General facts 3 land and recources 4

LAND AND RESOURCES

The two major islands of New Zealand, which are separated by the narrow Cook Strait, could be considerate parts of two separate continents. The North Island and the northwest corner of the South Island are carried on the same continental plate as India and Australia, while the South Island is on Pacific plate. The two plates slide past each other in opposite directions along the Alpine Fault. This movement creates many earthquakes in New Zealand.

New Zealand is generally mountainous, with only about 30% of the land classified as flat or rolling. The North Island was shaped by internal volcanic activity and includes regions of boiling mud and steam, which are often harnessed for power and heat. The highest point on the island is Ruapehu volcano (2,797 m / 9,176 ft.). The South Island has some 20 peaks exceeding 3,000 m (9,840 ft.). The highest, Mount Cook (3,764 m / 12,349 ft.), is part of the impressive Southern Alps range.

Climate

The islands extend approximately 1,610 km (1,000 mi) from north to south, and this distance contributes to variations in weather patterns. Generally, however, the climate throughout the country is considered mild and comfortable, and there is surprisingly little difference in temperature ranges between the North and the South islands. January and February are the warmest months, and July is the coldest. Westerly winds from the Tasman Sea bring frequent rain. The North Island generally receives about 150 days of rain a year; the South Island averages 100 days of rain annually. The South Island has both the wettest (the Southern Alps) and the driest (Central Otago) regions in the country.

Drainage

There are numerous lakes and rivers in New Zealand. The country’s largest lake is Lake Taupo (606 km² / 243 mi²), a crater lake ringed by three volcanoes on the North Island. Also on the North Island is the country’s longest river, the Waikato, which flows from Lake Taupo to the sea near Auckland. Most lakes and rivers of the South Island are fed by snow and glacies milts from the Southern Alps. Rivers on the west side of the mountains flow into the Tasman Sea; those on the east flow across the plains to the Pacific.