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The North Island of New Zealand (113,729 km²), with nearly four million inhabitants, is the most populated island in the country (about 76% of the New Zealand population lives here), although it is smaller than the South Island ( 151,215 sq km). On the North Island are in fact the two most important cities of New Zealand: Auckland and Wellington, the capital of the country. The island extends between 34 ° south latitude and 42 ° south latitude.
Geographically the island is very varied. Coastal areas are as low and flat as along the western part of the North Auckland Peninsula. Or they are jagged and rich in inlets as in the eastern part of the peninsula itself. Much of the territory is made up of hilly or flat areas. These areas are interspersed with small mountain ranges with maximum heights of around 1,500-1,700 meters.
AN ISLAND WITH VOLCANOES AND GEYSERS
The central area of the North Island of New Zealand is made up of a plateau rich in volcanoes and volcanic manifestations such as geysers and fumaroles. In this part of the island there are also some large volcanic lakes, including Lake Taupo (616 sq km), the largest in New Zealand, and Lake Rotorua (79.8 sq km). The Waikato River, which originates from the slopes of the Ruapehu volcano, is the longest river in the country and has a length of 425 km.
The reliefs are characterized by volcanic activity, in fact, especially in the center of the island, there are numerous volcanic cones, some still active. The highest peak on the island is the Ruapehu volcano (2,797 meters). But there are other notable volcanoes including Taranaki / Egmont (2,518 meters), Ngauruhoe (2,291 meters) and Tongariro (1,978 meters). The main city of New Zealand, Auckland, is located in the narrow isthmus that connects the long peninsula of North Auckland and the rest of the island.
The North Island is administratively divided into nine regions, from north to south: Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Manawatu-Wanganui and Wellington.