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CHAPTER XLVII

NEW ZEALAND

THE Dominion of New 'Zealand includes North Island, South
Island (sometimes called Middle Island), and Stewart Island, along
with the Chatham Islands and several other groups in the sur-
rounding seas. The total area amounts to 103,861 square miles,
which is rather more than five-sixths of the area of the British
Isles- New Zealand proper lies between the 34th and 48th parallels
of south latitude, with a general trend from south-west to north-
east* South Island, the largest of the group, contains the Southern
Alps, which run parallel to the west coast from Cook Strait to
about lat. 44° 30' S. These are fold mountains which separate a
narrow west coast district traversed by spurs projecting from the
main chain from a broader and much broken eastern district;
in the west, metamorphic and gneissjc rocks with granitic intru-
sions are found, but in the east the prevailing formations are
shales and greywacke probably belonging to the Secondary era.
Lands of recent origin lie along the middle part of the east coast,
and form the well-known Canterbury Plains. To the north of
these, Mesozoic rocks reappear in the Kaikoura Range, which runs
in a north-easterly direction parallel to the Southern Alps, The
southern part of the island is an ancient and elevated peneplane
which has been much dissected by rivers flowing in a southerly
direction, and it therefore consists in part of valleys and in part of
residual ranges, all having the same general trend. The Kaikoura
mountains are continued along- the east of North Island by the
Ruahine Range. Between it and the coast is a belt of downs country
of Tertiary age, while to the west is the extensive volcanic region of
Lake Taupo with the volcanic cones of Tongariro and Ruapehu.
The most westerly part of the island consists of another great
volcanic cone, Mount Egmont; while the north-west is built up
of small ancient massifs surrounded by Tertiary deposits and
volcanic outflows. ,

CLIMATE, The temperature and rainfall of "New Zealand are
mainly controlled by the fact that the greater part of the Dominion

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	CHAPTER XLVII NEW ZEALAND THE Dominion of New 'Zealand includes North Island, South Island (sometimes called Middle Island), and Stewart Island, along with the Chatham Islands and several other groups in the sur- rounding seas. The total area amounts to 103,861 square miles, which is rather more than five-sixths of the area of the British Isles- New Zealand proper lies between the 34th and 48th parallels of south latitude, with a general trend from south-west to north- east* South Island, the largest of the group, contains the Southern Alps, which run parallel to the west coast from Cook Strait to about lat. 44° 30' S. These are fold mountains which separate a narrow west coast district traversed by spurs projecting from the main chain from a broader and much broken eastern district; in the west, metamorphic and gneissjc rocks with granitic intru- sions are found, but in the east the prevailing formations are shales and greywacke probably belonging to the Secondary era. Lands of recent origin lie along the middle part of the east coast, and form the well-known Canterbury Plains. To the north of these, Mesozoic rocks reappear in the Kaikoura Range, which runs in a north-easterly direction parallel to the Southern Alps, The southern part of the island is an ancient and elevated peneplane which has been much dissected by rivers flowing in a southerly direction, and it therefore consists in part of valleys and in part of residual ranges, all having the same general trend. The Kaikoura mountains are continued along- the east of North Island by the Ruahine Range. Between it and the coast is a belt of downs country of Tertiary age, while to the west is the extensive volcanic region of Lake Taupo with the volcanic cones of Tongariro and Ruapehu. The most westerly part of the island consists of another great volcanic cone, Mount Egmont; while the north-west is built up of small ancient massifs surrounded by Tertiary deposits and volcanic outflows. , CLIMATE, The temperature and rainfall of "New Zealand are mainly controlled by the fact that the greater part of the Dominion 633