NEW ZEALAND, a British colony in the south Pacific ocean, consists of three islands, two large and one much smaller, and of a number of islets scattered round the coasts. These islands, which arc named respectively north, south (sometimes also middle), and Stewart's island, are situated 6,500 m. w. from the coast of south America, and about 1200 m. s.e. of Australia. The groop is irregular in form, but may be said to extend from the a. in a n.n.e. direction, and likti the peninsula of Italy, resembles a boot in shape. North islandisr500 m: long,. and 200 nt. in greatest breadth felon e. to w. ; south island is 550 in. long, and 210 m. in greatest breadth; Stewart's island is triangular in shape, and has an area of about 900 square miles. Area of the three islands about 100,000 sq. miles. The north is separated from the south island by Cook's strait, which is 18 m. wide at its eastern and 90 m. wide at its western end; the south is separated from Stew art's island by Foveaux strait, which averages about 20 m. in width. The group extends in lat. from 34° 15' to 47° 30' s., and in long. from 166° to e.; being thus almost the antipodes of the British isles.
Coast the entire coast line of about 4,000 m., nearly 1500 m. is formed by the shores of north island, which are deeply indented, and contain many excellent har bors. Commencing from north cape, and going s.e. round the island, the chief harbors are 1Nionganui, Wang,aroa, the bay of islands, Auckland, Mercury, and Tauranga !Jays, and the ports of Wellington, Manukan, and Hokianga.. On the n. and s. coasts of south island, which are much broken, the harbors are numerous and excellent; on the eastern coast, the principal harbors are Akaroa, Victoria, and Dunedin. On the coast of Stew art's island, there are also good ports.
Sutface.—The New Zealand islands are of volcanic origin, and a great portion of the entire area is occupied by mountains, among which are many extinct and a few active volcanoes. In north island, mount Ruaperhui, the highest summit of the central ranee, is 9,100 ft. in height, and is capped with perpetual snow, In the same is Tnn gariro, an active volcano, 6,500 ft. high. A continuous range of mountains runs the western coast of south island, and assumes the form of table-lands and isolated peaks toward the east. This range rises in mount Cook to about 13,000 feet. In Stew ait's island, the greatest elevation is about 3,000 feet. In north island, the mountains are mostly clothed with evergreen forests of luxuriant growth, interspersed. with fern clad ranges, and occasionally with treeless grassy plains; extensive and rich valleys and sheltered dales abound; and in the east of south island there are many expansive plains of rich meadow-land, admirably adapted either for agriculture or cattle-breeding. Water and water-power are found in great abundance in the colony, and the numerous rivers are subject to sudden floods from the melting of the mountain snows. As a rule, how ever, the streams are short, and are not navigable for more than 50 m. above their mouths. The chief is Waikato river, in north island, which, issuing from the Taupo lake (30 m. long by 20 broad), flows in a northern direction for 200 m., and reaches the sea on the w. coast. In south island, the rivers Clutha, Mataura. and Waiau, all flow ing s., are among the chief. Around lakes Rotomahana and Rotorua are a number of
grand and beautiful geysers, which throw up water heated to 2' above the boiling point. The geology of New Zealand is remarkable in a high degree. The mountains. which are of every variety of outline. are chiefly composed of the lower slate-rocks. intersected with basalt, and mixed with primary sandstone and limestone. Beds of coal and lignite exist, and the former have been to some extent worked.
Soil, Climate, and the whole surface-extent of New Zealand (nearly 70,000,000 acres, little short of the combined area of England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland), one-fourth is estimated to consist of dense forests tracts, one-half of excellent soil, and the remainder of waste lands, scorite-hills, and rugged mountain regions. Nearly 40,000,000 acres are supposed to be more or less suitable for agriculture and cattle-breeding. The soil, although often clayey, has in the volcanic districts more than a medium fertility,- but the luxuriant and senu-tropical vegetation is perhaps as much due to excellence of climate as to richness of soil. Owing to the prevalence of light and easily-worked soils, all agricultural processes are performed with unusual ease. The climate of New Zealand Is one of the finest in the world. The country contains few physical sources of disease: the average temperature is remarkably even at all seasons of the year, and the atmosphere is continually agitated and freshened by winds that blow over an immense expanse of ocean. In a word, the climate much resembles that of England, with half the cold of the English winter; while the summer is longer and somewhat warmer, the atmosphere is more breezy and pure, and there mire many more fine days throughout the year. In north island, the mean annual temperature is 58'; in south island, 52°. The mean temperature of the hottest month at Auckland is and at Otago, 58°; of the coldest month, 51° and 40°. The air is very humid, and the fall of rain is greater than in England, but there are more dry days. All the native trees and plants are evergreens. Forrests, shrubberies, and plams are clothed in green throughout the year, time results of which are, that cattle, as a rule, browse on the herb rr and shrubs of the open country all the year round, thus saving great expense to the cattle-breeder; and that the operations of and cultivating land can he carried on at all seasons. The seasons in New Zealand are the reverse of ours; January is their hottest month, and June the coldest. All the grains, grasses, fruits, and vegetables grown in England are cultivated in this country with perfect success, being excellent in quality and heavy in yield; while, besides these, the vine is cultivated in the open air, and maize, the taro, and the sweet-potato are cultivated to some extent in the sunny valleys of north island. The entire acreage under crop in New Zealand in 1851 was in 1858, it was 141,007: in 1876. ,988, while in 1871 the total acreage fenced was 6,778,733. Of the crops, the principal were wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, and sown grass, which, under ordinary circumstances, are grown to great advantage in, New Zeal and. Besides te few' harniless lizards, a finoall species of .rat is the, onlyindigenous four footed animal found in either of the great islands. Hawks are The coml.