Culture of Oceania

Languages of Oceania

• Oceania is home to over 1,100 languages – both traditional and European languages

• Many speak their traditional languages and the languages of their European imperialists, English is the most common

Religion

• Because of the work of missionaries, Christianity is the most common religion in Oceania

• Some Pacific islanders still practice their traditional religions

Arts and Crafts of Pacific Islanders

• Many Pacific Islanders produce things like baskets and mats woven from the leaves of palm trees or carved wooden masks

• Some make a living selling these items to tourists

Everyday lives of islanders

• Many Pacific islanders live in villages

• Homes are usually wooden with thatched roofs

• A chief led the village• Villagers lived on

fishing and farming

Ethnic makeup of Australia and New Zealand

• Most Australians and New Zealanders are of British decent

• Australia has a high rate of immigration – over 20% of the population are foreign born

• About 1% of Australians are of Aboriginal (native) decent

• About 15% of New Zealanders are of Maori (native) decent

British colonialism leaves its mark

• Years of colonization by the British means that Australians have a lot of cultural characteristics of Great Britain:

• The drive on the left side of the road

• Enjoy drinking tea• Speak English• Are Christian

Australian slangAustralian word American word

shelias girls

bathers swimsuit

uni university (college)

station farm

rage party

quid money

mate friend

lollies candy

G'day! Hello!

Aussie a person from Australia

Kiwi a person from New Zealand

Pom or Pommy a person from England

Yank a person from the US

Aboriginal art

• The Aboriginal people have an ancient tradition of painting human and animal figures

• These paintings can be seen on rock walls around the country

Art and literature

• Australians with European ancestry paint the landscape

• Russell Drysdale is famous for his pictures of the outback

• Australian novelists write adventure stories about the outback

Culture of New Zealand

• New Zealand’s culture blends British and Maori traditions

• English and Maori are official languages

• Maori art is popular – intricate woodcarvings and poetic legends

The Lord of the Rings trilogy was directed by New Zealander Peter Jackson. The movies were also filmed in New Zealand.

Sports in Australia

• Many British sports are popular in Australia – football (soccer), cricket, and rugby

• Aussie Rules Football is very popular and is a combination of football and rugby and is played on a cricket field

• It is very rough!

Sports in New Zealand

• Sports like skiing and mountain climbing are popular in New Zealand because of its mountainous terrain