Animals and plants of New Zealand - the unique nature of the country. New zealand natural environment

Photos of the nature of New Zealand convincingly confirm that its main attractions are not cities and architecture, but huge natural parks, animals and vegetable world. Undoubtedly, the inhabitants of the country are lucky to have absolutely stunning views of nature around their cities. So, on the one hand, here you can enjoy life on the coast and immediately contemplate the snow-white caps of the mountains, which create a beautiful and unique atmosphere for life. Pictured is Queenstown.

Numerous lakes in the National Parks are one of the visiting cards of this country. Often, they are surrounded by mountains, which are reflected in the crystal clear water surface. This is the scenery of Lake Pukaki.

Is here and nature reserves with other landscapes and other nature. A shot from the Fiordland National Park.

Fast forward to another, no less famous nature reserve Tongariro. Here we are waiting unique landscapes, mountain meadows, unusual lakes and many other amazing views.

A hard-to-reach and therefore very attractive lake for travelers on one of the peaks of the mountain range in the same reserve.

Another mandatory item in many tourism programs is the Abel Tasman National Park. There are stunning sandy coasts, nestled among low, but very picturesque cliffs.

Another iconic place- the territory of hydrothermal springs and reserves of Wai-O-Tapu, where you can find absolutely fantastic landscapes.

If you ever wanted to visit a real geyser spouting from the ground, then be sure to visit the equipped area next to the Lady Knox geyser.

By the way, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed in New Zealand. Traveling around the country, you can visit many places where famous movie scenes were filmed.

Animals of New Zealand

Due to the fact that New Zealand is located far from other continents, a special fauna with rare animals has formed here. Unfortunately, some species have died out or been directly exterminated in past centuries due to human activity.

Let's start with the national symbol - the Kiwi bird.

In general, probably only in New Zealand there are so many species of birds that cannot fly. Pictured is a Kakapo parrot.

There are beautiful and unusual for a European inhabitant, black swans.

You can also find a rare species here - the blue vayo duck.

On next photo- an interesting reptile Hatteria. Her ancestors were older than the dinosaurs. This species has successfully survived and developed on the islands of New Zealand for hundreds of millions of years. By the way, the life expectancy of tuatara is surprisingly high. The average individual may well live up to 100 years.

But snakes in this country are completely absent. Moreover, they are prohibited by law. An attempt to import a snake is punishable by a serious fine.

New Zealand

The state of New Zealand is located on large islands Northern and South, separated by the Cook Strait, in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, as well as on nearby (Stuard, Sners, Great Barrner, etc.) and more remote small islands.

The name of the country comes from the Dutch province of Zeeland.

Capital

Wellington.

Square

Population

3864 thousand people

Administrative division

The state is divided into 93 counties, 9 districts.

Form of government

A constitutional monarchy.

head of state

The Queen of Great Britain, represented by the Governor General.

supreme legislative body

The unicameral parliament is the House of Representatives.

Supreme executive body

Government.

Big cities

Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, Dunedin.

Official language

English.

Religion

24% - Anglicans, 18% - Presbyterians, 15% - Catholics, the majority - Maori - members of the Christian sects Ratana and Ringatu.

Ethnic composition

88% - Europeans (mostly British), 9% - Maori.

Currency

New Zealand dollar = 100 cents.

Climate

Climate north island and northern part South Island- subtropical, marine, in the rest of the territory - moderate. The summer months (November to April) are usually warm, with maximum daytime temperatures in Auckland +22-27°C. Precipitation in a large part of the country is 400-700 mm per year, in the mountains - up to 2000-5000 mm. Winter (June to September) is usually mild. It can rain at any time of the year. Snow does not fall on the plains, but there is snow in the mountains, there are even ski resorts.

The plains of the South Island and part of the North Island are covered with Tassek - a kind of steppe vegetation. In the mountains - southern beech forests, on the North Island - subtropical forests, which occupy 23% of the territory.

The fauna of New Zealand is quite peculiar. Some groups of animals (ungulates, predators) are absent here, but there are many feral rats, cats, dogs, rabbits, goats, pigs, once brought by settlers. There are rare flightless birds - kiwi, kakapo parrot, rarest bird takahe. In New Zealand, the oldest vertebrate of the Earth lives - tuatara, or tuatara, which existed even before the appearance of mammoths.

Rivers and lakes

The largest river is the Waikato. The largest lake is Taupo.

Attractions

In Auckland - Art Gallery, Museum of Transport and Technology, Parnell Rose Garden. In Wellington - the National Gallery of Art, the National Museum. The thermal “corner of wonders” is interesting, represented by mud volcanoes of the North Island, foamy waterfalls, boiling and hot springs.

Useful information for tourists

New Zealanders are very welcoming and friendly people. A foreigner, once in the country, is surprised that complete strangers greet him on the streets. Everywhere you can feel the atmosphere of relaxation and tranquility. The climate also contributes to this: for example, on the North Island, the coldest months of the year - June - August - are almost identical to April-May in southern Ukraine. The crime rate is extremely low compared to any other country in the world, and there is practically no corruption in the government and state apparatus. By the way: ministers of state do not have bodyguards and an escort retinue, and sometimes you can meet them in line at the supermarket and discuss issues that interest you. Naturally, access to the reception of the ministers is open without hindrance. Another practical detail - while in New Zealand, you should not offer tips in hotels, restaurants, etc. - you will not be understood.

Visitors to New Zealand are amazed by the beauty of its nature and there is a feeling that it was created in order to amaze with its beauties.

Everything here is unusual and very interesting. The shores of the islands are washed by the waters of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean, bordered picturesque rocks And sandy shores. To the most major bays include: Canterbury, Hauraki, Tasman, Hawk, and Plenty.

Three-fourths of the area of ​​the Maori islands is occupied by mountains, hills and highlands. Low land areas are located here along the ocean coast of the South Island and in the river valleys on the North Island. In the central part of which there is a Volcanic Plateau, with actively pronounced seismic activity. Earthquakes here happen about 100-200 times a year. There are also hot mineral springs, geysers, active volcanoes. Tourists love to bring original gifts in the form of pieces of lava from these places.

On the territory of the North Island of New Zealand, the climate is subtropical - maritime, on the South Island - temperate. average temperature in winter (July) on the North Island: +12°С and +5°С, and on southern summer(January): +19°С and +14°С, respectively. It rains throughout the year, but snow falls only on the hills. total area glaciation of the Southern Alps is 1000 square kilometers, and the largest glaciers include the Franz Josef, Tasman and Fox glaciers.

^Inland waters

The rivers of the Kiwi Islands are truly beautiful. They take their full-flowing beginning in the mountains of the islands. The largest and richest hydropower in this country is the navigable Waikato River, located on the North Island. Its length is 354 kilometers. New Zealand is also famous for its lakes of glacial, tectonic and volcanic origin.

And Lake Taupo, located on the North Island, due to its area (612 sq. Km), is considered the largest in all of Oceania.

^Soil and flora

The soil zones of the emerald islands are diverse. Here you can find yellow soils in subtropical regions, black soils on the Canterbury Plains, chestnut soils on the South Island, as well as mountain-meadow and mountain-forest soils in mountainous areas countries.

About 24 percent (6 million hectares) of the total area in New Zealand is occupied by forests. Most of which are local plants: tarairo, rimu, namakhi, kauri, and a smaller part - introduced species: poplars, cypresses, pines. 75% of local vegetation species are unique and endemic. The majority of perennial, evergreen species of plant flora prevail.

^Animals of New Zealand

The fauna of the country is considered the most ancient in the world. She is poor in mammals. There are so few of them here that you can count them all: bats, rats, dogs. Of the reptiles, the hatteria or tuatara is interesting - an animal of the beak-headed order. Deforestation had a detrimental effect on the flora of the country, during which plant communities were destroyed and entire populations of birds and animals were destroyed. As a result, many have become rare and are subject to state protection: the owl parrot, the Sultan's chicken, shepherds, kiwi. There are nine in the country national parks, and some of the islands around New Zealand have been turned into animal and bird sanctuaries. The largest national park in the country is Fiordland, located on the South Island.

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. Length coastline New Zealand is 15,134 kilometers long.

South Island - largest island New Zealand, its area is 151,215 km2. About one-fourth of the country's population lives on the island. A ridge runs along the island from north to south. folded mountains 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 creating settlements and seaports, which is why most of population and the largest cities of the country are located here. most high point The northern island is the active volcano Ruapehu with a height of 2797 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. The Waikato River originates from it, the length of which is 425 kilometers, which makes it the most long river in New Zealand.

New Zealand is isolated from other islands and continents by large sea distances. Washing her West Coast The Tasman Sea separates the country from Australia for 1700 km. Pacific Ocean washes East Coast country and separates the country from its nearest neighbors - in the north, from New Calendonia, for 1,000 km; in the east, from Chile, at 8700 km; and south of Antarctica for 2500 km.

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. In the coastal waters of the country there are up to 700 small islands, 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. coastal zones The northern island is 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.

On present stage the zone of increased tectonic activity and the associated high number of earthquakes is the western coast of the South Island and northeast coast 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. The site of the eruption is now the largest in the Pacific region freshwater lake, 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. Commercial 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 path of 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. Most cold month- 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. In Auckland, the largest city in the country, mean annual temperature is +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.

Quantity sundial relatively high in the year, 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

Thanks to special geological and geographical conditions New Zealand has 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. largest lake countries - Taupo (area 616 km2), the most deep lake- Huacaremoana (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, the resources of river runoff and lakes amounted to about 320 km3, the resources of glaciers were about 70 km3, the resources of atmospheric moisture were about 400 km3 and the resources groundwater 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 about 85% of the country's population. About 77% of the consumption in the country fresh water 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 - characteristic of steppe regions and mixed forests and 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 islands of New Zealand, characterized 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.

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), possums (brought into the country to develop the fur industry). Having no natural enemies in the surrounding nature, the populations of these animals reached sizes that posed a threat to agriculture, public health, and brought natural representatives of the flora and fauna of New Zealand to the brink of extinction. 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.

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 have the remains of giant flightless moa birds (Dinornis) exterminated about 500 years ago, reaching a height of 3.5 m. 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. IN coastal seas up to 3000 species of fish and other inhabitants of the sea live.

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, mainly radiant pine (Pinus radiata), brought to New Zealand in the middle of the 19th century, is 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 varieties historically found in New Zealand, 157 are endemic.

In New Zealand there is an unusually large for given climate the number of ferns. The silver cyathea (Cyathea dealbata) (also known locally as the silver fern) is one of the commonly 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). receiving). 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 have permanent job in full employment.

English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language are official languages countries. 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. Maori is the second language official language. In 2006, the language of the deaf and dumb (New Zealand Sign Language) received the status of the third state language.

New Zealand dialect in English close to Australian, but 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. Russian language and others Slavic languages little used due to the small population for which these languages ​​are native.

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

Nature of New Zealand