1.  New Zealand Unit 3 – Part 2

2. Physical Characteristics  New Zealand comprises of two main islands, the North and South Islands, and a number of smaller islands.  The South Island is the largest land mass of New Zeland – it is very mountainous.  The North Island is less mountainous but it marked by volcanism, Mount Ruapehu is an active volcano.

3.  The dramatic and varied landscape of New Zealand has made it a popular location for the production of television programs and films; including the Lord of the Rings and the Last Samurai  The country owes it’s varied landscape to the boundary in which it straddles between the pacific and Indo-Australian plates.

4. Climate Characteristics  The climate throughout the country is mild and temperate (meaning the changes between summer and winter are not extreme)  Temperatures rarely fall below 0°C or rise above 30°C.  The driest city is Christchurch; whereas, Auckland receives double the amount of rain.

5.  About 80% of New Zealand’s flora and fauna is endemic – meaning it can only be found there.  For example, the flightless kiwi – a national icon.  Unlike Australia there are no snakes and only one venomous spider, which is restricted to coastal regions.  New Zealand has suffered a high rate of extinctions due to human activities such as hunting, and pressure from introduced feral animals.