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GEOGRAPHICAL
FEATURES
A Geographical Insight into New Zealand
The British Colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion
in 1907. It is a country of rare seismic beauty: glacial
mountains; fast-flowing rivers; deep, clear lakes; hissing
geysers and boiling mud. There are also abundant forest
reserves; long, deserted beaches and a variety of fauna such as
kiwi, endemic to its shores.
Topography
New Zealand is a geologically-young land, having formed about
100 million years ago, on the eastern edge of the super
continent of Gondwanaland. Later, as Gondwanaland broke up, to
eventually become the continents of Earth as we know them today,
New Zealand began to develop on its own. Because New Zealand
lies across the boundary between two of Earth's crust plates,
the North Island has been built up mostly by volcanic activity.
A range of hills extends down the eastern half of the island,
from East Cape to Cape Palliser. The land is mostly heavily
forested rugged hill country. There are plain regions in the
central northern half of the island, and between the ranges and
the sea to the south. The South Island, however, has been built
up mainly by the collision between the plates, which has raised
a high mountain range, called the Southern Alps, down the length
of the island. New Zealand's highest mountain, Mount Cook,
which rises to 3,754 metres, is located at the mid-point of the
Southern Alps. The native people of New Zealand, the Maori,
call it Aoraki. There was volcanic activity in the South Island
in the past. Erosion of the Southern Alps has created much of
the flat plains in the eastern part of South Island. The plains
have slowly advanced, to link with what used to be an off shore
volcano, forming what is now Banks Peninsula. Most of New
Zealand's continuing volcanic activity is currently centred in
the North Island, and the off-shore active volcano of White
Island. Mount Ruapehu, in the middle of the North Island is
active, and last erupted in 1997.
Geographical Location & Description
The country lies in the Southern Hemisphere, between 340
and 460 S latitude, in the Pacific Ocean, about
1600 km south-east of Australia. It consists of two main islands
and a number of smaller outlying islands so scattered that they
range from the tropical to the Antarctic. The country is the
size of Colorado with an area of 268,680 sq km. It has a land
area of 268,670 sq km and a water area of 10 sq km. The country
boasts of a coastline of 15,134 km and has a continental shelf
of 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin.
New Zealand's two main components are the North Island and the
South Island, separated by Cook Strait. Other inhabited islands
include Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, and Great Barrier
Island. The largest of the uninhabited outlying islands are the
Auckland Islands (234 sq mi; 606 sq km), Campbell Island (44 sq
mi; 114 sq km), the Antipodes Islands (24 sq mi; 62 sq km), and
the Kermadec Islands (13 sq mi; 34 sq km). Dependencies are
Tokelau and Ross Dependency. The Cook Islands and Niue, both
internally self-governing, are in free association with New
Zealand.
The North Island (44,281 sq mi; 115,777 sq km) is 515 mi (829
km) long and volcanic in its south-central part. In fact, the
North Island is known for its active volcanic mountains and its
hot springs. The country's longest river (the Waikato) and
largest lake (Taupo) are both on the North Island. The South
Island is 151,215 sq km in area. On the South Island, the
massive Southern Alps extend almost the length of the island,
and in the southwest are beautiful fjords. The largest areas of
virgin forest are in the southern and northern extremities of
the South Island.
Flora & Fauna
Much of New Zealand's flora is endemic and its extent is
enormous: giant gum-producing kauri and kohekohe forests;
rainforest dominated by rimu, beech, tawa, matai and rata; ferns
and flax; alpine and subalpine herb fields; and scrub and
tussock. One of the most noticeable plants is the pohutukawa
(known as the New Zealand Christmas tree) which detonates with
brilliant red flowers around December. About 10 to 15% of the
total land area of New Zealand is covered with native flora, the
bulk protected in national parks and reserves.
Curiously, native fauna is limited, with the only indigenous
mammals being bats. Bird life, however, has thrived. The most
common species include the morepork, tui, weka and the kea, a
clamant and mischievous bird which likes nothing better than to
sashay up to humans, tip over rubbish bins and slide 'kee-aaaing'
down corrugated roofs at night. Introduced species - pigs,
goats, possums, dogs, cats, deer and the ubiquitous sheep - are
found throughout New Zealand, but their proliferation in the
wild has had a deleterious effect on the environment: over 150
native plants - 10% of the total number of native species - and
many native birds are presently threatened with extinction.
Among the unusual animals native to New Zealand are the kiwi,
certain species of parrot, the tuatara (survivor of a
prehistoric order of reptiles), and various frogs and reptiles.
New Zealand's offshore waters hold a variety of fish, including
tuna, marlin, snapper, trevally, kahawai and shark; while its
marine mammals - dolphins, seals and whales - attract
nature-lovers from around the world. Large oyster beds are found
in the Foveaux Strait between Stewart Island and the South
Island. Extensive areas of New Zealand have been set aside as
national parks, including the Fiordland, Mt. Aorangi-Cook, and
Tongariro parks. In fact, there are 14 national, 20 forest,
three maritime and two marine parks, plus two World Heritage
Areas: Tongariro National Park in the North Island and Te
Waihipouna-mu in the South Island.
Climate
New Zealand's climate is complex and varies from warm
subtropical in the far north to cool temperate climates in the
far south, with severe alpine conditions in the mountainous
areas.
Mountain chains extending the length of New Zealand provide a
barrier for the prevailing westerly winds, dividing the country
into dramatically different climate regions. The West Coast of
the South Island is the wettest area of New Zealand, whereas the
area to the east of the mountains, just over 100 km away, is the
driest.
Most areas of New Zealand have between 600 and 1600 mm of
rainfall, spread throughout the year with a dry period during
the summer. Over the northern and central areas of New Zealand
more rainfall falls in winter than in summer, whereas for much
of the southern part of New Zealand, winter is the season of
least rainfall.
Mean annual temperatures range from 10°C in the south to 16°C in
the north of New Zealand. The coldest month is usually July and
the warmest month is usually January or February. In New Zealand
generally there are relatively small variations between summer
and winter temperatures, although inland and to the east of the
ranges the variation is greater (up to 14°C). Temperatures also
drop about 0.7°C for every 100 m of altitude.
Sunshine hours are relatively high in areas that are sheltered
from the west and most of New Zealand would have at least 2000
hours annually. The midday summer solar radiation index (UVI) is
often very high in most places and can be extreme in northern
New Zealand and in mountainous areas. Autumn and spring UVI
values can be high in most areas.
Most snow in New Zealand falls in the mountain areas. Snow
rarely falls in the coastal areas of the North Island and west
of the South Island, although the east and south of the South
Island may experience some snow in winter. Frosts can occur
anywhere in New Zealand and usually form on cold nights with
clear skies and little wind.
To summarize the climate of New Zealand, selected locations
throughout the country have been grouped into broad climate
zones are shown in the map below.
Natural Resources & Land Usage
The natural resources of New Zealand include natural gas, iron
ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold and limestone. 9% of
the land is arable, 5% is used for permanent crops, 50% for
permanent pastures, 28% is forests and woodlands and the
remaining 8% is used for other activities.
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