Geography Information Cloze Worksheet

Name: _______________________________
Date: _______________________________

Instructions:

Read the passage below about New Zealand's geography. Fill in the blanks using the words from the word bank. Each word should be used once.

Word Bank

volcanic
fjords
geothermal
glaciers
peninsula
plateau
Southern Alps
coastline
earthquake
tectonic
Wellington
erosion

New Zealand's Diverse Geography

New Zealand is located on the boundary between two major __________________ plates: the Pacific Plate and the Australian Plate. This position makes our country prone to __________________ activity and volcanic eruptions. The North Island features several __________________ peaks, including Mount Ruapehu and Mount Taranaki, which were formed by volcanic activity over millions of years.

The central North Island is home to the Volcanic __________________, an area of high elevation that includes Lake Taupō, New Zealand's largest lake. This region is also famous for its __________________ activity, with hot springs, geysers, and mud pools attracting tourists from around the world. The city of Rotorua is particularly well-known for these natural features.

The South Island is dominated by the __________________, a mountain range that stretches for approximately 500 kilometres along the western side of the island. These mountains contain several large __________________ that have carved out valleys over thousands of years. The southwestern region of the South Island features spectacular __________________, which are deep, narrow inlets created by glacial erosion during past ice ages.

New Zealand has an extensive __________________ of over 15,000 kilometres, making it one of the longest in the world relative to land area. The capital city, __________________, is located on the southern tip of the North Island and sits on a harbour. Banks __________________ near Christchurch is an example of a landform that was created by an extinct volcano.

The forces of weathering and __________________ continue to shape New Zealand's landscape today, creating the diverse and dramatic scenery that our country is famous for.