New Zealand

Fact File Official nameNew Zealand (English); Aoteraoa (Maori) Capital cityWellingtonWellington Largest citiesAuckland, Christchurch, DunedinAucklandChristchurchDunedin Total area268, 680 sq km Population 4,116, 000 people Main religionsChristian, Catholic Major ethnic groupsEuropeans, Maori, Pacific Islanders, Asian Consist ofNorth Island, South Island, Stewart Island, Chatman Islands and minor islands Currency New Zealand Dollar (NZ$) Official languageEnglish, Maori Nationality a New Zealander (the New Zealanders) Form of governmentparliamentary democratic monarchy Natural resourcesland (for farming, dairy farming, cattle breeding), forests Flag the New Zealand Flag Internet TLD (top-level domain).nz International dialing code+ 64

The map of New Zealand New Zealand lies between the Equator and the South Pole in the southern Pacific Ocean, near the eastern coast of Australia. New Zealand is an island country with a total area of 268, 680 sq km. It has no land boundaries. Australia is New Zealanders nearest western neighbour. These two countries are separated from each other by the Tasman Sea. the Tasman Sea

The geographical peculiarities New Zealand is made up of three main islands – the North Sea, the South Sea and the Stewart Island. The South Island is separated from the North island by Cook Strait. The Stewart Island Cook Strait The North Sea The South Sea

The geographical peculiarities There are also such smaller offshore islands as the Chatham Islands, Campbell Islands, the Antipode Islands, the Bounty Islands and the Auckland Islands. The Antipodes Islands The Kermadec Islands Chatham Island The Bounty Island Campbell Island

Its interesting to know… …New Zealand is 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). So, it is one of the first places in the world to see the new day. …The Maori people call New Zealand Aotearoa, which is usually translated into English as The Land of the Long White Cloud. …New Zealand is also called Godzone, Pig Isles, Shaky Isles, Quaky Isles, Maoriland and Kiwiland An interesting historical fact… The name New Zealand came from Dutch cartographers, who called the islands Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland. British explorer James Cook adapted the name to the English language and the name became New Zealand.

The geographical peculiarities Though the country is so small there are so many beautiful things that attract attention - volcanoes, subtropical rainforests, geysers, fiords, beaches, glaciers and high mountain peaks. New Zealand lies on the plates that make geological movements. Volcanic action still continues on the islands. Earthquakes are frequent here though they are not so damaging. The North Island has a number of large active volcanoes, among them is Ruapehu. The last eruptions were here in 1995 and Ruapehu

Flora and fauna of New Zealand Flora in New Zealand is very rich. There are about 2,000 species where 1,500 are endemic (which are only found in this country). It also has some of the oldest trees. Fauna in this country is also special. Long time ago, without enemies, some birds lost their ability to fly, and some insects became gigantic. Its interesting to know… Before Europeans came to New Zealand there were no predatory animals at all. This was so good for many flightless birds. All wild mammals living in New Zealand at present were imported.

Flora and fauna of New Zealand Many of New Zealands native animals are found nowhere else in the world: the kiwi – its egg is about one fifth of its own weight the kakapo – the worlds largest flightless parrot the tuatara – the oldest living reptile Tuataras live for 300 years. They can be traced back 190 million years to the Mesozoic era kiwi kakapotuatara

Flora and fauna of New Zealand the biggest earthworms in the world the smallest bats in the world – the only native land mammals in New Zealand the weta – the heaviest insect in the world (70 gm and 20 cm long) the weta New Zealand bat

Rivers and mountains New Zealand is a very mountainous country. About one third of the islands is covered with mountains. The Southern Alps run along the western coast of the South Island and are the highest in New Zealand. Mount Cook is the highest mountain there (3, 050 metres above the sea level). the Southern Alps Mount Cook

Rivers and mountains Its interesting to know… Sometimes New Zealanders say that the North Island means beaches and the South Island means mountains New Zealands rivers are mainly short and swift. The longest river is the Waikato. There are many lakes on both islands as well. The North Islands volcanic interior contains New Zealands largest lake. Its name is lake Taupo. Waikato Taupo

Climate New Zealand is known for its maritime climate which is quite good during the whole year. It is moist, temperate and is affected by latitude and the proximity of the ocean. Climate of this country has no extremes and no wide range of temperatures. The difference of winter and summer temperatures is about 10 degrees. That is why New Zealand is very attractive for tourists. Seasons here are reverse of the Northern Hemisphere like in Australia. Because of New Zealands wet and mild climate many inhabitants of the country are busy with farming and dairy goods production. There are heavy rainfalls in New Zealand all year round which is very good for cattle –farming, sheep- farming, growing fruit, vegetables and flowers.

The population of the country An interesting historical fact… Before Europeans came to the island, the tribes of Maori did not have the name for themselves. They adopted the name Maori meaning normal to distinguish themselves from Europeans. The tribes of Maori are well-known all over the world. The Maori are famous for their folk-songs and wood-work. They are often called Vikings of Sunrise.

The population of the country In the 19 th century there was a struggle between the Maori people and the British colonies. It was a series of the Maori Wars. Many of the Maori were killed and English settlers took their lands. Both English and Maori are official languages. English is more widely spoken, though the Maori language is now coming back thanks to the revival of their native language Maoritanga and Maori culture.

The symbols of New Zealand The symbol of New Zealand is the kiwi – a flightless bird, native to this country. Kiwi has no tail, almost no wings and is about the size of a large hen. No other bird lays eggs so large in proportion to its size: the egg is about one fifth of its own weigh. It means that in many ways the kiwi does not look like an ordinary bird. It is rare and very much protected. Its interesting to know: The Kiwi as an emblem first appeared in the late 19 th century. During World War I the name kiwi was used for New Zealand soldiers.

The symbols of New Zealand Today, New Zealanders overseas (and at home) are called Kiwis. The Kiwi is closely associated with the Armed Forces. The green fruit with the brown skin that we call kiwi is known as kiwifruit. They often call small children Kiwis. In elementary school there are such posters with the words: Be a tidy kiwi! The bird is now used in the coat of arms, crests and badges of many New Zealand cities, clubs and organisations.

The symbols of New Zealand As for the New Zealand Flag, the stars of the Southern Cross show countrys location in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union Flag shows that New Zealand was once a British colony.

The symbols of New Zealand The New Zealand and Australian flags have very much in common. The only difference is that the Australian Flag shows the stars of the Southern Cross in white colour on a blue field while the New Zealand Flag shows the stars in red on a blue field.

The symbols of New Zealand There are two national anthems of New Zealand and both have equal status. These are God defend New Zealand and God Save the Queen. The first one is always used on sports occasions. New Zealands coat of arms

Some details of culture of New Zealand The culture of New Zealand is a mixture of different cultures: British, Aboriginal and other European countries. Today New Zealanders are highly educated and sophisticated urban dwellers. There is a cultural phenomenon in New Zealand known as kiwiana. You know that New Zealanders are called kiwis around the world after the native bird kiwi. Now their kiwi sense of humor, kiwi view of life make up Kiwiana, which is all the special things and details that show their national identity, their kiwi nationhood. Kiwifruit, for example, was once known as Chinese gooseberry, but the fact that it was imported from New Zealand made world call this fruit – kiwifruit.

Some details of culture of New Zealand There is a famous New Zealand dessert called pavlova (meringue, cream and kiwi topping). It was invented as a tribute to the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova who toured to Australia and New Zealand in 1926.

Some details of culture of New Zealand New Zealanders love water. They have a strong passion for ocean- going craft. New Zealanders have won many medals for yachting, windsurfing, kayaking and rowing.

Some details of culture of New Zealand Among the qualities valued by New Zealanders are individualism, self-reliance and a genius for invention. Long time ago first people in New Zealand dealt with isolation and the elements, so that it developed their ingenuity and made them multi-skilled. That contributed a lot to their character. They also have a strong sense of fair play and teamwork. New Zealand was one of the first countries who gave women the right to vote. The language in this country is close to Australian English with some elements of the Maori language.

Wellington

Auckland Christchurch Dunedin

The Tasman Sea

Bungee jumping in New Zealand