  We present a systematic survey for ultracompact HII (UCHII) regions in the
Magellanic Clouds. Understanding the physics of massive star formation (MSF) is
a critical astrophysical problem. The study of MSF began in our galaxy with
surveys of UCHII regions, but before now this has not been done for other
galaxies. We selected candidates based on their Infrared Astronomical Satellite
(IRAS) colors and imaged them at 3 and 6 cm with the Australia Telescope
Compact Array (ATCA). Nearly all of the observed regions contain compact radio
sources consistent with thermal emission. Many of the sources are related to
optically visible HII regions, and often the radio emission traces the youngest
and densest part of the HII region. The luminosity function and number
distribution of Lyman continuum fluxes of the compact radio sources are
consistent with standard stellar and cluster initial mass functions. This type
of systematic assessment of IRAS diagnostics is important for interpreting
Spitzer Space Telescope data, which will probe similar physical scales in
nearby galaxies as IRAS did in the Magellanic Clouds.
