The longest river in New Zealand. Geography of New Zealand: nature, relief, climate, population

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Introduction

In my work I will try to tell the basic information about New Zealand. I chose this state because it is not studied in the school curriculum, but, nevertheless, it is very interesting according to all geographical estimates. Below are the basic information about New Zealand.

§ Capital of New Zealand: Wellington

§ New Zealand area(73rd in the world): 269,000 sq. km. (including North (115,000 sq. km.) and South (151,000 sq. km.) Islands, Stewart and Chatman Islands, a number of small islands)

§ highest point: Mount Cook - 3,754 m.

§ New Zealand coastline: 15, 134 km.

§ longest river in new zealand: Waikato - 425 km.

§ New Zealand's largest natural body of water: Lake Taupo, depth - up to 163 m, area 606 sq. km.

§ Natural resources : iron ore, gas, oil, gold, coal, timber, quartz sand.

§ natural hazards: frequent but rarely strong earthquakes, volcanic activity, no snakes and poisonous insects.

§ Population of New Zealand (120th in the world): 3,800,000 (2000), 84% of the population lives in the North Island, 85% of the population lives in cities. Lifespan: men 74.85, women 80.93. population growth: 1.17% (2000)

§ Birth rate: 14.28/1000 (2000)

§ Mortality rate: 7.57/1000 (2000)

§ Official language New Zealand: English, Maori Currency unit: New Zealand dollar (NZD)

§ Public administration system: parliamentary democracy

§ Telephone code New Zealand: 64

Geographical position

State New Zealand located in southwest pacific. The main territory of the country is made up of two islands that have the corresponding names - South Island and North Island. The South and North Islands are separated Cook Strait. In addition, the country also includes 61 other islands, which are much smaller in area. The total area of ​​the country is 268,680 sq. km.(which includes, in addition to the area of ​​the main islands, the area of ​​the Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Islands, Chatham Islands and Kermadec Islands). This makes it slightly smaller in area than Italy and Japan, and slightly larger than Great Britain. Length coastline New Zealand is 15,134 kilometers.

south island is largest island belonging to New Zealand. It is home to approximately one-fourth of the country's population. A mountain range stretches along the island from north to south. Southern Alps, the highest peak of the stab is Mt. Mount Cook or Aoraki, tall 3754 meters. In addition to her south island there are 18 more peaks exceeding 3000 meters. East End The islands are more flat and almost completely occupied by agricultural farms. West Coast much less densely populated. Huge tracts of almost untouched nature with virgin flora and fauna have been preserved here. The western part is also famous for numerous national parks, fjords and glaciers sliding from the slopes of the Southern Alps right into the Tasman Sea.

north island much less mountainous than the South. Most high point North Island is active Ruapehu volcano, height 2797 meters. The northern island is characterized by high volcanic activity, of the six volcanic zones in the country, five are located on it. Located in the heart of the North Island lake taupo, most big lake in New Zealand. It originates from Waikato River, whose length is 425 kilometers, making it the longest river in New Zealand.

Lake Taupo, center of the North Island

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rivers of new zealand world, rivers of new zealand
There are a large number of rivers in New Zealand, but the vast majority of them are small streams. So, during a trip around the Taranaki volcano, located on Severny Island, new river found on almost every kilometer. In general, there are about 40 large river systems on the South Island, and about 30 on the North Island.

Most rivers in New Zealand are fed either by rain or snow. Many of them originate in the highlands, then draining into the plains and eventually flowing into either the Tasman Sea or the Pacific Ocean.

The longest river in the country is the Waikato River, which is 425 km long. The largest river in terms of water flow is Kluta (about 614 m³ / s).

Many rivers, which have wide floodplains or have water-retaining dams, are spanned by numerous bridges. So, the most long bridge in New Zealand (1757 m). The total length of the rivers plotted on New Zealand maps is about 180,000 km.

Since ancient times, New Zealand rivers have been widely used. Indigenous New Zealanders, the Maori, and early European colonists used the rivers to travel. In total, about 1609 km of rivers in New Zealand are navigable, but most of them currently do not play an important transport role. Most of the rivers are currently used for tourism and recreation purposes: rafting, rowing, kayaking. New Zealand is one of the few countries in Oceania that has developed hydroelectric power generation. Numerous hydroelectric power plants operate on many New Zealand rivers.

• 1 List of the twenty longest rivers
• 2 Other rivers longer than 100 km
• 3 See also
• 4 Notes
• 5 Links

List of twenty longest rivers

Other rivers longer than 100 km

• Avater
• Aparima
• Matueka
• Ngaruroro (river)
• Patea
• Rakaia
• Rangitata
• Ruamahanga
• Tukituks
• Turakina
• Wairoa (Bay of Plenty)
• Wairoa (Northland)
• Hurunui

see also

• List of rivers of Oceania

Notes

1. 1 2 3 Young, David. rivers. How New Zealand rivers are formed. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved April 2, 2010. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012.
2. Murray, D. L. (1975). "Regional hydrology of the Clutha River" (Journal of Hydrology (N.Z.)) 14 (2): 85–98. Retrieved 2010-04-02.

Links

• Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. New Zealand's longest rivers

rivers of new zealand, rivers of new zealand world, rivers of new zealand not

Rivers of New Zealand Information About

• Kluta
  The second longest river in New Zealand, the longest river in the South Island. It flows in a south-south-east direction for 338 km through the territory of the Otago region, flowing 75 km south-west of Dunedin into the Pacific Ocean. The river flows through a picturesque area and is largely known for its history associated with the era of the gold rush.
• Mataura
  A river in the southern region of New Zealand's South Island. The length of the river is 190 kilometers. The river originates in the mountains, south of Lake Wakatipu. From there it flows through the city of Gor in a southerly direction. After that, the river flows through the city of Mataura and flows into the Pacific Ocean through Toyotoes Bay for south coast islands.
• Rangitikei
  River in New Zealand. It flows along Severny Island from north to southeast for 240 km, after which it flows into the Tasman Sea. The source of the river is located southeast of Lake Taupo, within the borders of the Kaimanawa Range. After that, the Rangitikei flows along the central plateau in a southerly direction through the cities of Taihape, Mangaveka, Hunterville, Marton and Bulls.
• Taieri
  The fourth longest river in New Zealand. It flows through the Otago region on the South Island. The source of the river is located in the Lammerlo Mountains, from where the Taieri flows in a northerly direction. At the Pillar Mountains, the direction of the river changes to southeast. About 32 km south of Dunedin, the Taieri flows into the Pacific Ocean. The length of the river is about 288 km, of which the last 20 km are navigable.
• waiau
  River in New Zealand. It flows through the Southland region on the South Island. The source of the river is in Lake Te Anau, flowing from which the Waiau flows into Lake Manapouri, located about 10 km to the south. After that, the river flows in a southerly direction for 70 km, after which it flows into the Foveaux Strait, about 8 km south of locality Tautapere. Waiau is about 217 km long.
• Waikato
  The largest river in New Zealand, 425 km long, flows in the central part of the North Island and flows into the Tasman Sea.
• Waitaki
  A major river on the South Island in New Zealand. Its length is about 110 kilometers. It is the main river of the Mackenzie Basin. The Waitaki is characterized by a multi-channel channel through the lakes of Benmore, Avmore and Waitaki. Hydroelectric power plants were built on lakes Benmore and Avmore.
• Wanganui
  River in New Zealand. Flows through North Island from north to southeast, after which it flows into the Tasman Sea. The length of the river is 290 km. The source of the river is on the northern slopes of Mount Tongariro.
• Whakatane
  River in New Zealand. It flows through the Bay of Plenty region on the North Island. The source of the river is located in a mountainous area near Lake Waikaremoana. It flows due north national park Te Urevera. In the area of ​​​​the city of Whakatane, it flows into the Gulf of Plenty of the Pacific Ocean.
• Avon
  It flows through the center of Christchurch, on the South Island of New Zealand. The source of the river begins at the western border of the suburb of Avonhead, where the river is fed by underground sources. The main watercourse of the river is formed at the confluence at the headwaters of the streams Wairarapa (Wairarapa Maori), Waimairi (Waimairi Maori), Okeover and Ilam. The river flows into the Avon Heathcote Estuary on the east coast of New Zealand, which it forms with the River Heathcote.

The river network on the islands of New Zealand is very dense. There is a lot of precipitation, and the rivers, especially on the North Island, are fed by rain. In the South Island, along with rain, snow and ice melt is of great importance. Evaporation is small, and the rivers are full of water. Only in the Canterbury Plain do catastrophic floods occasionally occur, caused by the rapid melting of snow and ice. As a rule, rivers start in the mountains and make their way along high and steep slopes, so they are fast-flowing and often form rapids and waterfalls. Entering the plains, they slow down their flow, often split into arms and deposit the material they brought from the mountains, piling up bars and shoals. In this regard, the rivers are of little navigable value and are used for this purpose only in separate areas isolated from each other. Some of them originate from lakes and thus are, as it were, naturally regulated, which is of great importance in hydro construction, and hydropower is the main form of energy in New Zealand. Since the country is small, the rivers are small in length. The longest are Waikato 354 km on the North Island and Klu-ta 338 km on the South. There are many picturesque deep lakes in the country. They have a varied origin, but are mainly divided into two types: volcanic on the North Island of Taupo, Rotorua and glacial at the foot and in the intermountain basins of the Southern Alps. The latter fill the depressions worked out by ancient glaciers and are distinguished by significant depths. Thus, the depth of Lake Wakotipu reaches 379 m, Manapauri 445 m. The main parent rocks on which soils are formed are represented by granites, limestones, sandstones, volcanic lavas, tuffs and ashes. As a rule, the soil varieties formed on them are sufficiently provided with mineral nutrients. For the subtropical regions of the country, where there is especially a lot of moisture and heat, zheltozems are characteristic. A distinctive feature of this type of soil is the presence of a large number organic matter, which makes them very fertile and suitable for agricultural use. These soils are developed not only in the most extreme northern part of the country, on the Auckland Peninsula, but also on the plains in the vicinity of the Gulf of Plenty, in the southeastern part of the North Island and in the province of Westland on the South Island. Chernozem-like soils are developed on the Canterbury Plain, once covered with steppe vegetation, but now plowed and occupied by various crops. These are the most fertile soils in the country. They contain a lot of humus and minerals necessary for plants. The deep basins of the South Island are characterized by chestnut soils, which are also fertile and widely used for growing various crops. In river valleys, alluvial soils have formed on alluvial formations, the fertility of which is also quite significant. In swampy lowlands, where there is excessive moisture, peat soils are common, and in mountainous areas, mountain forest and mountain meadow soils.