Fraternity Manuals

Geography of New Zealand

From Open Encyclopedia

Image:New Zealand map.PNG Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

Geographic coordinates: 41°00′S 174°00′E

Map references: Oceania

Area:
total: 268,680 km²
note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island group, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

Area - comparative: about the size of the United Kingdom, Italy, or Colorado

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline:

15,134 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nautical miles (370 km) or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km)

Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Terrain: predominantly mountainous with some large coastal plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Cook 3,754 m

Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone, Oil, Silver, Jade

Land use:
arable land: 5.8%
permanent crops: 6.44%
other: 87.76% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,850 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity

Environment - current issues: deforestation; water pollution; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by introduced species.

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Basel Convention Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - notes: Image:Topography of new zealand.jpg Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world.

See also

es:Geografía de Nueva Zelanda pl:Nowa Zelandia (archipelag pt:Geografia da Nova Zelândia

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