Zealandia

GNS Science recognises two names for the landmass. In English, the most common name is Zealandia, a latinate name for New Zealand; the name was coined in the mid-1990s and became established through common use. In the Māori language, the landmass is named , meaning 'the hills, valleys, and plains of Māui'. == Geology ==

New Caledonia is at the northern end of the ancient continent, while New Zealand rises at the plate boundary that bisects it. These land masses constitute two outposts of the Antarctic flora, featuring araucarias and podocarps. At Curio Bay, logs of a fossilized forest closely related to modern kauri and Norfolk pine can be seen that grew on Zealandia approximately 180 million years ago during the Jurassic period, before it split from Gondwana. The trees growing in these forests were buried by volcanic mud flows and gradually replaced by silica to produce the fossils now exposed by the sea. As sea levels drop during glacial periods, more of Zealandia becomes a terrestrial environment rather than a marine environment. Originally, it was thought that Zealandia had no native land mammal fauna, but the discovery in 2006 of a fossil mammal jaw from the Miocene in the Otago region demonstrates otherwise. == Political divisions ==

of New Zealand and continental shelf boundaries for much of Zealandia The total land area (including inland water bodies) of Zealandia is . Of this, New Zealand comprises the overwhelming majority, at , or 93.49%) that includes the mainland (North Island and South Island), the nearby islands, and most outlying islands, including the Chatham Islands, the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, the Solander Islands, and the Three Kings Islands (but not the Kermadec Islands or Macquarie Island (Australia), which are parts of the rift). New Caledonia and the islands surrounding it comprise some or 6.48%) and the remainder is made up of various territories of Australia including the Lord Howe Island Group (New South Wales) at or 0.02%), Norfolk Island at or 0.01%), as well as the Cato, Elizabeth, and Middleton reefs (the Coral Sea Islands Territory) with . == Population ==

the total human population of Zealandia is approximately 5.4 million people. The largest city is Auckland with about 1.7 million people; roughly one-third of the total population of the submerged continent. • – 5,112,300 • (France) – 268,767 • (Australia) – 1,748 • Lord Howe Island Group (Australia) – 382 • Cato Reef (Australia) – 0 • Elizabeth Reef (Australia) – 0 • Middleton Reef (Australia) – 0 == See also ==