New Zealand no relation Geography of Oceania
Physical geography
Overview
New Zealand is located in the South Pacific Ocean at 41°S 174°E, near the centre of the water hemisphere. It is a long and narrow country, extending 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) along its north-north-east axis with a maximum width of 400 kilometres (250 mi). The land size of 267,710 km2 (103,360 sq mi) makes it the sixth-largest island country. New Zealand consists of a large number of islands, estimated around 600. The islands give it 15,134 km (9,404 mi) of coastline and extensive marine resources. New Zealand claims the ninth largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 4,083,744 km2 (1,576,742 sq mi), more than 15 times its land area.The South Island is the largest land mass of New Zealand, and is the 12th-largest island in the world. The island is divided along its length by the Southern Alps. The east side of the island has the Canterbury Plains while the West Coast is famous for its rough coastlines, high rainfall, very high proportion of native bush (forest), and glaciers.The North Island is the second-largest island, and the 14th-largest in the world. It is separated from the South Island by the Cook Strait, with the shortest distance being 23 kilometres (14 mi). The North Island is less mountainous than the South Island, although a series of narrow mountain ranges form a roughly north-east belt that rises up to 1,700 metres (5,600 ft). Much of the surviving forest is located in this belt, and in other mountain areas and rolling hills. The North Island has many isolated volcanic peaks.
Besides the North and South Islands, the five largest inhabited islands are Stewart Island / Rakiura (30 kilometres (19 mi) due south of the South Island), Chatham Island (Wharekauri in Māori or Rēkohu in Moriori) (some 800 kilometres (500 mi) east of the South Island), Great Barrier Island (in the Hauraki Gulf), Rangitoto ki te Tonga / D'Urville Island (in the Marlborough Sounds) and Waiheke Island (about 22 km (14 mi) from central Auckland).Geology
New Zealand is part of Zealandia, a microcontinent nearly half the size of Australia that gradually submerged after breaking away from the Gondwanan supercontinent. Zealandia extends a significant distance east into the Pacific Ocean and south towards Antarctica. It also extends towards Australia in the north-west. This submerged continent is dotted with topographic highs that sometimes form islands. Some of these, such as the main islands (North and South), Stewart Island, New Caledonia, and the Chatham Islands, are settled. Other smaller islands are eco-sanctuaries with carefully controlled access.
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