About this region
New Zealand comprises two main islands and about 600 smaller ones.
The North Island is known for its active volcanoes. The South Island is famed for its mountains, glaciers and fjords.
In total the islands cover 268,000km², and feature 15,000km of coastline.
New Zealand supports an enormous range of plant diversity for its size, thanks to its long narrow shape and varied terrain.
Home to approx 2,200 native vascular plants, 80 per cent of which are endemic.
Main image: West coast of New Zealand’s South Island by
