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New Zealand
is located in Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. The
geographic coordinates of New Zealand is 41
00S, 174 00E.
New Zealand comprises of two main islands, the North Island
and the South Island. In Maori the two islands are known as
Te-Ika-a-Maui and Te Wai Pounamu. New Zealand has a total
area of land of 268,680 km square which includes the
Campbell Island Group, Chatham Islands, Bounty Islands,
Auckland Islands, Kermadec Islands and Antipodes Islands. In
area New Zealand can be compared to Italy, United Kingdom or
Colorado. New Zealand has 15,134 km of coast.
New Zealand
has a temperate climate. Earthquakes are quite common in New
Zealand. It is not often that the temperature falls under 0
degree or rise above 30 degrees. In general the climate
throughout New Zealand is mild; it goes from cool to warm
temperate. New Zealand may have in one day the four seasons.
Christchurch is considered to be the one of the driest area
located in the South Island of New Zealand. Auckland is
considered as the wettest area located in the North Island
of New Zealand.
Eighty
percent of the land of the land of New Zealand was covered
of forests before the arrival of human on the island. As New
Zealand was for a long time isolated from the rest of the
world, it has an amazing flora and fauna. There is about 80%
of the flora of New Zealand unique to the island.
Before the
arrival of human the forest was home of variety of extinct
animals now. The Moa was of the first inhabitants of New
Zealand. It was large flightless big bird. The Haast’s Eagle
also a big bird and was one of the largest birds prey, also
extinct now. The Kiwi, the kakapo and takahe are considered
as endangered and are unique to New Zealand. There is no
snakes on the island but one spider, the katipo and is a
venomous one but quite rare and mostly found on coastal
regions.
The North
Island is 113,729km square and is considered as the
fourteenth largest island in the world. In maps of the
nineteenth century North Island was named “New Munster”. The
North Island has a population of around three million and
the rest being on the South Island. The North Island is not
as mountainous as the South Island. In the North Island you
may visit several important cities. Auckland and Wellington
are known to the largest cities. Wellington is the capital
of New Zealand and is located at the southern part of the
Island. The longest river is also in the North Island and it
is the Waikato, 425 km long. The largest lake is the Lake
Taupo also on the North Island. The tallest mount on the
North Island is the Mount Ruapehu which is an active cone
volcano. The mount is located at the end of the south part
of the Taupo Volacanic Zone. In Maori, Ruapehu means
exploding pit or pit of noise.
In the belief
of the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand it is
said that the North and South Islands came from the Maui
time, Maui was a mythical hero. The North Island consists of
nine regions which are Auckland, Northland, Gisborne, Bay of
Plenty, Waikato, Manawatu-Wanganui, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington
and Taranaki.
The South
Island is the other major island of New Zealand. Maori
called the Island Te Wai Pounamu which means “the water of
Greenstone”. It is also known as Te Waka a Maui which means
“Maui’s Canoe”. In the maps of the nineteenth century the
South Island was called Middle Island or New Ulster. The
island has an area of 151,215 km square and is known as the
twelfth world largest island. The South Island is more
mountainous than the North Island. The highest point is the
Mount Cook, also known as Aoraki, with 3,754 meters. The
Mount Cook is a very popular attraction to tourists, those
who love mountain climbing, nature and adventure will love
it there. The Mount Cook is located within the Mount Cook
National Park. Aoraki was given by the Maori which means
Cloud Piercer. The name Aoraki comes exactly from the Kai
Tahu dialect from the Maori language. The English name was
given after Captain James Cook. In New Zealand they use to
call the South Island the Mainland just because it is larger
than the North Island and it seems from the Maori legend
that the South Island existed before the North Island. The
South Island has seven regions known as Marlborough,
Canterbury, Nelson, Otago, Southland, Tasman and the West
Coast.
The land has
natural resources as timber, oil, sand, iron ore, natural
gas, coal, hydropower, gold, silver, jade, and limestone.
The people
coming from New Zealand are usually known as the Kiwis. The
name comes from the Kiwi, native to new Zealand, which is a
flightless bird and is the national bird of New Zealand.
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