Islands
New Zealand comprises the North and South Islands (the two main islands), and a host of smaller islands including Waiheke, Stewart and the Chatham Islands. Tokelau and Ross are dependencies.
National parks
Extensive areas of New Zealand have been set aside as national parks, including Fiordland, Aoraki/Mt Cook and Tongariro.
Plants and wildlife
Protected offshore islands and oceanic reserves ensure New Zealand’s unique plants and wildlife are preserved.
New Zealand’s wildlife includes the flightless kiwi bird, after which both the people and the fruit are named. There are also species of parrot, and frogs and reptiles.
New Zealand has no native land mammals other than bats. There are no snakes.
Physical features
The North Island has New Zealand’s largest lake, Taupo (606 sq km), longest river, Waikato (425 km), and most of the country’s active volcanoes – Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro – all of them usually quiet.
Hot springs, geysers and mudpools also form part of the volcanic system centred around Rotorua.
In the South Island, one of the most striking physical features is the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana. These, along with fiords, glaciers and lakes, and the coastal plains of Canterbury and Southland, add to the variety of the South Island’s scenery.
New Zealand’s deepest lake (Hauroko, 462 m) and deepest cave (Nettlebed, 889 m) are also located in the South Island.
Printed version
The printable file below is in Adobe Acrobat Reader 4 format. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader you may download the reader to view or print the contents of this file.
NZinProfile2006.pdf
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