New ZealandUnit 3 – Part 2

Physical Characteristics

New Zealand comprises of two main islands, the North and South Islands, and a number of smaller islands.

The South Island is the largest land mass of New Zeland – it is very mountainous.

The North Island is less mountainous but it marked by volcanism, Mount Ruapehu is an active 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 and the Last Samurai

The country owes it’s varied landscape to the boundary in which it straddles between the pacific and Indo-Australian plates.

Climate Characteristics

The climate throughout the country is mild and temperate (meaning the changes between summer and winter are not extreme) Temperatures rarely fall below 0°C or rise above

30°C.

The driest city is Christchurch; whereas, Auckland receives double the amount of rain.

About 80% of New Zealand’s flora and fauna is endemic – meaning it can only be found there. For example, the flightless kiwi – a national icon.

Unlike Australia there are no snakes and only one venomous spider, which is restricted to coastal regions.

New Zealand has suffered a high rate of extinctions due to human activities such as hunting, and pressure from introduced feral animals.