Description of the geographical location of New Zealand. New Zealand. Economic and geographical position. Natural conditions and resources. Animal world of New Zealand

Economic and geographical position of New Zealand

East of Australia in the Southwest Pacific is New Zealand. Its length is 1500 km. The state is located on two large islands with corresponding names - the North Island and the South Island, separated by the Cook Strait.

Zeeland also includes about 700 small islands, most of which are uninhabited. Among them are such large islands as:

• Auckland,
• Kermadec,
• stewart,
• Bounty.

New Zealand is separated from Australia by the Tasman Sea, which washes its western shores, the rest of the shores are washed by the Pacific Ocean. The coastline of the country has a length of 15134 km.

The state is isolated from other continents by large sea distances. Australia, the closest neighbor, is located at a distance of 1700 km, to New Caledonia in the north 1000 km, from Chile in the east, Zeeland is separated by 8700 km, and from Antarctica in the south by 2500 km.

A country can only communicate with the outside world through sea and air communications. Ferry and air transport connect both islands. Ferries are adapted to transport cars and railway cars.

The number of large-tonnage sea vessels is small, despite the fact that maritime transport is of great importance for the country.

Air transport can be reached anywhere in the world. Regular flights are made to 11 countries.

Railway and public transport are relatively poorly developed in the country. There are 8 main lines, 3898 km long.

Pipelines are used to a limited extent to transport hydrocarbons.

Industrial production is largely concentrated in the North Island, where Auckland is the main industrial center.

The industrial enterprises of the South Island are located in the Christchurch area.

The North Island is more diversified than the South Island.

Throughout history, New Zealand has placed great emphasis on foreign trade and international cooperation. The reason for this was that the country was isolated from the outside world, had a limited industrial base and a great distance from world markets.

Various data suggest that 20% of the country's production was destined for export. Foreign trade turnover for a long time focused on the UK, today, it accounts for only 6% of foreign trade.

European integration began in 1973. Japan and the United States are New Zealand's main trading partners and largest buyers of food. They also supply high-tech equipment to the country.

Trade relations with Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan are also important for the country. Despite a variety of export products, half of its value is still provided by agricultural raw materials. The main import items are oil and engineering products.

Remark 1

In general, at the present stage, the economic and geographical position of the country is favorable, and it uses this for further economic development.

Natural conditions of New Zealand

New Zealand is located between the Pacific and Australian plates, in the region of the Pacific geosynclinal belt.

The islands were formed as a result of tectonic activity and faults, therefore they are composed of rocks of different ages.

There are 6 active volcanic zones within the country, 5 of which are located on the North Island. Both islands lie in the Cenozoic geosynclinal region.

The relief of the South Island, which is larger in area, is represented by high mountains. Folded mountains - the Southern Alps - stretch here along the western outskirts. Their peak - Mt. Cook has a height of 3754 m.

In the mountains, traces of ancient glaciation are visible, represented by moraine ramparts, cirques, and trough-shaped valleys. The relief becomes more flat to the east.

Fjords and glaciers descend from the slopes of the Southern Alps into the Tasman Sea. In the east of the island is the Canterbury Plain, which is small in area and composed of alluvial deposits. Plains occupy a total of 10% of the area.

The mountainous relief of the North Island is composed of Mesozoic deposits. In its southeastern part there is a low mountain range of the Alpine type. The height of this chain is 1750 m.

To the west is a volcanic plateau with active and extinct volcanoes. The active volcano Ruapehu, whose height is 2797 m, is the highest point in the North Island. Of the six volcanic zones, five are located on the North Island.

Both islands are a zone of increased tectonic activity, where strong earthquakes can occur, which means that the modern topography of the islands continues to form.

The northern part of the North Island lies within the subtropical climate, while the southern and central part of the South Island lies within the cool temperate climate.

The harsh alpine climate is characteristic of mountainous regions. The high Alps divide the country into two zones, protecting the east coast from the westerly winds.

The wettest part of the country is the western coast of the South Island, the eastern part is the driest.

In December and February, the North Island is hot and sunny - this is the summer period. The average annual temperature in the north of the country is +16 degrees, and in the south +10 degrees. The maximum temperature was recorded in the north-east of the South Island in the city of Rangiora, which amounted to +42.4 degrees.

In the mountains, the temperature drops sharply with height. The sunniest place in the country is the Bay of Plenty, where 2350 “sunshine” hours fall per year.

Most of New Zealand receives an average of 600 to 1600 mm of precipitation per year. They are distributed relatively evenly, excluding the dry summer period.

Natural resources of New Zealand

The mineral resources of the country are quite diverse, but only deposits of hydrocarbons, gold, silver, coal and ferruginous sandstone are being developed.

In addition, the country has limestone, clay, aluminum, titanium iron ore, antimony, rum, copper and many others, but the explored industrial reserves are small.

Gold reserves in the country, confirmed by specialists, amount to 372 tons, silver reserves - 308 tons, iron sandstone - 874 million tons.

Industrial production of gas, the proven reserves of which amount to 68 billion cubic meters. m, began in 1970 and in 2005 was approximately 50 million tons.

Oil on an industrial scale began to be produced in 1935, but today its production is declining.

Of the total volume of coal mined, a third of it is exported.

Geological and geographical conditions have created favorable conditions for the formation of inland waters, with which New Zealand is well endowed. The rivers of the country are full-flowing and on the North Island they are fed by rain, and on the South Island they are rain and glacial.

Rivers originate in the mountains and have a short length. The largest river in the country is Waikato, its length is 425 km. On the South Island, the longest and deepest is Kluta, whose length is 322 km.

New Zealand is a country of lakes, basins have different origins - glacial, tectonic, volcanic.

The North Island is characterized by volcanic basins, glacial basins - on the South Island.

The largest lake in the country, Taupo, is located in the central part of the North Island, its depth is 159 m. The Waikato River originates in the lake. The deepest lake is Hauroko, its depth is 462 m.

The soils of the country are generally infertile, among the 15 common types of soils there are brown, gley, granular, podzolic, organic, oxidic, etc.

Among the countries of the Southern Hemisphere, New Zealand is one of the few where there are glaciers - Tasmanian, Fox, Franz Josef, etc.

Introduction
In this term paper on the study of a country called New Zealand, I want to analyze all the components of the country: economic and geographical location, natural resource potential, stages of settlement and development of the country, ethnic composition and population, economy and foreign economic relations of the country. My task is to observe how and under the influence of what factors the economy, population, nature of this country changed, and after analyzing all these data, to draw a conclusion about the state of the country today.

1 Economic and geographical position of New Zealand
New Zealand is a relatively large state located on the group of islands of the same name, elongated meridianally for 1700 km, in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. The capital is Wellington. The area is 268,680 thousand km2. The population is 4,353,674 people. The largest islands are the South and North, separated by the Cook Strait, the Three Islands - Kings, Stewart, Those Sners, small coastal and more remote (Campbell, Antipodes, Chatham, Bounty, Auckland, Kermadec), as well as the Tokelau Islands (overseas territories), Cook and Niue in the Central Pacific. The shores are cut in places by fjords. The islands are 75% mountainous. The northern island is distinguished by active seismic and volcanic activity (numerous geysers, hot springs, volcanic lakes, volcano cones, including active ones - Ruapehu volcano, 2797 m.). In the relief of the South Island, the Southern Alps stand out with the highest point of the country, Cook, 3764 m, with significant glaciation and many lakes. The climate is subtropical and temperate, humid. Natural vegetation is represented by forests. The country is rich in water resources.
New Zealand is an island nation that has no land borders with any country. The closest countries with which New Zealand borders are Australia (1700 km) in the west, separated by the Tasman Sea, and in the north the islands of New Caledonia (1400 km), Tonga (1800 km) and Fiji (1900 km). The length of the coastline is 15,134 kilometers. It has access to the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
All types of water transport are very well developed due to the fact that this country has an island position. The road transport is also developed. Less developed rail transport. This is explained by the fact that frequent earthquakes, mountainous terrain, a large number of lakes and rivers lead to the fact that additional construction of motors, tunnels, etc. is required, which naturally affects the country's budget. The two largest ports in the country are Auckland and Wellington. The largest airport is located in the city of Auckland, which serves 13 million passengers every year.
New Zealand is located very far from developed countries, which to some extent hinders its development. However, natural and climatic conditions and active cooperation with other countries enable New Zealand to take an active part in the global economy.

2 Natural resource potential of the country
Despite the fact that the country is rich in natural resources, only a few minerals are commercially mined - gold, oil, silver, gas, coal and sandstone. According to estimates, there are more than 300 tons of gold and silver in the bowels of New Zealand. There are more than 800 million tons of sandstone in the country. As for oil, its production has sharply decreased in recent years. Reserves for today are about 14 million tons.
Clay, zinc, mercury, manganese, chromium, platinum and some others are also mined in small quantities. It is worth noting that all the extraction of jade is carried out by the Maori people, since jade plays a special role in the culture and life of this people.

Figure 1 - New Zealand mineral deposits
There is no such place on the North and South Islands of New Zealand that would be more than 130 km from the sea. The shores of the islands are washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea, bordered by sand dunes or rocky. The largest bays are Hauraki, Plenty, Hawk, Tasman, Canterbury. 75% of the territory of these islands is occupied by mountains: more than 200 peaks above 2280 m; there are uplands and hills. The small islands are mostly hilly and very picturesque. From time immemorial, Maori believe that the islands are numerous pieces of land generously scattered over the water by the hand of the supreme deity. In the extreme south lies Stewart Island, separated from the South Island by the Strait of Fovo. The lowlands are located along the coast of the ocean (the Southland Lowland on the South Island) and along river valleys. The northern island is less mountainous, in the center and in the west there is a volcanic plateau, which is a reserve of modern volcanism. There are 4 active volcanoes here: Ruapehu - the highest peak of the North Island (2796 m), the last eruption was in 1975, Taranaki (2518 m), etc. The thermal "corner of miracles" is represented by mud volcanoes with strange names Inferno, Champagne, Palette Artist. Their smoking black or color-shifting craters of seething mud coexist with geysers that throw out powerful fountains of steam. The most famous of them, Pohutu, is capricious and it is never known when he will act. There are also foamy waterfalls, boiling and hot springs and lakes, over which hangs steam of various shades - yellow, orange, green and black, sometimes with a periodic change of colors. Earthquakes are frequent (100-200 per year), but they rarely bring destruction. In the south, uneven hills turn into plains and coastal lowlands occupied by fields and pastures, bays on the southern and eastern coasts are bordered by hills overgrown with beech groves and extinct volcanoes. The South Island is home to the tall, snow-covered Southern Alps, whose peaks are surrounded by glaciers (the Tasman Glacier, for example, is 2 km wide and 29 km long), and the great Franz Josef Glacier, formed by blocks of ice, has now become a popular holiday destination for tourists. In total, New Zealand has over 300 glaciers that feed a huge number of rivers and lakes located in mountain valleys. The average height of the mountains is more than 2000 m, the highest is the city of Cook. The western slopes are steep, and the eastern slopes gently descend to the foothills of the Canterbury Plains - the most extensive flat areas in New Zealand, which is the main livestock and agricultural region of the country. Rainforests grow on the slopes, mangrove swamps in the lowlands, and endless fenced-off green fields serve as pastures for sheep. The snow-covered peak of Mount Miter rises above the bay near the city of Milford Sound. Here, on the southwestern coast, there are the most picturesque fjords, which cut the southern tip of the island heavily. The southwestern coast of the North Island in the North Taranaki Bay contains an offshore oil and gas field, insignificant reserves of iron, copper and polymetallic ores, gold, hard and brown coal, etc.
The climate is subtropical, maritime, temperate in the extreme south. Average temperatures in July (winter) are 12°C in the north and 5°C in the south, and in January (summer) - 19°C and 14°C, respectively. Precipitation falls throughout the year: in the west, in mountainous areas, they are 2000-5000 mm, in the east - 400-700 mm per year. Snow occurs only in the mountains, the total area of ​​glaciation in the Southern Alps is 1000 km2.
The rivers begin in the mountains, are full-flowing and rich in electricity. The largest is Waikato (354 km long) on ​​the North Island; navigable 100 km. There are many lakes of volcanic, tectonic and glacial origin, the largest of which is Lake Taupo on the North Island. Not far from the city of Rotorua, a balneological resort and tourism center located on the shores of the lake of the same name, there are the famous Waitomoto caves with white, cream, gray stalactites and stalagmites, with a fantastic underground landscape, where rocks of incredible shapes with bizarre names meet (High Organ, Banquet Hall , Department, etc.), as well as dark, deep gaps between them. There you can sail on a boat along the underground river and see the grotto of Fireflies, which glow in the dark with a bizarre light. Forests, preserved mainly in the most inaccessible mountainous regions, occupy 23% of the territory and are mainly represented by local tree species (kauri, namakhi, rimu, tarairo, etc.); a small number of introduced species grow (beech, pine, cypress, poplar). Over 75% of the native flora species are endemic, such as ohutukawa and bright yellow kowai; perennial evergreen species of vegetation predominate.
The fauna of the country is the most ancient in the world, it is poor in mammals, but unique species of birds and reptiles are represented here. From mammals, only rats, dogs, bats are found, from reptiles - the ancient lizard-like reptile tuatara. As a result of predatory hunting, increased reproduction of rats, cats, dogs and some domestic animals (rabbits, goats and pigs) introduced by settlers and feral, as well as deforestation, entire populations of animals (and especially birds) have been destroyed, and plant communities have been destroyed. There are 23 species of birds. Most of them have become rare (sultan chicken, kiwi, owl parrot, shepherds). There are 9 national parks in the country, and some islands have been turned into bird sanctuaries. So, on one of the remote islands, scientists breed in the nursery the world's largest beetles weighing 85-100 g, living in the wilds of New Zealand, since they were recently threatened with extinction: the natives sold them to tourists as souvenirs.
3 Stages of territory development
10th - 14th centuries: Maori settled New Zealand
17th century: Islands discovered by the Dutch
19th century: English colonization of the islands began
1840: New Zealand declared a British colony
1843 - 1872: The Maori put up stubborn resistance to the English colonizers (Maori wars)
1907: New Zealand becomes a British Dominion
1914 - 1918: The country participated in the Second World War (as part of the British troops)
1947: Dominion status changed to member of the British Commonwealth.
The history of the settlement of New Zealand is not well understood. According to some sources, even before the resettlement in the 10-14 centuries. in New Zealand, from Central Polynesia, the ancestors of modern Maori, tribes lived here, which later either disappeared or were assimilated by the Maori. In 1642, New Zealand was discovered by the Dutch navigator A. Ta........

List of sources used
1. Atlas of economic and social geography of the world compiled by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Production Mapping Association "Cartography" in 1993. Editor-in-chief N.N. Polunkina, Executive editor of the atlas N.N. Sarvas. Corrected based on the materials of 2009 and prepared for publication by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Omsk Cartographic Factory"
2. Small encyclopedia of countries / edited by Sirotenko N.G., Mendeleev V.A. 2nd ed., revised. - M.: LLC "Publishing House - AST"; Kharkov: LLC, 2009. - 405 p.: ill.
3. Countries of the world and continents / Ed. - comp. M.V. Adamchik. - Minsk: Harvest, 2008. - 384 p.: ill.
4. New Zealand [electronic resource] access mode: ()
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New Zealand is located in the Pacific Ocean, more precisely in its southwestern part. The main territory of the state consists of two islands. The North and South Islands of New Zealand are separated. In addition to them, the country owns about 700 smaller islands, which are mostly uninhabited.

Story

The first European to visit the South Island of New Zealand was a navigator from Holland. In 1642, he landed in the bay of Golden Bay. His visit cannot be called successful: the people of Tasman were attacked by the Maori (indigenous people), who decided that the aliens were trying to rob their plantations.

Europeans who arrived on the South Island of New Zealand in the second half of the 18th century found themselves in the thick of the wars of the Maori tribes. The indigenous population also attempted to attack the Europeans, but suffered serious losses. The British offered the tribes as a result of which the Maori paid for the guns with potatoes and pigs.

France also tried to capture the South Island, creating the colony of Akaroa. Today it is a town where street names are still written in French. The same attempt was made by a private English company in 1840. As a result, the British authorities proclaimed the island the property of the British crown.

Over time, Europeans began to make up the majority of the population. The gold rush that began in the sixties of the XIX century turned the indigenous population into a national minority and significantly enriched the South Island, while the North was shaken by bloody land wars between the Maori and the British. In 1931, the North and South Islands gained independence under the Statute of Westminster.

South Island: description

The area of ​​the island is 150,437 km². It is the twelfth largest island in the world. Along its western coast stretches the chain of the Southern Alps. Here is the highest point of the country - Mount Cook (3754 m). Eighteen mountain peaks of the island exceed three thousand meters in height.

There are 360 ​​glaciers in the mountains. The largest of them are the peaks of Franz Josef, Fox, Tasman. During the Pleistocene period, glaciers descended into the Canterbury Plain (east coast) and occupied much of what is now Otago. These areas are characterized by U-shaped valleys, dissected terrain and very cold lakes that have an elongated shape: Manapouri, Wakatipu, Javea and Te Anau. One of the highest waterfalls in New Zealand is Sutherland (580 m).

Almost a third larger than the North South Island. South Island (New Zealand) is inhabited by only a fifth of all the inhabitants of the country. Mostly populated eastern - the most flat half of it. Here the local population grows wheat and breeds sheep. In addition, fishing is developed on the coast, the main commercial fish are sea bass and sole.

Fovo Strait

This is where the crabs are caught. The strait is considered the oyster region of New Zealand. In autumn, bluff oysters are harvested here, which have an unusual and memorable taste. They got their name from the southern port of the country, which was founded on the site of an early settlement of Majori.

Christchurch

The largest city of the island was founded in 1848 as an Anglican colony. The status of the city was the first in the country in 1856. Christchurch is located on the Canterbury Plain - this is the main agricultural and livestock region of the country.

Climatic conditions

The climate of the South Island is oceanic. In mountainous areas - rather severe alpine. Glaciers and snows here do not melt even in summer. Western air currents are distinguished by the South Island (New Zealand). The weather here is quite changeable even during the day.

The average temperature in January is from +10 to +17 °C, in July - from +4 to +9 °C, in the mountains = negative thermometer values. From 500 to 1000 mm of precipitation falls annually on the eastern coast, from 2000 mm on the northwestern, to 5000 mm on the western slopes of the Southern Alps. The average air humidity is 75%.

earthquakes

The South Island of New Zealand is seismically dangerous. In recent years, three catastrophic earthquakes have occurred here. One of them happened in Canterbury in 2010 (magnitude 7.1), it was caused by shifts in the crust of the Pacific plate. As a result, more than a hundred people were injured, more than half of the buildings in and around Christchurch were destroyed or damaged.

A year later (2011), another 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Canterbury. It became a continuation of the previous one. However, its consequences were more severe: 185 people died, most of the buildings were destroyed.

In November 2016, another devastating earthquake struck northeast of Christchurch. It was triggered by a tsunami.

New Zealand, South Island: attractions

This largest island in the country has many interesting historical and natural attractions that attract tourists from all over the world. Fans of architectural monuments are recommended to visit the city of Dunedin, which is considered the Scottish city of the country, in addition, it is often called the New Zealand Edinburgh. It was founded, as you might guess, by settlers from Scotland. For him, the site of a long-extinct volcano was chosen. The city has a unique topography with many sloping streets and magnificent Gothic buildings.

In another large settlement of the island - Crichester, you can appreciate the splendor of ancient buildings in the Gothic style and modern buildings made in high-tech style. There are also natural attractions here - a huge Botanical Garden, which covers an area of ​​30 hectares. It impresses with an abundance of amazing vegetation, including exotic ones.

Of the architectural sights of the island, the Pelorus Bridge should be mentioned, connecting the banks of the river of the same name, which carries its waters through a nature reserve with dense beech forests in which ferns grow.

• in 1851 was named by New Zealand explorer Captain John Stoker in honor of the famous traveler James Cook, who visited the island in 1769, mapped almost the entire coastline, but he did not see the mountain named after him.
• The Norwest Arch is a special weather phenomenon that is called the "Canterbury Arch" because it occurs only on this plain. It is an arc formed by a white cloud in a blue sky. The phenomenon causes a warm and very strong northwesterly wind, better known as the norwester.
• More than 500 charcoal drawings were found on the walls of the caves in the center of the island. Presumably they were made by the ancient Maori. It is interesting that the Europeans who arrived on the island claimed that the locals at that time did not know anything about the people who left drawings of people, animals and some fantastic creatures.
• Dunedin has Larnach Castle. He is the only one in the country. The castle was built by local financier and politician William Larnach for his first wife. English tiles, Venetian glass, Italian marble, valuable species of rimu and kauri trees were used in the construction. Today, the castle and the garden surrounding it have been restored and restored.

How to move to live on the island?

Magnificent nature, perfectly clean air, a developed and stable economy, social security and a high standard of living are just a few of the reasons that attract tourists to the South Island (New Zealand). Everyone dreams of moving to live here. However, visiting this island kingdom is not so easy. Emigration involves strict compliance with a number of conditions and requirements of the kingdom.

When preparing to move to the South Island of New Zealand for permanent residence, do not trust firms that offer to circumvent the law. In this case, you risk losing money and time. Moving to New Zealand can be done legally:

1. According to the quota for young professionals.
2. Through in-demand specialties.
3. For education.
4. By investing in the country's economy.
5. For family reunification (including spouses).
6. Upon obtaining refugee status.

For more information on the required documents, please contact the New Zealand Embassy in Russia.