Created: 19.04.2020
New Zealand Summary
Capital city: Wellington
Islands: the North Island (Te Ika-a-Maui) and the Southern Island (Te Waipounamu) and around 600 smaller islands
Population: 4,98 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar NZD
Universities: University of Otago, University of Canterbury, Lincoln University, University of Auckland
State system: unitary, parliamentary, constitutional monarchy
Head of state: officialy Queen Elizabeth II
Power: executive - Prime Minister and Governor-General, legislative - unicameral Parliament (House of Representative and Governor-General), judicial - courts
Flag: the New Zealand Ensign (Te haki o Aotearoa), a Blue Ensign with the Southern Cross of four red and white stars
Anthem: God Defend New Zealand
Geography: Southern Alps, Taupo Volcanic Zone, Lake Taupo
Climate: temperate maritime
Highest mountain: Mount Cook (Aoraki) 3724m
Rivers: Waikato, Clutha/Matau, Whanganui, Taieri, Rangitikei, Mataura
Sights: Sky Tower in Auckland, Hobbiton movie set, Hamilton Gardens, Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington
New Zealand, in Maori called Aotearoa, is a sovereign island contry in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two large islands, the North Island and the South Island, and around 600 smaller islands. The Realm of New Zealand also includes Tokelau (a dependent territory), the Cook Islands and Niue (self-governing states) and the Ross Dependency (territorial claim in Antarctica).
New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and has a parliamentary system where the head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, is represented by the Governor General. The Parliament holds legislative power and consists of the Queen and the House of Representatives. The upper house, the Legislative Council, was abolished in 1950. The Cabinet is formed by the ministers and lead by the Prime Minister.
The population is almost 5 million people, most of them live in urban areas. More than 71% of the population identify themselves as European, or of European origin, and more than 16% identify themselves as Maori. The capital city is Wellington with 420 thousand people, located on the North Island. The most populous urban arei is Auckland with 1,6 million people, located also on the North Island.
It is a developed country dominated by the service sector. The main industries are textiles, machinery and forest industry. The country is rich in oil, gas, iron ore and coal. Only about 2% of the land is arrable and the main crops is grain. The country is heavily dependent on international trade, particularly in agricultural products. It exports meat, wood, fruit, machinery and wine. The New Zealand dollar is informally known as the Kiwi dollar.
The country has a varied topography with sharp mountain peaks created by tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions. The east coast consists of fertile plains, especially the large Canterbury Plains on South Island. There is a volcanic plateau in the centre of the North Island. South Island has glaciers and 15 peaks over 3000m, the highest mountain is Mount Cook with 3724m. New Zealand has a maritime climate, but conditions vary sharply across regions. Some places are extremely wet and some are quite dry.
Because of its remoteness, it was the last large habitable land to be settles by humans. During the long period of isolation, it developed a distinct biodiversity. The geographic isolation for 80 million years produced biologican isolation. Humans caused massive deforestation and today, only 23% of land is covered by forests. The most famous indigenous animals are kiwi, kakapo and penguins. A lot of the species became extinct because of humans who brought rats, cats and other animals to the islands. The country is traing to help the threaten wildlife and introduced many restrictions and protected areas.
Between 1280 and 1350, Polynesians began to settle in the islands and develop a distinctive Maori culture. In 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight New Zealand. In 1840, the British declared sovereignty over the islands. It became a colony and in 1907 a dominion. New Zealand became an independent state in 1947, but the British monarch remained the head of state.
The contry's culture is mainly derived from Maori and British and the official languages are English and Maori. The Maori people are based in east Polynesian culture with tribal groups. Rural imagery and themes are common in culture. The traditional Maori food is hangi, which is meat and vegetables slow-cooked in an underground oven. Famous New Zealanders include Peter Jackson, Russel Crowe, Karl Urban, Lucy Lawless, Taika Waititi, Lorde, Edmund Hillary and Ernest Rutherford.
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