Māori Geography
A glimpse at the geography, populations, and landscapes of the Maori homeland, New Zealand.
The Maori homeland is Aotearoa, or New Zealand, a group of islands in the South Pacific. Its two largest islands, North and South, are surrounded by around 600 smaller ones and cover 102,128 square miles or 264,537 square kilometers total. The North Island is home to gentle coastal plains, subtropical plants, and a volcanic interior. It is known for its giant kauri trees and tree ferns, like those seen in Waipoua Forest. The South Island is colder, larger, and rockier. Beech trees and hardy conifers are more common in its forests. With the exception of high-altitude areas, the islands’ climate is generally warm and sunny. Most of New Zealand’s modern cities and citizens can be found on the North Island. In past centuries, the North Island was also home to higher concentrations of Maori people. As of 2013, there were an estimated 600,000 people of Māori descent in New Zealand.
New Zealand is widely known for its natural beauty and is home to a number of incredible natural sites. Among these are mountains such as Mount Taranaki and the slightly larger Mount Ruapehu on North Island. Other notable features include the Tane Mahutu, a massive Kauri tree thought to be over 2,000 years old. On South Island, perhaps the most famous geographic feature is Piopiotahi, or Milford Sound, a richly biodiverse fjord home to coral reefs, penguins, rainforests, and misty waterfalls.
New Zealand’s general isolation has sheltered a number of unique animal species, particularly birds like the kakapo and kiwi. The moa, the tallest bird ever known, went extinct in the 1500s due to overhunting. Bats, rats, dogs, and humans were the only mammals to reach the island before European contact. Invasive plants and animals have since disturbed the islands’ natural ecosystems. Cats, rats, stoats, rabbits, and possums are all recognized as threats to native wildlife, among others.
References
“2013 Census QuickStats about Māori.” Stats NZ, Government of New Zealand, archive.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013-census/profile-and-summary-reports/quickstats-about-maori-english/population.aspx.
McLintock, A.H. “1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand.” Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 13 Dec. 2012, teara.govt.nz/en/1966.
Metge, Joan. *Rautahi: The Māoris of New Zealand. *Routledge. 2004.
Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History. Atholl Anderson, Judith Binney, Aroha Harris eds. Bridget Williams Books. 2014.
“The World Factbook: New Zealand.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 1 May 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nz.html.
White, John. *The Ancient History of the Māori, *Vol. 1. G. Didsbury, 1887.
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