culture and weather "down under" so unlike anything in the UK - especially the giant spiders!

Going out into the Pacific Ocean, the array of countries you find are all physically very small, but have their own governments, cultures and histories. The sheer distance from the UK and the remote location makes these destinations some of the more complex to access, but trips here would be fascinating to see how such the people of such small countries live and work, and to see the similarities to our own way of living half a world away in the middle of the ocean. 

Find out more about countries in the Oceania region here: