Geography Of New Zealand PDF

Geography. Marjolein Welgraven. There is probably no country in the world where you can see so many different landscape forms in such a relatively small area. You will find snow-capped mountains, mirror smooth lakes, volcanoes, fjords, caves, rainforests, white beaches and tropical islands. Lake T...

Geography. Marjolein Welgraven. There is probably no country in the world where you can see so many different landscape forms in such a relatively small area. You will find snow-capped mountains, mirror smooth lakes, volcanoes, fjords, caves, rainforests, white beaches and tropical islands. Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake, is also a water-filled crater of a volcano. On the North Island, there are several more active volcanoes: the Taranaki, Ruapehoe, Tongariro and the Ngauruhu. Near the South Island, volcanic eruptions created the islands: Banks, Kaikoura and Otago. Flora. New Zealand is home to a number of flowers and plants found nowhere else in the world. This is because te country has been isolated for millions of years. Plants and animals were able to develop without outside interference. New Zealand's most famous tree species is the Kauki tree. Two hundred years ago, the warmer part of the North Island was overgrown with Kauri forests, but now only 4% of it remains. It is the second largest tree in the world after the Redwood from the United States. The country's largest tree is Tane Mahuta, also called '' the god of the forest.'' It stands in the Waipaou Kauri Forest, the Northern part of the North Island. This imposing tree is perhaps 1200 years old, has a length of 51 meters and is 14 meters thick. Other typical New Zealand trees are: the totara which belongs to the family of conifers, and like the Kauri can grow very old. They can reach a length of up to 60 meter. The rimu is a red pine that grows in mixed forests throughout New Zealand and can reach 25 to 50 meters in height. The Pohutukawa often grows along the coast, and is a tree that displays its bright red flowers in December. This tree is found on the Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty and along the east coast. The kahikatea is a tall tree, which can grow 60 meter tall, on which grow orange-red fruits that pigeons but also Maori like to eat. The kowhai has striking yellow flowers in spring from which birds like the tui extract honey and have been declared the national flower of New Zealand. You can also see in New Zealand many species of birch, pine trees and several trees with beautiful flowers, such as the nikau and the rata. The fern is a common plant in New Zealand's forests. As many as 90 species grow there, sometimes reaching a height of 20 meters.