Animals living in New Zealand. Animal world of new zealand. Why there are no snakes in New Zealand

New Zealand is located in the Southwest Pacific Ocean in the Polynesian Triangle in the Central Region of the Water Hemisphere. The main territory of the country is made up of two islands with corresponding names - the South Island and the North Island. The South and North Islands are separated by the Cook Strait. In addition to the two main islands of New Zealand, there are about 700 islands of a much smaller area, most of which are uninhabited.

The largest of these are Stewart Island, the Antipodes Islands, Auckland Island, the Bounty Islands, the Campbell Islands, the Chatham Archipelago and Kermadec Island. The total area of the country is 268,680 km2. This makes it slightly smaller than Italy or Japan, but somewhat larger than the UK. The coastline of New Zealand is 15,134 kilometers long.

The South Island is New Zealand's largest island, with an area of 151,215 km2. About one-fourth of the country's population lives on the island. Along the island from north to south stretches the ridge of the folded mountains of the Southern Alps, the highest peak of which is Mount Cook, another official name is Aoraki) with a height of 3754 meters. In addition to it, on the South Island there are 18 more peaks with a height of more than 3000 m. The eastern part of the island is more flat and almost completely occupied by agricultural land. The west coast of the island is much less densely populated. Significant tracts of practically untouched nature with virgin flora and fauna have been preserved here. the western part is also famous for its numerous national parks, fjords and glaciers descending from the slopes of the Southern Alps right into the Tasman Sea. The island's largest lake is Te Anau (the second largest lake in New Zealand).

The North Island, with an area of 115,777 km2, is much less mountainous than the South Island and is more convenient for the creation of settlements and seaports, which is why the majority of the population lives on it and the largest cities of the country are located here. The highest point on the North Island is the active volcano Ruapehu at 2,797 meters. The northern island is characterized by high volcanic activity: out of the six volcanic zones of the country, five are located on it. In the heart of the North Island is Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand. It is the source of the Waikato River, which is 425 kilometers long, making it the longest river in New Zealand.

The length of the coastal strip of New Zealand is 15,134 km Territorial waters - 12 nautical miles. Exclusive economic zone - up to 200 nautical miles. The area of the maritime exclusive economic zone is approximately 4,300,000 km2, which is 15 times the land area of the country. Up to 700 small islands are located in the coastal waters of the country, most of them are located at a distance of up to 50 km from the main islands. Of the total, only about 60 are habitable or currently occupied.

The relief of New Zealand is mainly hills and mountains. More than 75% of the country's territory lies at an altitude of more than 200 m above sea level. Most of the mountains of the North Island do not exceed 1800 m in height, 19 peaks of the South Island are higher than 3000 m. The coastal zones of the North Island are represented by spacious valleys. Fjords are located on the western coast of the South Island.

Geological structure of New Zealand

The islands that form New Zealand are located in the Cenozoic geocyclinal region between two lithospheric plates - the Pacific and Australian. Over long historical periods, the fault site between the two plates has been subjected to complex geological processes, constantly changing the structure and shape of the earth's crust. That is why, unlike most of the islands of the Pacific Ocean, the islands of New Zealand were formed not only as a result of volcanic activity, but also as a result of discharges and are composed of geological rocks of different composition and different ages.

Active tectonic activity in the earth's crust of this region continues at the present geological stage of the formation of our planet. And its results are noticeable even in a historically short period from the beginning of the development of the islands by Europeans. So, for example, as a result of a devastating earthquake in 1855, the coastline near Wellington rose by more than one and a half meters, and in 1931, also as a result of a strong earthquake near the city of Napier, about 9 km2 of land rose to the water surface.

The location of New Zealand is historically associated with active volcanic activity on its territory. Researchers suggest that it began in the early Miocene, and the period of formation of modern zones of increased volcanic activity was completed in the late Pliocene. The largest volcanic eruptions, presumably, took place during the late Pliocene - early Pleistocene, when about 5 million cubic kilometers of rock could erupt to the Earth's surface.

At the present stage, the zone of increased tectonic activity and the associated high number of earthquakes is the western coast of the South Island and the northeast coast of the North Island. The annual number of earthquakes in the country is up to 15,000, most of them are small and only about 250 annually can be classified as noticeable or strong. In modern history, the most powerful earthquake was recorded in 1855 near Wellington, with a magnitude of about 8.2 points, the most destructive was the 1931 earthquake in the Napier region, which claimed 256 human lives.

Volcanic activity in modern New Zealand is still high and 6 volcanic zones are active in the country, five of which are located on the North Island. In the area of Lake Taupo, presumably in 186 BC, the largest documented volcanic eruption in the history of mankind occurred. The consequences of the eruption are described in the historical chronicles of places as far away as China and Greece. At the site of the eruption is now the largest freshwater lake in the Pacific region, its area comparable to the territory of Singapore.

Minerals of New Zealand

New Zealand is located on the border of the Indo-Australian and Pacific seismic rings. The processes of their interaction, including the rapid uplift of mountain ranges and active volcanic activity for two million years, determined the geology of the land mass of the islands.

Despite the diversity of natural resources, only deposits of gas, oil, gold, silver, iron sandstone and coal are industrially developed. In addition to the above, there are extensive reserves of limestone and clays (including bentonite clay). Aluminum, titan iron ore, antimony, chromium, copper, zinc, manganese, mercury, tungsten, platinum, heavy spar, and a number of other minerals are often found, but their explored industrial reserves are small.

It should be especially noted that all deposits and all the extraction of jade since 1997 have been given to the management of the Maori, due to the important historical role that jade products (Pounamu Maori) play in the culture of this people. New Zealand's proven gold reserves are 372 tons. In 2002, gold production amounted to a little less than 10 tons. New Zealand's proven silver reserves are 308 tons. In 2002, silver mining amounted to almost 29 tons. The proven reserves of ferruginous sandstone are 874 million tons. Its industrial production began in the 60s of the XX century. In 2002, production amounted to about 2.4 million tons.

New Zealand's proven natural gas reserves are 68 bcm. Industrial gas production started in 1970. In 2005, natural gas production in the country amounted to approximately 50 million m3. Oil reserves are approximately 14 million tons, its industrial production began in 1935. Oil production in the country has been declining markedly in recent years. In 2005, the country's oil production amounted to just over 7 million barrels. Coal production, which has been steadily increasing for many decades, is stabilized in the first decade of the 21st century thanks to programs aimed at reducing the consumption of solid fuels. About a third of the coal produced is exported. Currently, 60 coal mines continue to operate in the country.

Climate of New Zealand

New Zealand's climate varies from warm subtropical in the north of the North Island to cool temperate in the south of the South Island; in mountainous areas, a harsh alpine climate prevails. The chain of the high Southern Alps divides the country in half and, blocking the way to the predominant westerly winds, divides it into two different climatic zones. The west coast of the South Island is the wettest part of the country; the eastern part, located just 100 kilometers from it, is the driest.

Most of New Zealand has rainfall between 600 and 1600 millimeters per year. They are distributed relatively evenly throughout the year, except during drier summers.

The average annual temperature ranges from +10 °C in the south to +16 °C in the north. The coldest month is July and the warmest months are January and February. In the north of New Zealand, the differences between winter and summer temperatures are not very significant, but in the south and in the foothills, the difference reaches 14 ° C. In the mountainous regions of the country, with increasing altitude, the temperature drops sharply, by about 0.7 ° C every 100 meters. Auckland, the country's largest city, has an average annual temperature of +15.1°C, with the highest recorded temperature being +30.5°C and the lowest being -2.5°C. In the capital of the country, Wellington, the average annual temperature is +12.8 °C, the maximum recorded temperature is +31.1 °C, the minimum is -1.9 °C.

The number of hours of sunshine per year is relatively high, especially in areas protected from westerly winds. The national average is at least 2,000 hours. The level of solar radiation is very high in most of the country.

Snowfall is extremely rare in the coastal areas of the north of the country and in the western part of the South Island, however, in the east and south, this island is subject to snowfall during the winter months. As a rule, such snowfalls are insignificant and short-lived. Night frosts in winter can occur throughout the country.

Rivers and lakes of New Zealand

Due to the special geological and geographical conditions in New Zealand, there are many rivers and lakes. Most of the rivers are short (less than 50 km), originate in the mountains and quickly descend to the plains, where they slow down their flow. Waikato is the largest river in the country with a length of 425 km. The country also has 33 rivers with a length of more than 100 km and 6 rivers with a length of 51 to 95 km.

In New Zealand, there are 3,280 lakes with a water surface area of more than 0.001 km2, 229 lakes with a water surface of more than 0.5 km2, and 40 lakes with a water surface of more than 10 km2. The largest lake in the country is Taupo (area 616 km2), the deepest lake is Waikaremoana (depth - 256 meters). Most of the lakes in the North Island are formed as a result of volcanic activity, and most of the lakes in the South Island are formed by glacial activity.

According to the statistics of 1977-2001, the average annual volume of renewable water resources in New Zealand is estimated at 327 km3, which is about 85 m3/year per capita. In 2001, river and lake resources amounted to about 320 km3, glacier resources about 70 km3, atmospheric moisture resources about 400 km3, and groundwater resources were estimated at approximately 613 km3.

The protection and management of water resources and the water supply system for the population and economic facilities in New Zealand is the responsibility of local governments. The cost of the main production assets of the water management complex is estimated at more than 1 billion New Zealand dollars. Centralized water supply systems provide drinking water for about 85% of the country's population. About 77% of fresh water consumed in the country is used in irrigation systems.

Soils of New Zealand

In general, the soils of the country are relatively unfertile and not rich in humus. The most common types of soils are: Mountainous soil types - making up about half of the country's territory (of which about 15% are devoid of vegetation). Brown-gray soil types - mainly found in the intermountain plains of the South Island (unproductive for productive agriculture, used mainly as pastures). Yellow-gray soil types are typical for steppe regions and mixed forests and are used for active farming. Yellow-brown soil types are typical for hilly areas.

Animal world of New Zealand

Long historical isolation and remoteness from other continents has created a unique and in many ways inimitable natural world of the islands of New Zealand, which is distinguished by a large number of endemic plants and birds. About 1000 years ago, before the appearance of permanent human settlements on the islands, mammals were historically completely absent. The exceptions were two species of bats and coastal whales, sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) and fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri).

Simultaneously with the arrival of the first permanent residents, the Polynesians, on the islands, Polynesian rats and dogs appeared. Later, the first European settlers brought pigs, cows, goats, mice and cats. The development of European settlements in the nineteenth century caused the appearance in New Zealand of more and more new species of animals.

Of the representatives of the fauna of New Zealand, the most famous are the kiwi birds (Apterygiformes), which have become the national symbol of the country. Among the birds, it is also necessary to note kea (Nestor notabilis) (or nestor), kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) (or owl parrot), takahe (Notoronis hochstelteri) (or wingless sultan). Only in New Zealand, the remains of giant flightless moa birds (Dinornis) exterminated about 500 years ago, reaching a height of 3.5 m, were preserved. wings up to 3 meters and weighing up to 15 kg. Reptiles found in New Zealand include the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) and the skink (Scincidae).

The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is the only representative of insectivores brought into the country and adapted to free living conditions in it. There are no snakes in New Zealand and only the katipo (Latrodectus katipo) is poisonous.

29 species of fish live in the fresh waters of the country, 8 of which are on the verge of extinction. Up to 3,000 species of fish and other sea creatures live in coastal seas.

Flora of New Zealand

Subtropical forest of New Zealand Flora of New Zealand has about 2000 species of plants, while endemics make up at least 70% of this number. The country's forests are divided into two main types - mixed subtropical and evergreen. The forests are dominated by polycarps (Podocarpus). The thickets of New Zealand agathis (Agathis australis) and cypress dacrydum (Dacrydium cupressinum) have survived, although they have sharply decreased during the industrial development of forests.

In artificial forests, the total area of which is about 2 million hectares, the radiant pine (Pinus radiata), brought to New Zealand in the middle of the 19th century, is mainly grown. The plantation of radiant pine in the Kaingaroa Forest area has created the world's largest artificially grown forest.

New Zealand has the largest amount of liverworts in comparison to other countries. On the territory of the country there are 606 varieties of them, 50% of them are endemic. Mosses are widely distributed, with 523 varieties currently known in New Zealand.

Among the approximately 70 species of forget-me-nots (Myosotis) known in nature, approximately 30 are endemic to New Zealand. Unlike forget-me-nots in other parts of the world, only two species of these plants in New Zealand are blue - Myosotis antarctica and Myosotis capitata. Of the 187 grass species historically found in New Zealand, 157 are endemic.

New Zealand has an unusually large number of ferns for this climate. The silver cyathea (Cyathea dealbata) (also known locally as the silver fern) is one of the generally accepted national symbols.

Population of New Zealand

As of February 2010, the population of New Zealand is about 4.353 million people. The bulk of the country's population are New Zealanders of European origin, mostly descendants of immigrants from the UK. According to the 2006 census, the total share of the population of European origin is approximately 67.6% of the total population of the country. Representatives of the indigenous people, Maori, make up about 14.6% of the population. The next two largest ethnic groups - representatives of Asian and Polynesian peoples - account for 9.2% and 6.5% of the country's population, respectively.

The average age of the inhabitants of the country is about 36 years. In 2006, more than 500 people over the age of 100 lived in the country. In the same year, the proportion of the population under the age of 15 was 21.5%.

Population growth in 2007 was 0.95%. The total birth rate in the same year was 13.61 births per 1,000 population, and the total death rate was 7.54 deaths per 1,000 population.

Most New Zealanders permanently (or for a long time) live outside the country. The largest New Zealand diaspora lives in Australia (in 2000, the number of New Zealanders living in Australia was about 375,000 people) and in the UK (in 2001, about 50,000 people, while about 17% of New Zealanders have either British citizenship or the right to it). receipt). Traditionally, out-of-country New Zealanders maintain close contact with their homeland, and many of them deservedly become among the outstanding representatives of their country.

According to the 2006 census, the majority of the population, about 56%, profess Christianity (in 2001 there were 60% of such people). The most common denominations of Christianity in the country are Anglicanism, Latin Rite Catholicism, Presbyterianism and Methodism. Followers of Sikhism, Hinduism and Islam make up the next largest religious communities in New Zealand. About 35% of the country's population during the census did not associate themselves with religion (in 2001 there were 30% of such people).

The total number of Maori is 565,329. For 15 years (1991-2006), the number of this people in the country increased by almost 30%. About 47% of them are descendants of mixed marriages (mainly with Europeans). 51% of Maori living in New Zealand are men, 49% are women. Of these, 35% are children under 15 years of age. The average age of Maori living in New Zealand is about 23 years old. At the same time, the average age of women is a little over 24 years, and the average age of the male population is a little over 21 years.

About 87% of Maori live in the North Island and about 25% live in the city of Auckland or its suburbs. The largest concentration of representatives of this people is observed on Chatham Island. 23% can communicate fluently in the Maori language. About 25% do not own it at all. About 4% of Maori have a university education (or higher). About 39% of the total Maori population has a permanent full-time job.

English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language are the official languages of the country. English is the main language of communication, and 96% of the country's population uses it as such. Most books, newspapers and magazines are published on it, it also dominates the broadcasting of radio and television. The Maori language is the second official language. In 2006, the language of the deaf and dumb (New Zealand Sign Language) received the status of the third state language.

The New Zealand dialect of English is close to Australian, but has retained a much greater influence of the English language of the southern regions of England. However, he acquired some of the characteristics of a Scottish and Irish accent. The Maori language had a certain influence on pronunciation, and some words of this language entered the daily communication of the country's multinational community.

In addition, representatives of another 171 language groups live in the country. The most spoken languages after English and Maori are Samoan, French, Hindi and Chinese. The Russian language and other Slavic languages are of little use due to the small population for which these languages are native.

Source - http://ru.wikipedia.org/

Before the advent of humans in New Zealand (about 1300), the only endemic mammals here were three species of bats: long-tailed - Chalinolobus, with a membrane for the entire length of the tail, with which they capture insects on the fly, and short-tailed - large sheaths - Mystacina robusta and small - Mystacina tuberculata.

Casewings live on the islands but have reduced their population and disappeared in many places, exterminated by ship rats. They weigh 12-15 grams, have characteristic pointed ears and gray mouse color. Unlike other bats, which hunt exclusively in the air, casewings catch prey on the ground, using folded wings as limbs to move along the flat floor. In cold weather, sheathwings fall into a stupor and do not leave their shelters, awakening in the warm season. Males attract females with a kind of "singing". These animals feed on insects, fruits, nectar and pollen, being pollinators of plants.

long tailed bats ( Chalinolobus tuberculatus) are common, both on the main islands and on smaller ones. They are inferior in size to casewings, weigh 8-11 grams, have small ears, and a beautiful brown color. They can reach a speed of 60 km / h, their area is one hundred square meters. km.

Sea creatures

Seals and whales, once ubiquitous in New Zealand, were all but wiped out in the nineteenth century. Now several colonies of seals are known: sea lions Zalophus californianus, fur seals Callorhinus ursinus, sea leopards Hydrurga leptonyx and sea elephants mirounga leonina. On the beaches among the stones you can find a lot of fur seals and get close to them at arm's length. They are absolutely not afraid of humans. Sea lions are less common. Despite their size (and they are very large), they move quickly, so you need to be careful, although they are quite friendly. Whales and dolphins meet in the sea constantly.

immigrant animals

A great danger to New Zealand is introduced animals that undermine the ecosystem of the islands. Therefore, the populations of deer, possums, rats, mustelids are under government control.

Deer were brought to New Zealand 150 years ago. Now the following species live here: red deer - Cervus elaphus, Sika deer - Cervus nippon, European brown deer - lady lady, wapiti - Cervus canadensis, Indian sambar - deer Cervus unicolor, White-tailed deer - Odocoileus virginianus and maned Zambar - Cervus timorensis. The increase in the number of deer negatively affects the local flora.

Kiore, or Pacific rat Rattus exulans- the third largest of all rats, found throughout the Pacific region and Asian countries. Kiore swim poorly and arrived in the country along with people. Together with the gray rat Pasyuk Rattus norvegicus and black rat Rattus rattus they attack birds that nest on the ground, eat eggs and chicks, exterminate lizards and insects.

The population of wild horses Kaimanawa (Kaimanawa Wild Horses) has 500 individuals. they destroy the rare flora of the islands, so they are assigned areas where there are no vulnerable and rare species of flora.

Australian bristle-tailed possum

The wide distribution of mustelids - trochees, ermines and weasels adversely affects the fauna of the islands. It is very difficult to control their livestock, because mustelids lead a secretive lifestyle. Stoats kill about 40 kiwi chicks a day on the North Island, they will eat 15,000 birds a year, that is, 60% of all chicks. The other 35% fall victim to ferrets. Only 5% of kiwi chicks survive on the North Island.

Australian bristle-tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula was brought to New Zealand in 1837 to develop the fur trade. At home, possum populations were controlled by dingoes, forest fires, and poor vegetation. In New Zealand, they exist in favorable conditions, so they breed twice a year. The number of opossums is estimated at 70 million individuals, they account for 7 million tons of vegetation per year. Possums cause great harm to forestry by eating young shoots, and valuable species of endemic trees (rata, totara, titoki, kowhai, kohekohe) suffer from them. They are food competitors and natural enemies of birds and land snails, as well as carriers of tuberculosis.

Geckos and skinks

There are 90 known species of lizards in New Zealand. They live at altitudes from sea level to 2000 m. Mayori call them ngarara (or karara - southern dialect). Of these, 16 species of geckos and 28 species of skinks are distinguished. The oldest gecko lived for 42 years, although their usual life in nature is 30 years. new zealand skinks big Oligosoma grande and otago Oligosoma otagense viviparous, of which the second reaches 30 cm and is considered a giant among endemic lizards. They breed annually, having 3-6 (rarely 10) cubs. Skink Sutera Oligosoma suteri lays eggs.

The smallest lizards belong to the genus New Zealand skinks, cyclodins -
Cyclodina, the smallest of its representatives, copper skink Cyclodina aenea has 120 mm in length.

Tuatara

Of the reptiles, the hatteria is interesting Sphenodon punctatus, or tuatara, which is the only representative of the Sphenodontia order. This medium-sized lizard, weighing between 300 and 1000 g, is a contemporary of the dinosaurs and has lived on earth for 200 million years. Her contemporaries died out 60 million years ago.

Once the tuatara was distributed throughout New Zealand, but now it has survived only on thirty-two small islands, where there are no rodents and natural predators introduced by man. The tuatara keeps near colonies of seabirds, whose droppings serve as a nutritional basis for the life of many invertebrates on which the tuatara feeds.

As with other lizards, the temperature at which the eggs develop affects the sex of the offspring.

Rare skinks

Chevron Skink - Oligosoma homalonotum- one of the rarest lizards in New Zealand. This is a large lizard 30 cm long, with a pattern of two dark and one light stripe running from the eyes to the upper lip. Between the stripes is mint in the form of a drop. About 250 places where they are found have been established, all of them are located near water. Almost nothing is known about the life of these lizards. Chevron skinks make loud sounds like grunts and squeaks. The female brings 8 cubs, but does not breed every year.

Endemic frogs

New Zealand frogs belong to the genus Leiopelma, an ancient and primitive group of frogs. For 70 million years, they have changed little. These are small nocturnal frogs that are well camouflaged. Three species live in shady forest areas, one keeps near water and leads a semi-underground lifestyle. Characteristic features distinguish them from other frogs of the world. They do not have an external eardrum, their eyes are round, not a narrow slit, they do not croak often, they do not have tadpoles - a fully formed frog hatches from the egg. Parents take care of the offspring, and the male archer frog - Leiopelma archeyi carries the juvenile on its back.

Seven species of endemic frogs are known, three of them have died out, four are alive to this day, occurring mainly on small islands.

Predatory snails povelliphanta

Land snails of the genus Powelliphanta whose curl diameter reaches 90 mm, live in secluded corners of the forest, in small colonies. The color of the shell is very beautiful: shades of red, brown, yellow and brown.

They are different from the common snail Helix aspersa/, which also live in New Zealand and are considered agricultural pests. There is a known case when the development of coal mines in Westpoint (South Island) was stopped due to the fact that a colony of 250 snails lived in this place. The colony was moved and released elsewhere.
21 species and 51 subspecies of these snails are known.

Unlike other snails, povelliphants are carnivores and feed on earthworms that are sucked into their mouths like we eat spaghetti. Their other prey is slugs. Powellifants can lift a load of 90 g. These hermaphrodite snails, having male and female genital organs, therefore mate with any adult representative of their kind, laying annually 5-10 large eggs, 12-14 mm long, in a hard shell, which are similar on the eggs of small birds.

They are nocturnal, spending most of their lives in damp leafy litter and under fallen trees. Snails live up to 20 years.

giant insects

The insect world in New Zealand is very diverse. Its distinctive feature is the gigantic size of some species, which is associated with the absence of snakes and small mammals there. Giant wingless grasshoppers Deinacrida rugosa took on the ecological role of specialized seed distributors of plants with juicy fruits. Veta reach 7 cm in length. To this day, rare spiders and red admiral butterflies are found in abundance on small islands.

Other large insects - flightless stag beetle Geodorcus helmsi, barbel beetle and stick insects.

Argentine ants

Argentine ants - Linepithema humile- are very aggressive, and although they are not poisonous, their bites are very painful for humans. Unlike other species, Argentine ants live in huge colonies, maintaining connections with each other, thus forming supercolonies. In the place of their accumulation, Argentine ants are voracious and very aggressive towards other insect species. You can recognize the Argentine ant by its size - they reach 2-3 mm in length, yellow-brown color (other New Zealand ants are black), and the width of the track, along which 5 or more lines of ants can simultaneously pass. In search of food, they can climb trees. They crowd out other ant species from New Zealand and become a serious food competitor for birds and lizards, taking insects and worms from them, as well as nectar.

Nature of New Zealand

New Zealand(English) New Zealand , Maori Aotearoa ) - a state in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, in Polynesia, located on two large islands (North Island and South Island) and a large number (approximately 700) of adjacent smaller islands. The capital of the country is a city Wellington. The population of New Zealand is about 4,443,900 (as of 2012).

The pioneers of New Zealand should rightfully be considered natives of Eastern Polynesia, who began the development of these islands presumably in the 11th-14th centuries. Several waves of migrations and consistent development in new territories created two, although in many respects similar, but independently developed cultures and two peoples that received self-names Maori And Moriori . The Moriori lived compactly on the islands of the Chatham Archipelago, while the Maori inhabited the North and South Islands. It was with the Maori that the first Europeans who came to these lands met.

Maori military boats. According to legend, these boats were used by the first settlers from Polynesia. 19th century drawing

The first European navigator who visited the coast of this country in 1642, a Dutchman Abel Tasman called her " Staten Landt". It was this name that was transformed by Dutch cartographers into Latin Nova Zeelandia in honor of one of the provinces of the Netherlands - Zealand(dutch. Zeeland.) and into the Dutch name Nieuw Zeeland. Later British navigator James Cook used the English version of this name, New Zealand , in his notes, and it was it that became the official name of the country. One of the main features of New Zealand is its geographical isolation. The closest neighbors of the country are - to the west Australia, separated by the Tasman Sea (the shortest distance is about 1700 km); to the north, island territories - New Caledonia (about 1400 km), Tonga (about 1800 km) and Fiji (about 1900 km).

New Zealand as seen from space

In addition to the two main islands, New Zealand owns about 700 islands of a much smaller area, most of which are uninhabited. The largest of these are Stewart Island, the Antipodes Islands, Auckland Island, the Bounty Islands, the Campbell Islands, the Chatham Archipelago and the Kermadec Islands. The total area of the country is 268,680 sq. km. This makes it slightly smaller than Italy or Japan, but somewhat larger than the UK. The coastline of New Zealand is 15,134 kilometers long. The South Island is the largest island in New Zealand and the 12th largest island on the planet, with an area of 150,437 sq. km.

Stewart Island from a bird's eye view

The relief of New Zealand is mainly hills and mountains. More than 75% of the country's territory lies at an altitude of more than 200 m above sea level. Most of the mountains of the North Island do not exceed 1800 m in height. 19 peaks of the South Island are higher than 3000 m. The coastal zones of the North Island are represented by spacious valleys. Fjords are located on the western coast of the South Island.

Fiordland National Park is New Zealand's largest national park.
Fiordland with an area of more than 12,500 sq. km of the mountainous southwestern part of the South Island

New Zealand's climate varies from warm subtropical in the north of the North Island to cool temperate in the south and central regions of the South Island; in mountainous areas, a harsh alpine climate prevails. The chain of the high Southern Alps divides the country in half and, blocking the way to the predominant westerly winds, divides it into two different climatic zones. The west coast of the South Island is the wettest part of the country; the eastern part, located just 100 kilometers from it, is the driest.

Mount Cook (Aoraki Maori) is a mountain in the New Zealand Southern Alps,
the highest (3754 m) point in New Zealand,
located in the western part of the South Island near the coast

The East Australian Current, passing through the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, makes the climate of the islands and the east coast of Australia warmer and more humid, tropical instead of subtropical; contributes to the spread of tropical marine life to subtropical areas along the southeast coast of Australia and New Zealand.

picturesque river waihu, hidden in the lush subtropical vegetation of New Zealand

Most of New Zealand has rainfall between 600 and 1600 millimeters per year. They are distributed relatively evenly throughout the year, with the exception of the drier summer period.

Waterfall Bridal Vale("Wedding Veil"). With the trajectory of the fall of water, it surprisingly resembles a light bridal veil. A staircase with three hundred steps leads to the foot of the waterfall. One of the most picturesque and majestic waterfalls in New Zealand, falling through a large amphitheater of rocks from a height of 55 meters

July in New Zealand

Auckland, the country's largest city, has an average annual temperature of +15.1°C, with the highest recorded temperature being +30.5°C and the lowest being -2.5°C. In the capital of the country, Wellington, the average annual temperature is +12.8 °C, the maximum recorded temperature is +31.1 °C, the minimum is -1.9 °C. The lowest temperature in all of Oceania was observed precisely in New Zealand, since it is located farthest from the equator among the countries of Oceania (up to 47 parallels south latitude) in the city of Ranfurly on July 18, 1903 and amounted to -25.6 degrees.

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand

The absolute maximum temperature in New Zealand was recorded in the city Rangiora, equal to +42.4 degrees, in the northeast of the South Island, between 43 and 44 parallels, closer to 43. The absolute minimum and maximum temperatures in the country were observed on the South Island, where the climate is more continental than on the North Island. The temperature difference on the island is 68 degrees, and the average annual temperature on the surface of the South Island is +8.4 degrees.

On the streets of Rangiora

Snowfall is extremely rare in the coastal regions of the north of the country and in the western part of the South Island. In other regions, slight and short snowfalls are possible in the winter months. Night frosts in winter can occur throughout the country.

Snowfall on the streets of Wellington, August 2011

An earthquake of magnitude 6.3. The epicenter is registered in the region of the second largest city in the country - Christchurch, on the South Island.

At the present stage, the zone of increased tectonic activity and the associated high number of earthquakes is the western coast of the South Island and the northeast coast of the North Island. The annual number of earthquakes in the country is up to 15,000, most of them are small and only about 250 annually can be classified as noticeable or strong. In modern history, the most powerful earthquake was recorded in 1855 near Wellington, with a magnitude of about 8.2 points; the most devastating was the earthquake in 1931 in the area napier, which claimed 256 human lives.

The Hawke's Bay earthquake, also known as the Napier earthquake, hit New Zealand's North Island on February 3, 1931.

Volcanic activity in modern New Zealand is also high, and 6 volcanic zones are active in the country, five of which are located on the North Island. In the lake area Taupo presumably in 186 BC. e. the largest documented volcanic eruption in human history occurred. The consequences of the eruption are described in the historical chronicles of places as far away as China and Greece. At the site of the eruption, there is now the largest freshwater lake in the Pacific region, Taupo, with its area comparable to the territory of Singapore.

The length of Lake Taupo is 44 kilometers, the area is 33 square kilometers. It is the largest natural reservoir of fresh water in the entire South Pacific.

Due to the special geological and geographical conditions in New Zealand, there are many rivers and lakes. Most of the rivers are short (less than 50 km), originate in the mountains and quickly descend to the plains, where they slow down their flow. Waikato- the largest river in the country with a length of 425 km. The country also has 33 rivers with a length of more than 100 km and 6 rivers with a length of 51 to 95 km. The total length of rivers and other inland waterways in the country is 425,000 km.

Mouth of the Waikato River

There are 3280 lakes in New Zealand with a water surface area of more than 0.01 sq. km, 229 lakes with a water surface of more than 0.5 sq. km and 40 - more than 10 sq. km. The largest lake in the country Taupo(area 623 sq. km), the deepest lake - Hauroko(depth - 462 meters). Most of the lakes in the North Island are formed by volcanic activity, while most of the lakes in the South Island are formed by glacial activity.

Lake Hauroko

New Zealand is one of the few countries in the southern hemisphere that has on its territory glaciers (Tasmanian, Fox, Franz Josef and etc.). The Tasmanian glacier forms a narrow ice tongue 27 km long, up to 3 km wide in places; its total area is 52 sq. km. In some parts, it reaches a thickness of 610 m and is the largest glacier in New Zealand.

In some parts, the Tasmanian Glacier reaches a thickness of 610 meters and is the largest glacier in New Zealand.

New Zealand is isolated from other islands and continents by large sea distances. The Tasman Sea washing its western coast separates the country from Australia for 1700 km. The Pacific Ocean washes the east coast of the country and separates the country from its closest neighbors - in the north, from New Caledonia, for 1000 km; in the east, from Chile, at 8700 km; and south of Antarctica for 2500 km. Long historical isolation and remoteness from other continents has created a unique and in many ways inimitable natural world of the islands of New Zealand, which is distinguished by a large number of endemic plants and birds.

Kea parrot - endemic to New Zealand

About 1000 years ago, before the appearance of permanent human settlements on the islands, mammals were historically completely absent. The exceptions were two species of bats and coastal whales, sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) and fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri).

Fur seal. Fjord Milford Sound. New Zealand

Simultaneously with the arrival of the first permanent residents, the Polynesians, the small rats (Rattus exulans) and dogs appeared on the islands. Later, the first European settlers brought pigs, cows, goats, mice and cats. The development of European settlements in the 19th century caused the appearance in New Zealand of more and more new species of animals.

The appearance of some of them had an extremely negative impact on the flora and fauna of the islands. Such animals include rats, cats, ferrets, rabbits (brought into the country for the development of hunting), stoats (brought into the country to control the rabbit population). brought and opossums for the development of the fur industry. When it was necessary to release the animals into the wild, they began to climb poles with wires and gnaw them. As a result, the city remained without electricity, and the animals died. I had to upholster all the posts with tin so that the opossums could not climb up. People have also thoughtlessly introduced black swans, woodpeckers, canaries, larks, geese (both wild and domestic), and many other species of birds. But as if that were not enough, the man brought deer, pigs and other large mammals to New Zealand, which he released into the wild, believing that this way the forests would look more beautiful. Having no natural enemies in the surrounding nature, the populations of these animals reached such proportions that the natural representatives of the flora and fauna of New Zealand were under serious threat. Only in recent years, through the efforts of the environmental departments of New Zealand, some coastal islands were spared from these animals, which made it possible to hope for the preservation of natural natural conditions there.

Opossum

Of the representatives of the fauna of New Zealand, the most famous are kiwi birds(Apterygiformes), which have become the national symbol of the country. Among the birds, it is also necessary to note kea (Nestor notabilis) (or nestor), kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) (or owl parrot), takahe (Notoronis hochstelteri) (or wingless sultan).

The kiwi bird is the national symbol of New Zealand.

Only in New Zealand are the remains of giant flightless birds exterminated about 500 years ago. moa birds(Dinornis), which reached a height of 3.5 m. A little later, presumably only about 200 years ago, the largest known species of eagles, the Haast eagle, which had a wingspan of up to 3 meters and weighed up to 15 kg, was exterminated.

This is what giant flightless moa birds looked like

The flora of New Zealand has about 2,000 plant species. The country's forests are divided into two main types - mixed subtropical and evergreen. The forests are dominated by legcarps (Podocarpus). Preserved, although sharply reduced during the industrial development of forests, thickets agathis new zealand(Agathis australis) and dacridium cypress(Dacrydium cupressinum).

Dacridium cypress

In artificial forests, which cover an area of about 2 million hectares in total, Pine radiata(Pinus radiata), introduced to New Zealand in the middle of the 19th century. The plantation of radiant pine in the Kaingaroa Forest area has created the world's largest artificially grown forest. New Zealand has the largest amount of liverworts in comparison to other countries. There are 606 of their species on the territory of the country, 50% of them are endemic.

Pine radiata

The country's legislation defines about 60 types of natural areas to be protected and preserved, among them the largest and most significant forms are national parks (including marine parks), natural, scientific, ecological and tourist reserves and reserves. The country has 14 national parks, 4 marine parks, 21 marine and coastal reserves and more than 3,000 reserves. The total area of national parks, reserves and natural areas under protection is about 6.5 million hectares, or about 25% of the total territory of the country. The largest national park in New Zealand and one of the most beautiful in the world is Fiordland National Park(Eng. Fiordland National Park).

Milford Sound Fjord in Fiordland National Park

There are several zoos and botanical gardens in the country, the largest of which is opened in 1922 and contains more than 170 species of animals on its territory. Auckland Zoo. In addition, large zoos are open in the cities of Wellington and Auckland, and the only free-range zoo operates in Christchurch. A unique park was created near the city of Whangarei, specializing in the conservation of animals of the big cat subfamily.

Lemurs at the Auckland Zoo

Currently, tourism creates at least 10% of the country's GNP. Nearly 18,000 enterprises operate in the tourism sector and they create about 10% of jobs in the country. In 2006, the country was visited by a record number of tourists in its entire history - 2,422,000 people. At the same time, on average, each tourist spent 20 days in the country, and they spent more than $6.5 billion in total in New Zealand. The majority of tourists are from Australia. The number of tourists from the PRC has increased significantly in recent years, and in 2006 they constituted the second largest group of international tourists visiting the country. This is followed by tourists from the USA, Germany, South Korea, and Japan.

Wai-O-Tapu- This is a volcanic zone, which is called the "thermal miracle". Everything is seething and shimmering with incredible colors. On the territory of the reserve there are hiking trails covering geysers, the water temperature in which reaches 260°C

Fiordland National Park is the largest in the Kingdom. The park has national lakes with a rich history, fjords and gorges, and the mountains on its territory reach a height of more than 2700 meters.

Learn more about New Zealand:

New Zealand is the land of green hills and the flightless miracle bird kiwi. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed here, the north is warmer than the south, and the sun goes counterclockwise towards sunset.

1. Hatched. Long historical isolation and remoteness from other continents have created a unique and in many ways inimitable natural world of the islands of New Zealand, which is distinguished by a large number of endemic plants and birds. (Photo by Christina Karliczek):

2. Milford Sound - a fjord in the southwestern part of New Zealand's South Island. Named "the eighth wonder of the world" by Rudyard Kipling. (Photo by Tom Walker):

3. Steep cliffs reaching a height of 130 meters. Penguins live here. (Photo by Mark Macewen):

4. Penguin guard. (Photo by Mark MacEwen):

5. Luminous worms that attract flying insects to a sticky thread trap.

In the limestone caves of the Waitomo region of New Zealand, an amazing phenomenon called the “lure” of glowworms takes place. In fact, it is a type of fungal mosquito that lives only in a few regions of New Zealand. On the walls and ceilings of caves, these insects form entire galaxies of amazing beauty. (Photo by Alex Hasskerl):

Simultaneously with the arrival of the first permanent residents, the Polynesians, on the islands, small rats and dogs appeared. Later, the first European settlers brought pigs, cows, goats, mice and cats. The development of European settlements in the 19th century caused the appearance in New Zealand of more and more new species of animals.

6. Ermine. (Photo by Nick Easton):

7. The relief of New Zealand is mainly hills and mountains. More than 75% of the country's territory lies at an altitude of more than 200 m above sea level. Most of the mountains of the North Island do not exceed 1800 m in height. 19 peaks of the South Island are higher than 3000 m. (Photo by Colin Pilliner):

8. This is it! Of the representatives of the fauna of New Zealand, the most famous are the kiwi birds, which have become the national symbol of the country.

Presumably, the ancestors of modern kiwis came to New Zealand from Australasia about 30 million years ago. These flightless birds, about the size of an ordinary chicken, are so different from other birds that zoologist William Calder called them "honorary mammals." (Photo by Screen Grab):

9. New Zealand is located on two large islands (North and South) and a large number (approximately 700) of adjacent smaller islands. The population, according to Statistics New Zealand as of June 2015, is 4,596,700. (Photo by Colin Pilliner):

10. Another local resident. This is a tuatara. It lives on several small islands in New Zealand. Hatteria is an endangered relict species and is subject to protection. Included in the IUCN Red List, now has the conservation status of a vulnerable species. (Photo by Claire Thompson):

11. There are 129 geothermal areas in New Zealand. This Champagne Pool hot spring is located in the geothermal area of Waiotapu on the North Island of New Zealand. The name "Champagne Pool" comes from the constant outflow of carbon dioxide, similar to bubbling champagne in a glass. The vibrant colors of this amazing geothermal spring come from rich mineral and silicate deposits. The age of the source is 900 years. (Photo by Nick Easton):

12. Local gray fantail. One of the smallest and agile birds in New Zealand. (Photo by Tom Walker):

13. New Zealand is one of the most recently settled territories. Various types of analyzes suggest that the first East Polynesians settled here in 1250-1300 after extensive travels in the South Pacific Islands. (Photo by Paul Furborough):

14. Sea lions in New Zealand are among the rarest species. (Photo by Christina Karliczek):

15. Reflections of the New Zealand autumn. (Photo by Kevin Jeffries):

16. Kakapo, or owl parrot - a nocturnal flightless bird that is endemic to New Zealand. Possibly one of the oldest living bird species. (Photo by Holly Wallace):

17. These flowers are one of the highest living buttercups in the world (height over 1500 meters). Bloom in summer. The flora of New Zealand has about 2,000 plant species. (Photo by BBC Pictures):

18. Weta - the collective name for more than 100 species that live in New Zealand. Specifically, this species has a size of 3.6 cm and is very creative in escaping from predators - it jumps into the water and sits there for up to 5 minutes, until the predator loses interest in it. (Photo by Nick Easton):

19. Terrible predator. Carnivorous and able to smell their prey in the forests, these snails feed mainly on earthworms. (Photo by James Reardon):

20. There are 3280 lakes in New Zealand. This is one of the few countries in the southern hemisphere that has glaciers on its territory (Tasmanian, Fox, Franz Josef, etc.). (Photo by Lorenzo Montezemolo):

21. Only in New Zealand are the remains of the giant flightless moa birds exterminated about 500 years ago, reaching a height of 3.5 m. (Photo by Nick Easton):

22. Despite the fact that filming of films began in New Zealand as early as the 1920s, the film industry began to develop actively only starting from the seventies of the same century. The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, the films The Last Samurai and The Chronicles of Narnia were especially famous. (Photo by Nick Easton):

23. That's all for today.

Section heading: Oceania
Read: New Zealand

New Zealand: Wildlife

Simultaneously with the arrival of the first permanent residents, the Polynesians, Polynesian rats (Rattus exulans) and dogs appeared on the islands. Later, the first European settlers brought pigs, cows, goats, mice and cats. The development of European settlements in the 19th century caused the appearance in New Zealand of more and more new species of animals.

Only in New Zealand, the remains of giant flightless moa birds (Dinornis) exterminated about 500 years ago, reaching a height of 3.5 m, were preserved. wings up to 3 meters and weighing up to 15 kg.

Reptiles found in New Zealand include the Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) and skinks (Scincidae). New Zealand skinks are represented by three species: large skink, Otago skink, Sutera skink. Of these, the first type is the most common.

The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is the only representative of insectivores brought into the country and adapted to free living conditions in it.

There are no snakes in New Zealand and only the katipo (Latrodectus katipo) is poisonous.

29 species of fish live in the fresh waters of the country, 8 of which are on the verge of extinction. Up to 3,000 species of fish and other sea creatures live in coastal seas. New Zealand has 35 endemic fish species that are found nowhere else. In the waters of New Zealand, two types of eels (small-finned and long-finned) are found; lamprey, retropinna vulgaris, galaxia. There are safe for humans Australian spotted cat sharks, drummers, red snapper and king fish, mackerel

Paua clams. Paua is the name of three types of New Zealand large edible seashells belonging to the Haliotidae family and distinguished from other shells by unusually bright tints of mother-of-pearl.