Where is New Zealand in the World?

New Zealand is a country surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. Though New Zealand does not share any boundaries with other land masses, the country is nearest to Tonga, New Caledonia, Australia, and Fiji. As part of Oceania, New Zealand is divided into two major regions. There is the North Island and the South Island, but they rest at an angle when viewed from a map. The North Island is the smaller of the two, positioned in the northeast. The South Island is the southwestern part of New Zealand.

Population, Density, and Total Area of New Zealand

The population of New Zealand is approximately 4,768,092 people as of 2018. The population of NZ is only 0.06% of the world’s total population. Based on population alone, New Zealand ranks as the 126th largest country in the world, just behind Costa Rica and slightly ahead of Ireland.

The total area of New Zealand is 104,515 square miles. Of this total area, roughly 102,842.76 square miles is land, and 1,672.24 square miles is water. In percentages, this equates to a country that is 98.4% land and 1.6% water.

In terms of total area, NZ is the 75th largest country concerning the physical size. New Zealand is just a few miles larger than Gabon in Central Africa, but a few miles shy of the total area of Burkina Faso in West Africa.

GPS Coordinates and General Surroundings

New Zealand is found at a latitude of 40.9006° S, and longitude of 174.8860° E. To the north of New Zealand lie the islands of New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Island, Kiribati, Tuvalu, West Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, and Nauru. Australia is northwest of New Zealand, though it appears more west than north. Papua New Guinea, which is situated a bit further north than Australia, is also in the relative vicinity of New Zealand. The Pacific Ocean surrounds New Zealand along every inch of coastline.

Levels of Elevation of New Zealand

The highest point in all of New Zealand exists at a phenomenal altitude of 12,218 feet above sea level. This level of elevation is atop Aoraki, or Mount Cook, in the Southern Alps. This mountain range is positioned on the South Island of New Zealand. At its lowest point, New Zealand is at sea level, with an altitude of 0 feet.

New Zealand is a country. New Zealand was settled by European explorers a few hundred years ago. New Zealand was settled by European explorers around the same time that Australia was.

Is New Zealand Part of Australia?

No, New Zealand is not part of Australia. Australia is a continent, but the continent of Australia is taken up entirely by the country of Australia. New Zealand is an island off the coast of Australia. Australia and New Zealand are two different countries. Even though Australia and New Zealand are both considered part of the British Commonwealth, they are two separate countries. They have their own president, their own governments, and their own laws.

Is New Zealand a Big Country?

No, New Zealand is not a very big country. Even though New Zealand has a thriving economy, it does not have a lot of people. It also does not take up a lot of territory. New Zealand is a few hours away from Australia by plane flight. Australia is significantly larger than New Zealand in terms of its total population and square mileage. New Zealand is a tropical country that gets visitors from all over the world every year.