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Story: Te ohanga onamata a rohe – economic regions

Forest cover before human habitation

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Forest cover before human habitation

This map shows forest coverage before human settlement. Around 80% of the New Zealand archipelago was covered in forest.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Malcolm McKinnon, ed., Bateman New Zealand historical atlas: kopapatuanuku e takotonei. Auckland: David Bateman, 1997, plate 8

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

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How to cite this page

Basil Keane, Te ohanga onamata a rohe – economic regions – Tradable commodities, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/23596/forest-cover-before-human-habitation (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Basil Keane, published 4 March 2010.