The map includes various details about this fictional “Republic of Zealandia”.
Here’s the details:
The Republic of Zealandia
- Capital: Wellington
- Largest City: Auckland
- Nat. Langs.: Maori, English
- Area: 1,892,159 sq miles (4,900,669 KM2)
- Population: 159.69 Million
- Population Density: 34.58 KM2
- GDP: $7.791T
- GDP Per Capita: $34,663
- Currency: Zealand Dollar (Z$, ZED)
- HDI: 0.947
- Life Expectancy: 83.13 years
- Poverty Rate: 14.20%
- Unemployment Rate: 3.90%
- Min wage: $14.39
- Independence: 9/26/1907
- Military Personal: 479,070
- Average IQ: 98.57
The map illustrates Zealandia as a fully formed landmass, with major cities, infrastructure, and geographical features. It shows detailed road networks and topography similar to how one might depict a real-world country on a map.
Obviously at some stage they ceased being Constitutional Monarchy and became a Republic.
Here’s how it would stack up against other countries (and New Zealand):
- Area: 7th largest in the world, behind Australia (18X larger than New Zealand)
- Population: 9th largest, just ahead of Russia (30x Larger than New Zealand)
- Population Density: 188th, just behind the United States (70% higher density than New Zealand)
- GDP: 3rd largest (assuming number above is in USD) (30X larger than New Zealand)
- GDP Per Capita: 30th (again assuming number above is in USD) (40% poorer than New Zealand)
- HDI: 10th highest, just ahead of Australia (And slightly higher than New Zealand)
- Life Expectancy: 8th highest, just behind Australia (0.37 years better than New Zealand)
What is Zealandia?
Zealandia, also known as the New Zealand continent or Tasmantis, is a nearly submerged continental mass in the southwest Pacific Ocean.
It is primarily composed of New Zealand and New Caledonia and is about 94% submerged under the ocean.
Zealandia is considered a submerged continent due to its distinct geological features and its separation from the Australian continent.
Here are some key points about Zealandia:
- Geology: Zealandia is composed of continental crust rather than the denser, thinner oceanic crust that makes up the ocean basins. This crust is similar to that of Australia and Antarctica.
- Discovery: Zealandia has been known to geologists for decades, but it was only relatively recently, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, that scientists began to consider it a continent in its own right. This recognition came about due to advances in the understanding of plate tectonics and more detailed mapping of the seafloor.
- Extent: Zealandia covers an area of approximately 4.9 million square kilometers, making it nearly half the size of Australia. Despite its size, it remains largely submerged beneath the Pacific Ocean.
- Emergent Land: The most significant landmasses above water are the islands of New Zealand and New Caledonia. New Zealand’s North and South Islands are the largest and most prominent parts of Zealandia.
- Significance: The recognition of Zealandia as a continent has important implications for understanding the geological history of the region, including the processes of continental drift and the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana.
How far underwater is Zealandia?
The depth of the submerged parts of Zealandia varies significantly:
- Shallow Regions: Some parts of Zealandia are relatively shallow, such as the continental shelves around New Zealand and New Caledonia. These areas are generally less than 200 meters (about 660 feet) below sea level.
- Deeper Regions: Other parts of Zealandia lie at greater depths. The average depth of the ocean floor over Zealandia is about 1,000 to 1,500 meters (approximately 3,280 to 4,920 feet) below sea level.
- Deepest Points: In some areas, particularly in the deeper ocean basins and trenches, parts of Zealandia can be several thousand meters underwater. The maximum depths in some of these trenches can exceed 4,000 meters (over 13,000 feet).
Would you want to live The Republic of Zealandia, why or why not?
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