The South Island is the larger of the main islands, at 150,000 square km (60,000 square miles - the size of England and Wales together, or of Illinois). The North Island's area is 115,000 square kilometres (45,000 square miles). Note that no-one ever talks about "South Island" or "North Island". It's "The South Island" and "The North Island", and you are in them, not on them.
The population of New Zealand is about 4,000,000, and of those one in four live in Auckland in the northern North Island. The other main centres are (from north to south) Hamilton, Wellington (the capital ), Christchurch, and Dunedin. Only some 900,000 people live in the South Island, and its sparse population has allowed room for the retention of many wilderness areas of outstanding natural beauty (as, indeed is the case in parts of the North Island).
For Americans, a reasonable comparison for size and population would probably be Arizona - a long thin Arizona in the south Pacific. New Zealand has a similar area, similar population, and mountains of the same height, but a little bit more coastline. The climate's not as extreme as Arizona's, but that state's main cities equate very well in size to New Zealand's (Phoenix/Auckland, Tucson/Wellington).
The population is mainly of European (predominantly British) descent, with sizable minorities of the native Maori population, Pacific islanders, and various Asian communities. These vary in proportion according to location, with some parts of the northeastern North Island being up to 60% Maori.
Traditionally, primary exports in the form of wool, dairy farming, timber, fish, and meat have provided much of New Zealand's trade income. In recent years these have become less important than manufactured goods and tourism, though dairy farming in particular remains a major overseas earner.
The first European to chart much of the coast and set foot on New Zealand was James Cook in 1769. From then until 1840, European settlement was restricted mainly to whaling and sealing settlements. In the first half of the 19th century, however, colonisation began in earnest, with different companies and church organisations funding the settlement of different regions. Even today, some regions show vestiges of this settlemt scheme - Otago still has a strong Scottish influence, for example.
In 1840, an agreement was reached between the British settlers and the council of Maori chiefs, and a treaty, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed guaranteeing the equal status of the groups under the law. Though this document is frequently brought into dispute, it is undoubtedly as important to New Zealand as the Bill of Rights is to the USA or the Magna Carta is to the UK. An uneasy peace existed between the Maori and settler ("Pakeha") populations throughout the 19th century, frequently boiling over into bloodshed. Greatest hostility occurred during the 1860s in what are now known as the New Zealand Wars, especially in the central North Island.
New Zealand was granted dominion status from Great Britain in 1907, and since then has been largely independent. It fought with the Allies during both world wars, and has been involved in other conflicts fighting alongside Australian, British and American forces. New Zealand's "rite of passage" came with the bloody defeat at Gallipoli in 1915, commemorated annually on April 25th, ANZAC day (named for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose men were involved in the heaviest of the fighting). Despite traditional alliances having been strained by New Zealand's anti-nuclear stance during the 1980s and differences over recent Middle East conflicts, New Zealand is still regarded as aligned with Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
New Zealand was the first country to grant suffrage to women (in 1893), and has fought against discrimination since this time, although, like all countries, there is still work to be done.
New Zealand is a committed member of the U.N., and of the Commonwealth of Nations. Officially its head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, represented in New Zealand by the largely symbolic post of Governor-General. Its form of government is based on the Westminster model, but with a unicameral assembly. That is, it elects members of parliament as representatives of the people, and the prime minister is the leader of the party which gains the most seats, or of the main party in a coalition, but there is no separate upper house or senate. Elections are held every three years. Since 1996 election has been by proportional representation. The current government is a coalition led by the New Zealand National Party; its Prime Minister is John Key.
Features - North Island
The North Island ranges from subtropical
to temperate. In the far north, the long peninsula of Northland contains
the remnants of a mighty Kauri forest, seemingly endless beaches, and even
mangrove swamps. At its southern end, the Auckland isthmus contains the
country's main urban area. Beyond this is the flood plain of the Waikato,
the country's longest river. In the centre of this plain lies the city
of Hamilton. Travelling clockwise around the island, one passes the scenic
forests and hills of the Coromandel Peninsula, the broad sweep of the Bay
of Plenty, and the rugged forested hill country of the East Coast, before
reaching the North's 'sunshine coast' of Hawkes Bay, with its twin cities
of Napier and Hastings. South of these lies the sparsely populated broken
hill land of the Wairarapa. At the southern end of the island is the Wellington
urban area.
Travelling back up the North Island's west coast, one crosses the fertile Manawatu plain and the coastal plains around Wanganui (inland of which lie dense, steep, forested hills). At the western extreme of the island is the region of Taranaki, with the near-perfect volcanic cone that has the twin names of Egmont/Taranaki. Beyond this, undulating hills of the King Country finally flatten into the southern end of the Waikato Basin.
In the centre of the island is the volcanic plateau. At the heart of this is Lake Taupo, the massive crater of a long dormant volcano (its last eruption, in about 100 AD, was one of the biggest explosions on the planet in the Christian era). This gives a clue to the geothermal nature of this region. North of Taupo is an active geothermal region of bubbling mud and hot springs, centred on the tourist town of Rotorua. Within miles of here is the active volcano Tarawera, whose devastating eruption in the 1880s buried entire villages in ash. To the south of Taupo lies the Rangipo Desert - a barren region, not so much through lack of rainfall as because of its volcanic soil. Above this rise three active volcanoes - Tongariro, Ngauruhoe, and Ruapehu (the latter of which has erupted within the last decade). The nearby ski area is one of the few places in the world where it is possible to ski on an active volcano!
Features - South Island
Beyond Cook Strait lies the South Island.
The South Island's climate is more temperate than the north's, and in parts
of the far south snow is not uncommon in winter even at low altitudes.
In the far north of the island is Nelson, the South's "riviera city".
To the east of this are the sunken valleys of the Marlborough Sounds, a
popular playground for small boat owners. South of the sounds, the Kaikoura
mountains rise straight out of the sea. The deep water close to the coast
here attracts many species, including whales, which can frequently be seen
here.
Most of the population of the south is centred on the broad plains and undulating hills that lie along the east coast south of Kaikoura. The broad Canterbury plains, centred on the cities of Christchurch and Timaru, contain much of this population. Inland, broad subalpine glacial valleys and deep ice-fed lakes lie at the foothills of the Southern Alps, which rise to the 3700 metre (12,300 foot) summit of Mt. Cook (Aoraki).
South of Canterbury the land becomes increasingly hilly. The city of Dunedin lies at the end of a natural harbour formed by the crater of a long extinct volcano. South of this lie the plains of Southland and the rugged hill country of the Catlins. Inland from Dunedin the land rises into an arid, rocky, and beautiful region known as Central Otago. This (like the Volcanic Plateau) is a region of extreme temperatures - bitterly cold in winter, baking hot in summer, and dry all year round. (Dunedin and Otago are dealt with in more depth on a separate webpage here). Over recent years this region has become the adventure sport capital of New Zealand.
In the southwestern-most part of the island is a wild, uninhabited region known as Fiordland. This area has world heritage status, and its scenery is virtually unparalleled. The lakes of Manapouri and Te Anau, and Milford and Doubtful Sounds are spectacular beyond words. A word to the wise to tourists - don't be put off visiting Milford if it is wet. Not only is Milford usually wet (it's the wettest place in the country), but the road to Milford passes through sheer rock walls that cascade with waterfalls in rainy weather. It is, however, definitely worth checking to ensure that the road is open - the area is remote and mountainous, and the road is prone to closure, especially in winter when avalanches can occur. Filling this whole region is 'the bush' - thousands of hectares of largely untouched temperate rain forest. This forest stretches intermittently up the length of the West Coast, an area which has in recent years become increasingly recognised by tourists for its beauty.
Wildlife
New Zealand has no native mammals other
than bats, and no native reptiles other than lizards and the unique tuatara.
What it has, however, is an abundance of bird life unique to the islands.
Due to the absence of predators, many of these never learnt to fly. Notable
among these species are the kiwi, our national symbol; the kakapo, the
world's largest parrot; the takahe, a large wading bird; and several rare
species of penguin. Another famous flightless native bird, now long extinct,
was the moa, a giant ostrich-like species. Of flying species, perhaps the
most notable is the kea, a mountain-dwelling species of parrot that is
not only highly intelligent, but also remarkably inquisitive and unfazed
by the presence of humans.
