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New Zealand: Geography
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Location:
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Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
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Geographic coordinates:
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41 00 S, 174 00 E
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Map references:
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Oceania
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Area:
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total: 268,680 sq km
note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
water: NA sq km
land: NA sq km
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Area - comparative:
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about the size of Colorado
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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15,134 km
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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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Climate:
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temperate with sharp regional contrasts
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Terrain:
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predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m
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Natural resources:
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natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
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Land use:
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arable land: 5.8%
permanent crops: 6.44%
other: 87.76% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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2,850 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, 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
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Geography - note:
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about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world
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