New Zealand, satellite image. North is at top. New Zealand is a country in the southwest Pacific Ocean. It consists of two islands known as the North Island and the South Island. These two halves of the country are separated by the Cook Strait. The country's capital city, Wellington, is located on the southern tip of the North Island. The geography of South Island is dominated by the Southern Alps mountain range which runs along its length from northeast to southwest. The highest point in this range and in the whole of New Zealand is Mount Cook at 3754 metres.