Economy of Oceania

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Economy of Oceania
Statistics
Populationestimated 38 million (2014) [1]
GDP PPP: US$1.67 trillion (2014)
GDP per capita
PPP: $22,647
During 2003 unless otherwise stated. Most numbers are from the UNDP from 2002, some numbers exclude certain countries for lack of information.

All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.
The skyline of the Sydney central business district in Australia. Sydney is the most populous city in Oceania and is one of Oceania's only two Alpha world cities. Sydney skyline from the north aerial 2010.jpg
The skyline of the Sydney central business district in Australia. Sydney is the most populous city in Oceania and is one of Oceania's only two Alpha world cities.
The skyline of the Auckland Central Business District in New Zealand. Auckland is the fifth populous city in Oceania and most populous city in New Zealand. Auckland Skyline as seen from Devonport 20100128 3.jpg
The skyline of the Auckland Central Business District in New Zealand. Auckland is the fifth populous city in Oceania and most populous city in New Zealand.
The downtown area of Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. Port Moresby is the most populous Oceanian city outside of Australia and New Zealand. Port Moresby Town2 Mschlauch.jpg
The downtown area of Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. Port Moresby is the most populous Oceanian city outside of Australia and New Zealand.

The economy of Oceania comprises more than 14 separate countries and their associated economies.

Contents

On a total scale, Oceania has approximately 34,700,201 [1] inhabitants who are spread among 30,000 islands [ citation needed ] in the South Pacific bordered between Asia and the Americas. This region has a diverse mix of economies from the highly developed and globally competitive financial markets of Australia and New Zealand to the much less developed economies that belong to many of its island neighbours.

Trade blocs

The smallest Pacific nations rely on trade with Australia, New Zealand and the United States for exporting goods and for accessing other products.

Australia and New Zealand's trading arrangements are known as Closer Economic Relations. Australia and New Zealand, along with other countries, are members of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), which may become trade blocs in the future particularly EAS.

Currency

The below table summarizes the official currencies of Oceania. Several territories are dollarized or use a currency with a fixed exchange rate.

Country/territoryCurrency Central bank Notes
Flag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa US Dollar Federal Reserve US territory
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Australian Dollar Reserve Bank of Australia
Flag of the Cook Islands.svg  Cook Islands New Zealand Dollar Reserve Bank of New Zealand Dollarized
Flag of Rapa Nui, Chile.svg Easter Island Chilean Peso Central Bank of Chile Chilean territory
Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji Fiji Dollar Reserve Bank of Fiji
Flag of French Polynesia.svg  French Polynesia Pacific Franc Institut d'émission d'Outre-Mer Pegged to Euro
Flag of Guam.svg  Guam US Dollar Federal Reserve US territory
Flag of Hawaii.svg  Hawaii US Dollar Federal Reserve US state
Flag of Kiribati.svg  Kiribati Australian Dollar Reserve Bank of Australia Dollarized
Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg  Marshall Islands US Dollar Federal Reserve Dollarized
Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg FS Micronesia US Dollar Federal Reserve Dollarized
Flag of Nauru.svg  Nauru Australian Dollar Reserve Bank of Australia Dollarized
Flags of New Caledonia.svg  New Caledonia Pacific Franc Institut d'émission d'Outre-Mer Pegged to Euro
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand New Zealand Dollar Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Flag of Niue.svg  Niue New Zealand Dollar Reserve Bank of New Zealand Dollarized
Flag of Norfolk Island.svg  Norfolk Island Australian Dollar Reserve Bank of Australia Australian territory
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg Northern Mariana Islands US Dollar Federal Reserve US territory
Flag of Tokyo Metropolis.svg Ogasawara Japanese Yen Bank of Japan Japanese territory
Flag of Palau.svg  Palau US Dollar Federal Reserve Dollarized
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea Kina Bank of Papua New Guinea
Flag of the Pitcairn Islands.svg  Pitcairn Islands New Zealand Dollar Reserve Bank of New Zealand Dollarized
Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa Tala Central Bank of Samoa
Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg  Solomon Islands Solomon Islands dollar Central Bank of Solomon Islands
Flag of Tokelau.svg  Tokelau New Zealand Dollar Reserve Bank of New Zealand Dollarized
Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga Pa'anga National Reserve Bank of Tonga Pegged to
currency basket
Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu Australian Dollar Reserve Bank of Australia Dollarized
Flag of Vanuatu.svg  Vanuatu Vatu Reserve Bank of Vanuatu
Flag of France.svg  Wallis and Futuna Pacific Franc Institut d'émission d'Outre-Mer Pegged to Euro

Economic sectors

Service industry

The overwhelming majority of people living in the Pacific islands work in the service industry which includes tourism, education and financial services. Oceania's largest export markets include Japan, China, the United States and South Korea. The majority of people living in Australia, and to a lesser extent, New Zealand work in mining, electrical and manufacturing sectors also.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing of clothing is a major industry in some parts of the Pacific, especially Fiji, although this is generally decreasing.

Australia boasts the largest amount of manufacturing in the region, producing cars, electrical equipment, machinery and clothes.

Tourism

Tourism has become a large source of income for many in the Pacific; tourists come from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Fiji currently draws almost half a million tourists each year; more than a quarter from Australia. This contributes $1 billion or more since 1995 to Fiji's economy but the government of Fiji underestimate these figures due in part to an invisible economy inside the tourism industry.

Agriculture and fishing

Agriculture and natural resources constitutes only 5% to 10% of Oceania's total jobs, but contributes substantially to export performance. The most populous two nations, Australia and New Zealand, are also the most developed and have majority service industries. This dilutes the data from the less developed Pacific Island nations who have major agricultural economies. Most of the Pacific countries (excluding Australia and New Zealand) the primary industry is agriculture. Many nations are still quintessentially agricultural; for example, 80% of the population of Vanuatu and 70% of the population of Fiji works in agriculture. The main produce from the pacific is copra or coconut, but timber, beef, palm oil, cocoa, sugar and ginger are also commonly grown across the tropics of the Pacific. Fishing provides a major industry for many of the smaller nations in the Pacific, although many fishing areas are exploited by other larger countries, namely Japan. Natural Resources, such as lead, zinc, nickel and gold, are mined in Australia and the Solomon Islands. Oceania's largest export markets include Japan, China, the United States, India, South Korea and the European Union.

International aid and charity

Oceanian donor nations

Oceania's most populous nations, Australia and New Zealand, are both highly developed nations and are large international aid donors. These two wealthy nations share the region with less developed nations which still rely on foreign aid for development. In the 2007/08 financial year Australia provided $3.155 billion worth of official development assistance, of which $2.731 billion will be managed by AusAID. Every week, each Australian puts in around $2.40 to pay for Australia's aid program, amounting to around 1% of the Australian Federal Government expenditure compared to the 42% spent on social security and welfare.

Oceanian recipient states

In the Solomon Islands 50% of government spending is paid for by international donors; namely Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Japan and the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Global trade relations

This region consists of many trading relations because of the small amount of land and limited resources they have. Many have trading economies and are transitioning to a developed economy and infrastructure.

See also

Related Research Articles

The economy of the Cook Islands is based mainly on tourism, with minor exports made up of tropical and citrus fruit. Manufacturing activities are limited to fruit-processing, clothing and handicrafts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of the Federated States of Micronesia</span>

The economic activity of the Federated States of Micronesia consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist industry exists, but the remoteness of the location and a lack of adequate facilities hinder development. Financial assistance from the US is the primary source of revenue, with the US pledged to spend $1.3 billion in the islands in 1986–2001. Geographical isolation and a poorly developed infrastructure are major impediments to long-term growth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oceania</span> Geographical region in the Pacific Ocean

Oceania is a geographical region comprising Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Australia is regarded as an island or a continental landmass contained inside of the larger continent of Oceania. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, at the centre of the water hemisphere, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of about 9,000,000 square kilometres (3,500,000 sq mi) and a population of around 44.4 million as of 2022. When compared to the other continents, Oceania is the smallest in land area and the second-least populated after Antarctica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of China</span> Overview of Chinas foreign relations

China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), has full diplomatic relations with 179 out of the other 192 United Nations member states, Cook Islands, Niue and the State of Palestine. China has had the most diplomatic missions of any state.

The economy of Samoa is dependent on agricultural exports, development aid and private financing from overseas. The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labor force, and furnishes 9% of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil and copra. Outside a large automotive wire harness factory, the manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. Tourism is an expanding sector; more than 70,000 tourists visited the islands in 1996 and 120,000 in 2014. The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline. Observers point to the flexibility of the labor market as a basic strength factor for future economic advances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Vietnam</span>

The economy of Vietnam is a developing mixed socialist-oriented market economy, which is the 35th-largest in the world as measured by nominal gross domestic product (GDP) and 26th-largest in the world as measured by purchasing power parity (PPP) in 2022. It is a lower-middle income country with a low cost of living. Vietnam is a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the World Trade Organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Vanuatu</span>

Vanuatu's economy is primarily agricultural; 80% of the population is engaged in agricultural activities that range from subsistence farming to smallholder farming of coconuts and other cash crops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Fiji</span>

The economy of Fiji is one of the most developed among the Pacific islands. Nevertheless, Fiji is a developing country endowed with forest, mineral and fish resources. The country has a large agriculture sector heavily based on subsistence agriculture. Sugar exports and the tourism industry are the main sources of foreign exchange. There are also light manufacturing and mining sectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Papua New Guinea</span>

The economy of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is largely underdeveloped with the vast majority of the population living below the poverty line. However, according to the Asian Development Bank its GDP is expected to grow 3.4% in 2022 and 4.6% in 2023. It is dominated by the agricultural, forestry, and fishing sector and the minerals and energy extraction sector. The agricultural, forestry, and fishing sector accounts for most of the labour force of PNG while the minerals and energy extraction sector, including gold, copper, oil and natural gas is responsible for most of the export earnings.

The economy of Niue is heavily dependent upon aid from New Zealand. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and grants from New Zealand make up the shortfall and are used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Island country</span> State whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or a part of an island

An island country, island state, or island nation is a country whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands. Approximately 25% of all independent countries are island countries. Island countries are historically more stable than many continental states but are vulnerable to conquest by naval superpowers. Indonesia is the largest and most populated island country in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Asia</span>

The economy of Asia comprises about 4.7 billion people living in 50 different nations. Asia is the fastest growing economic region, as well as the largest continental economy by both GDP Nominal and PPP in the world. Moreover, Asia is the site of some of the world's longest modern economic booms.

Japanese foreign policy toward Southeast Asia, the diverse region stretching from South Asia to the islands in the South Pacific Ocean, was in part defined by Japan's rapid rise in the 1980s as the dominant economic power in Asia. The decline in East-West and Sino-Soviet tensions during the 1980s suggested that economic rather than military power would determine regional leadership. During the decade, Japan displaced the United States as the largest provider of new business investment and economic aid in the region, although the United States market remained a major source of Asia-Pacific dynamism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sino-Pacific relations</span> Bilateral relations

Oceania is, to the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China, a stage for continuous diplomatic competition. The PRC dictates that no state can have diplomatic relations with both the PRC and the ROC. As of 2019, ten states in Oceania have diplomatic relations with the PRC, and four have diplomatic relations with the ROC. These numbers fluctuate as Pacific Island nations re-evaluate their foreign policies, and occasionally shift diplomatic recognition between Beijing and Taipei. The issue of which "Chinese" government to recognize has become a central theme in the elections of numerous Pacific Island nations, and has led to several votes of no-confidence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Nauru</span> Overview of and topical guide to Nauru

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Nauru:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiji–South Korea relations</span> Bilateral relations

Fiji and South Korea established official diplomatic relations in January 1971, Korea having recognised Fiji's accession to independence the previous year. There is a South Korean embassy in Suva and a Fijian embassy in Seoul. Fiji opened its embassy in Seoul in July 2012 to "foster trade and investment" and to "promote people-to-people exchanges".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China–Fiji relations</span> Bilateral relations

The Republic of the Fiji Islands was the first Pacific Island country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, in 1975. China established an embassy in Fiji in 1976, and Fiji opened its embassy in China in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in Fiji</span> Emissions, impacts and responses of Fiji related to climate change

Climate change in Fiji is an exceptionally pressing issue for the country - as an island nation, Fiji is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, coastal erosion and extreme weather. These changes, along with temperature rise, will displace Fijian communities and will prove disruptive to the national economy - tourism, agriculture and fisheries, the largest contributors to the nation's GDP, will be severely impacted by climate change causing increases in poverty and food insecurity. As a party to both the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Climate Agreement, Fiji hopes to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 which, along with national policies, will help to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

References

  1. 1 2 "Internet Usage and Population in Oceania" . Retrieved 15 January 2010.