A new study suggests that the flightless birds named moa were completely extinct by the time New Zealand's human population had grown to two and half thousand people at most.

Use our interactive map to figure out how many sparsely populated flyover states it takes to equal one densely packed New York City.

New Zealand ranks No. 9 overall in the U.S. News Best Countries rankings. Explore photos, statistics and other information.

New Zealand’s low population density also means it may be harder for the virus—which is transmitted via close contact and airborne respiratory droplets—to spread.

Horizontal patterns in New York and Boston indicate vehicle ownership sorted by population density. Vertical patterns in Los Angeles and Houston indicate vehicle ownership sorted by income.

Most New Jersey shore communities boast a population density of more than 5,000 people per square mile, even without the summertime population.

For example, if we lived at the density that people live in Manhattan, the entire global population could fit in New Zealand. Or, look at the possibilities if we lived as they do in New Jersey.

Common sense tells you that such a contagious virus loves a crowded population, and this makes comparisons with other countries futile. New Zealand with its 4.8 million has 19 per square kilometre.

High human population densities are not required in models of megafaunal extinction. It is generally accepted that Polynesian settlers were directly responsible for the extinction of New Zealand moa.

A new study suggests that the flightless birds named moa were completely extinct by the time New Zealand's human population had grown to two and half thousand people at most.