New Zealand comprises two main islands (called the North and South Islands in English, Te-Ika-a-Maui and Te Wai Pounamu in Māori) and a number of smaller islands. The total land area of New Zealand, 268,680 square kilometres (103,738 sq miles), is a little less than that of Italy and Japan, and a little more than the United Kingdom. The country extends more than 1600 kilometers (1000 miles) along its main, north-north-east axis, with approximately 15,134 km of coastline. The most significant of the smaller inhabited islands of New Zealand include Stewart Island/Rakiura; Waiheke Island, in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf; Great Barrier Island, east of the Hauraki Gulf; and the Chatham Islands, named Rekohu by Moriori. The country has extensive marine resources, with the fifth-largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world, covering over four million square kilometers (1.5 million sq mi), more than 15 times its land area.

The South Island is the largest land mass, and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps, the highest peak of which is Aoraki Mount Cook, 3754 meters (12,316 ft). There are 18 peaks of more than 3000 meters (9800 ft) in the South Island. The North Island is less mountainous than the South, but is marked by volcanism. The tallest North Island mountain, Mount Ruapehu (2797 m / 9176 ft), is an active cone volcano. The dramatic and varied landscape of New Zealand has made it a popular location for the production of television programs and films, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The climate throughout the country is mild, mostly cool temperate to warm temperate, with temperatures rarely falling below 0°C (32°F) or rising above 30°C (86°F). Conditions vary from wet and cold on the West Coast of the South Island to dry and continental in the Mackenzie Basin of inland Canterbury and subtropical in Northland. Of the main cities, Christchurch is the driest, receiving only some 640 mm (25 in) of rain per year. Auckland, the wettest, receives a little less than three times that amount.

New Zealand Information: Inside
[ History ] [ Government ] [ Foreign Relations/Military ]
[ Local Government/External Territories ] [ Geography ]
[ Flora/Fauna ] [ Economy ] [ Demographics ] [ Culture ]
[ Sports ]

( A satellite image of New Zealand. Lake Taupo and Mount Ruapehu are visible in the center of the North Island. The Southern Alps and the rain shadow they create are clearly visible in the South Island )

( Aoraki/Mount Cook is the tallest mountain in New Zealand )