what sea is between new zealand and australia
Tasman Sea
title: Tasman Sea text: Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea (Māori: "Te Tai-o-Rehua", ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who was the first recorded European to encounter New Zealand and Tasmania. The British explorer Captain James Cook later extensively navigated the Tasman Sea in the 1770s as part of his first voyage of exploration. The Tasman Sea is informally referred to in both Australian and New Zealand English as The Ditch; for example, "crossing title: Australia–New Zealand Maritime Treaty text: Australia–New Zealand Maritime Treaty The Australia–New Zealand Maritime Treaty is a 2004 treaty between Australia and New Zealand in which the two countries formally delimited the maritime boundary between the two countries. The treaty was signed in Adelaide on 25 July 2004 by Foreign Minister of Australia Alexander Downer and Foreign Minister of New Zealand Phil Goff. It formalised the ocean borders that had been de facto recognised by both countries since the early 1980s, when the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was created. The treaty defines the boundaries between Australia and New Zealand's exclusive economic title: Australia text: Rim nations, while maintaining close ties with Australia's traditional allies and trading partners. Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas, with the Coral Sea lying off the Queensland coast, and the Tasman Sea lying between Australia and New Zealand. The world's smallest continent and sixth largest country by total area, Australia—owing to its size and isolation—is often dubbed the "island continent", and is sometimes considered the world's largest island. Australia has of coastline (excluding all offshore islands), and claims an extensive Exclusive Economic Zone of . This exclusive economic title: Geography of New Zealand text: have also been filmed there, including the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The country is situated about southeast of Australia across the Tasman Sea, its closest neighbours to the north being New Caledonia, Tonga and Fiji. It is the southernmost nation in Oceania. The relative proximity of New Zealand north of Antarctica has made the South Island a gateway for scientific expeditions to the continent. New Zealand is located in the South Pacific Ocean at , near the centre of the water hemisphere. It is a long and narrow country, extending along its north-north-east axis with a maximum width of title: New Zealand text: New Zealand New Zealand ( ) is a sovereign island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island ("Te Ika-a-Māui"), and the South Island ("Te Waipounamu")—and around 600 smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, and plant life. The country's varied