Location Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

Geographic coordinates 41 00 S, 174 00 E

Map references Oceania

Area
total: 268,680 sq km
land: 268,670 sq km
water: 10 sq km
note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

Area - comparative about the size of Colorado

Land boundaries 0 km

Coastline 15,134 km

Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Terrain predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Cook 3,764 m

Natural resources natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone

Land use
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 50%
forests and woodland: 28%
other: 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 2,850 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity

Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside

Environment - international agreements
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note about 80% of the population lives in cities

NOTE: The information regarding New Zealand on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of New Zealand Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about New Zealand Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.