The West Coast of the South Island has one of the highest annual rainfalls in the world. These five are situated on the East coast of the South Island. On the West coast, the largest are the Fox and the Franz Josef glaciers. The largest lake is Lake Taupo, and the river with the greatest flow is the Clutha. Most of the remaining forested areas are fortunately protected.
Agriculture is the principal economy of New Zealand.
When Great Britain joined the EEC in 1973, New Zealand was forced to diversify into other fields such as horticulture, viticulture, forestry and fishing. A large trade market has been established with the Asian countries. In 1984 New Zealand lifted it's agricultural subsidies, and has since become one of the least regulated markets. New Zealand has 13 times as many sheep as people. S ince the air travel boom in the 70's New Zealand has become easily accessible to visitors, producing a change of lifestyle, mentality and culture.