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New Zealand originated on the eastern margin of the supercontinent Gondwanaland. Through the process of plate tectonics, the New Zealand landmass separated and drifted during Cretaceous times to become an isolated, partly submerged subcontinent, located between the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean. New Zealand now lies astride the Indo-Australian/Pacific
plate boundary, which began to propagate through the region around
40 million years ago. The development of New Zealand, from the latter
phases of continental separation through to the present day, is
depicted in a series of paleogeographic
maps. The detailed geological history of particular areas
in New Zealand is available in published geological
maps and other specialist
publications.
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