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The Chatham Islands form an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about southeast of mainland New Zealand. It consists of about ten islands within a radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island. The archipelago is called ''Rekohu'' ("misty sun") in the indigenous language Moriori, and ''Wharekauri'' in Māori. It has officially been part of New Zealand since 1842 and includes the country's easternmost point, the Forty-Fours. ==Geography== The islands are at about , roughly east of Christchurch, New Zealand. The nearest mainland New Zealand point to the Chatham Islands is Cape Turnagain, in the North Island at a distance of . The nearest mainland New Zealand city to the islands is Hastings, New Zealand, located to the North-West. The islands cover a total of , almost all of which is on the two main islands. The islands sit on the Chatham Rise, a large, relatively shallowly submerged (no more than deep at any point) part of the Zealandia continent that stretches east from near the South Island. The Chatham Islands, which emerged only within the last four million years, are the only part of the Chatham Rise showing above sea level. Chatham Island is the antipodes of the French department of Hérault (Languedoc-Roussillon). The islands are hilly with coasts being a varied mixture including cliffs and dunes, beaches, and lagoons. Pitt is more rugged than Chatham (Rekohu), although the highest point ()of Pitt is on a plateau near the southernmost point of the main island, which is dotted with numerous lakes and lagoons, notably the large Te Whanga Lagoon, as well as Huro and Rangitahi. Chatham has a number of streams, including Te Awainanga and Tuku. The climate is cold, wet, and windy with average high temperatures between in July, the Southern Hemisphere winter. Chatham and Pitt are the only inhabited islands, with the remaining smaller islands being conservation reserves with restricted or prohibited access. The livelihoods of the inhabitants depend on agriculture, with the island being an exporter of coldwater crayfish, and increasing tourism. The names of the main islands, in the order of occupation are: 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Chatham Islands」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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