Yesterday, I visited the National Aquarium of NZ, and read a sign saying that NZ's coastline was nearly the same as that of the US. Given the huge size disparity, and the fact the US includes the Hawaiian islands, this seemed unlikely. But it's not too far from the truth. NZ (land area 268,680 km2) has a coastline of 15,134 km. The US (land area 9,158,960 km2) has a coastline of 19,924 km. I guess all this really stuck in my mind because I love the Maaori name for the National Aquarium - it translates as "The House of Tangaroa" - Tangaroa is the god of the sea.


noho ora mai
http://maxqnzs.com/References.html