Oceania

Australia and Oceania may appear flat compared to other continents, but the region hides immense geological variety. The Great Dividing Range, stretching over 3,500 kilometers along Australia’s east coast, is the country’s primary mountain system, with Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 m) as its highest point. In New Zealand, the Southern Alps dominate the South Island, crowned by Aoraki / Mount Cook (3,724 m).

Across Oceania, the Pacific “Ring of Fire” forms an arc of volcanic islands, including Papua New Guinea’s Mount Wilhelm (4,509 m) and the towering volcanoes of Indonesia and the Philippines. The region’s young tectonic activity continues to uplift peaks and fuel geothermal and volcanic activity.

Many Pacific islands are the peaks of submerged mountains and active volcanoes rising from the ocean floor. The region contains thousands of islands formed by volcanic arcs, hot spots, and coral uplift, making it one of the most dynamic geological areas on the planet. Despite their modest heights, Oceania’s mountains play a key role in biodiversity, water cycles, and human settlement across the world’s largest oceanic region.