Geography of New Zealand
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New_Zealand_map.PNG
Map of New Zealand
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Geographic coordinates: Template:Coor dm
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total:
268,680 km²
note:
includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Area - comparative: about the size of the United Kingdom, Italy, or Colorado
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline:
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
200 nautical miles or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
200 nautical miles
territorial sea:
12 nautical miles
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
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 - note:
Topography_of_new_zealand.jpg
Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world.