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List of islands of New Zealand facts for kids

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Rangitoto Island as seen from Mount Victoria Reserve in Devonport, North Shore City 20100128 1
Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland
White Island volcano, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand - panoramio (8)
Whakaari / White Island in the Bay of Plenty

New Zealand consists of more than six hundred islands, mainly remnants of a larger land mass now beneath the sea. New Zealand is the sixth-largest island country, and the third-largest located entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. The following is a list of islands of New Zealand.

The two largest islands – where most of the population lives – have names in both English and in the Māori language. They are the North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui and the South Island or Te Waipounamu. Various Māori iwi sometimes use other names, with some preferring to call the South Island Te Waka o Aoraki. The two islands are separated by the Cook Strait. In general practice, the term mainland refers to the North Island and South Island. However, the South Island alone is sometimes called "the mainland" – especially by its residents, as a nickname – because it is the larger of the two main islands.

To the south of the South Island, Stewart Island / Rakiura is the largest of the smaller islands, and Waiheke Island in the urban Auckland Region has the largest population of the smaller islands.

Listed by size

The following table lists the largest islands of New Zealand proper by area. River delta islands such as Rakaia Island (25.7 km2 (9.9 sq mi)), Fereday Island, Rangitata Island, and Inch Clutha (approximately 15 km2 (5.8 sq mi), 30 square kilometres (12 square miles), and 35 km2 (14 sq mi) respectively) are omitted, as are temporary islands in braided river channels and tidal islands such as Rabbit Island, Nelson (17 km2 (6.6 sq mi)). The country's largest island within a lake, Pomona Island, has an area of just 2.6 km2 (1.0 sq mi).

Rank Name of island Indigenous name Area (km2) Area (sq mi)  % of NZ area Population
1 South Island or Te Waipounamu Te Wahi Pounamu, Te Waka a Māui, Te Waka o Aoraki 150,437 58,084 56.2% 1,225,000
2 North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui Aotearoa 113,729 43,911 42.3% 3,997,300
3 Stewart Island / Rakiura Te Punga o Te Waka-a-Māui 1,683 650 0.6% 400
4 Chatham Island Rekohu (Moriori); Wharekauri (Māori) 900 350 0.3% 600
5 Auckland Island Mauka Huka 510 200 0.2% 0
6 Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island) 285 110 0.1% 850
7 Resolution Island Mauīkatau, Tau Moana 208.87 80.65 0.1% 0
8 Rangitoto ki te Tonga / D'Urville Island 150 58 <0.1% About 52
9 Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku 112.68 43.51 <0.1% 0
10 Adams Island 100 39 <0.1% 0
11 Waiheke Island 92 36 <0.1% 9,420
12 Secretary Island Kā Tū-waewae-o-Tū 81.4 31.4 <0.1% 0
13 Arapaoa Island 75 29 <0.1% 50
14 Pitt Island (Rangiauria) Rangiaotea (Moriori) 62 24 <0.1% 38
15 Matakana Island 60 23 <0.1% 225
16 Raoul Island Rangitahua 29.4 11.4 <0.1% 0
17 Te Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier Island Hauturu 28 11 ~0.0% 0
18 Rangitoto Island 23.1 8.9 ~0.0% 0
19 Antipodes Island 20 7.7 ~0.0% 0
20 Kapiti Island 19.7 7.6 ~0.0% 0
21 Kawau Island 19 7.3 ~0.0% 81
22 Long Island Motu Roa 18.99 7.33 ~0.0% 0
23 Cooper Island Ao-ata-te-pō 17.79 6.87 ~0.0% 0
24 Ponui Island / Chamberlins Island Te Pounui-o-Peretū 17.7 6.8 ~0.0% 0
25 Great Mercury Island (Ahuahu) 17.2 6.6 ~0.0% 0
26 Ruapuke Island 16 6.2 ~0.0% 0
27 Motutapu Island 15.1 5.8 ~0.0% 0
28 Codfish Island / Whenua Hou 14 5.4 ~0.0% 0
29 Mayor Island / Tūhua 13 5.0 ~0.0% 0
30 Coal Island Te Puka-Hereka 11.6 4.5 ~0.0% 0
31 Anchor Island Pukenui 11.37 4.39 ~0.0% 0
32 Mōtītī Island 10 3.9 ~0.0% 27
33 Taukihepa / Big South Cape Island 9.4 3.6 ~0.0% 0

Listed by highest point

The following table lists the islands of New Zealand by their highest elevation. These islands are all in harbours or the open sea. The country's tallest island within a lake, Pomona Island, rises to 511 metres (1,677 ft) above sea level, which is about 333 metres (1,093 ft) above Lake Manapouri's normal lake level.

Rank Name of island Highest point Name of peak Type of peak
1 South Island or Te Waipounamu 3,754 m (12,316 ft) Aoraki/Mount Cook Tectonic
2 North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui 2,797 m (9,177 ft) Mount Ruapehu Volcanic
3 Secretary Island 1,196 m (3,924 ft) Mount Grono Tectonic
4 Resolution Island 1,069 m (3,507 ft) Mount Clerke Tectonic
5 Stewart Island / Rakiura 980 m (3,220 ft) Mount Anglem / Hananui Tectonic
6 Rangitoto ki te Tonga / D'Urville Island 729 m (2,392 ft) Takapōtaka / Attempt Hill Tectonic
7 Te Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier Island 722 m (2,369 ft) Mount Hauturu Volcanic
8 Adams Island 705 m (2,313 ft) Mount Dick Volcanic
9 Auckland Island 659 m (2,162 ft) Cavern Peak Volcanic
10 Great Barrier Island 627 m (2,057 ft) Mount Hobson Tectonic
11 Long Island 620 m (2,030 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
12 Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku 569 m (1,867 ft) Mount Honey Volcanic
13 Arapaoa Island 559 m (1,834 ft) Narawhia Tectonic
14 Cooper Island 523 m (1,716 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
15 Kapiti Island 521 m (1,709 ft) Tuteremoana Tectonic
16 Raoul Island 516 m (1,693 ft) Moumoukai Peak Volcanic
17= Anchor Island 417 m (1,368 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
17= Taranga (Hen) Island 417 m (1,368 ft) The Pinnacles Tectonic
19 Bauza Island 383 m (1,257 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
20 Maud Island/Te Hoiere 368 m (1,207 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
21 Antipodes Island 366 m (1,201 ft) Mount Galloway Volcanic
22 Forsyth Island 356 m (1,168 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
23 Mayor Island / Tūhua 355 m (1,165 ft) Opuahau Volcanic
24 Moutohora Island 353 m (1,158 ft) Motu Hara Volcanic
25 Breaksea Island 350 m (1,150 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
26 Solander Island / Hautere 330 m (1,080 ft) Unnamed Volcanic
27 Whakaari / White Island 321 m (1,053 ft) Mount Gisborne Volcanic
28 Chatham Island 299 m (981 ft) Unnamed Volcanic
29 Blumine Island / Oruawairua 298 m (978 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
30 Manawatāwhi/Great Island 295 m (968 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
31 Mangere Island (Chatham Islands) 292 m (958 ft) Whakapa Tectonic
32 Stephens Island / Takapourewa 283 m (928 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
33 Rangitoto Island 260 m (850 ft) Rangitoto Volcanic
34 Coal Island 251 m (823 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
35 Codfish Island / Whenua Hou 250 m (820 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
36 Nukuwaiata Island 247 m (810 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
37 Pitt Island / Rangiauria 241 m (791 ft) Waihere Tectonic
38 Macauley Island 238 m (781 ft) Mount Haszard Volcanic
39 Taukihepa / Big South Cape Island 235 m (771 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
40 Whatupuke Island 234 m (768 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
41= Great Mercury Island (Ahuahu) 231 m (758 ft) Mount Mohi Volcanic
41= Waiheke Island 231 m (758 ft) Maunganui Tectonic
43 Jacquemart Island 229 m (751 ft) Unnamed Volcanic
44 Wakaterepapanui Island 225 m (738 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
45 South East Island / Rangatira 224 m (735 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
46 Rakitu Island 220 m (720 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
47 Aorangi Island 216 m (709 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
48= Cuvier Island 214 m (702 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
48= Little Mangere Island 214 m (702 ft) Whakapa Tectonic
50 Moekawa / South West Island 207 m (679 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
51 Bollons Island 202 m (663 ft) Unnamed Volcanic
52 Indian Island 196 m (643 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
53 Tawhiti Rahi Island 191 m (627 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
54 Tinui Island (Rangitoto Islands) 190 m (620 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
55 Matapara / Pickersgill Island 186 m (610 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
56= Great Island 185 m (607 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
56= Kaikōura Island 185 m (607 ft) Mitre Peak Tectonic
56= Pearl Island 185 m (607 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
59 Coppermine Island 184 m (604 ft) Huarewa Tectonic
60 Kawau Island 182 m (597 ft) Grey Heights Tectonic
61 Te Kakaho Island 179 m (587 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
62 Motukawanui Island 177 m (581 ft) Maungapouri Tectonic
63 Ōhau / West Island 177 m (581 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
64 Motutapere Island 175 m (574 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
65 Ponui Island 173 m (568 ft) Ponui Tectonic
66 Motuoruhi Island 169 m (554 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
67 Lady Alice Island 158 m (518 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
68 The Castle / Rangiwheau 156 m (512 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
69 Long Island, Marlborough 152 m (499 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
70 Noble Island 154 m (505 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
71 Chalky Island 151 m (495 ft) Unnamed Tectonic
72= Red Mercury Island 150 m (490 ft) Unnamed Volcanic
72= Puangiangi Island 150 m (490 ft) Unnamed Tectonic

In harbours and the open sea

In rivers and lakes

Outlying

Main article: New Zealand outlying islands

New Zealand administers the following islands outside the main archipelago. Only the Chatham Islands have a permanent population although others also did in the past. Others host visitors for science, conservation, meteorological observation and tourism.

Topographical map of the Antipodes Islands in English
Topographical map of Antipodes Islands

The New Zealand Subantarctic Islands are designated as a World Heritage Site.

Realm of New Zealand

The following islands are part of the Realm of New Zealand, but not of the country itself:

Territorial claims

New Zealand also claims the Ross Dependency in Antarctica, including:

See also

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List of islands of New Zealand Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.