| About New Zealand |
The Facts - at a glance:
Full Country Name:
New Zealand (split into 2 main islands - North Island and South Island with Stewart Island being the smallest and the most southern of the 3 main islands)
Area:
Approx 266,200 sq km
Population:
Approx 4.0 million
Capital City:
Wellington
Largest City:
Auckland
People:
Mainly European (80%) and Maori (12%) with Polynesian and Asian populations
Languages:
Everyone speaks English, and although Maori is also an official language it is not commonly spoken except on Maraes (Maori meeting grounds).
Religion:
Predominantly Christian
Government:
Democratic. Independent member of the British Commonwealth.
Details
Population
New Zealand has a diverse multi-cultural population of around 3.8 million
people.
The majority of New Zealanders are of British and European descent, and the largest minority (12%) are New Zealand's indigenous Maori.
Language
English is the main and everyday language of New Zealand.
You may also hear other languages spoken, including Maori, which is the other official language of New Zealand.
Early Settlement
The Maori, being New Zealand's first settlers, made an epic journey
from legendary Hawaiki, probably in Polynesia, to the north of New Zealand
about 1000 years ago. The great explorer Kupe, who legend says first
discovered New Zealand, named this new land Aotearoa - Land of
the Long White Cloud.
The first European to discover New Zealand was Dutch navigator Abel Tasman who came here in 1642 in search of the fabled great southern continent. Over a century and a quarter later Captain James Cook claimed it for Britain in 1769 and set about mapping New Zealand.
The Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand's founding document and established
the country as a nation. It was signed in 1840 between leading Maori
chiefs and representatives of the British Crown. The location, at Waitangi
in the Bay of Islands, is now one of the country's most historic sites.
The treaty was signed on 6 February, which is New Zealand's national
day, known as Waitangi Day.
Economy and Government
New Zealand is a modern country which has a well-developed economy.
It is an independent nation and has ties to Britain through
New Zealand's membership of the British Commonwealth.
Kiwis
The national emblem is the Kiwi - a small nocturnal flightless bird with
a long thin beak.
The reference to New Zealanders as Kiwis probably dates back to the First World War, when New Zealand soldiers acquired this nickname. It is also the name given to " chinese gooseberries " - a unique fruit which has done well in the New Zealand climate.
Geography
New Zealand is situated in the South Pacific ocean, between latitude
34'S and 47'S. Its two main islands cover 266,200 sq km (103,735 sq
miles) and is about the size of Japan and slightly larger than Great
Britain.
Natural Environment
New Zealand's separation from other land masses for more than 100 million
years has allowed many ancient plants and animals to survive and evolve
in isolation. Complementing our unique flora and fauna is a landscape
that contains an unrivalled variety of landforms.
In a couple of days' drive it is possible to see everything from mountain ranges to sandy beaches, lush rainforests, glaciers and fiords and active volcanoes.
Flora
In spite of around 1000 years of native bush clearance by humans, about
a quarter of the country still remains forested - mostly in high-country
areas. Most of these remaining areas are protected from exploitation
in national and forest parks, where they can be enjoyed by all.
The characteristic New Zealand forest is a temperate, evergreen rain forest with giant tree ferns, vines and native plants - looking a bit like the popular image of a jungle. The giant kauri, among the largest trees in the world, is now restricted to relatively small forest pockets in Northland and on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Fauna
New Zealand is a land of unique birds. The best known is the Kiwi, New
Zealand's unofficial national symbol. Also flightless are the Weka and
the endangered Kakapo, the world's largest parrot which. Another unique
bird, one capable of flight, is the inquisitive Kea, which is renowned
for its fearlessness of humans and its cheeky personality.
New Zealand's Natural Heritage
What makes New Zealand's natural heritage so special?
Underlying New Zealand's physical attractions - its dramatic mountains, unpolluted beaches and green countryside - is an epic survival story of unique plants and animals. Cast adrift from the ancient super-continent of Gondwanaland, these ancient species evolved in isolation and struggled to survive in what renowned naturalist David Bellamy has called "Moa's Ark" (named after New Zealand's native, but now extinct, giant flightless bird, the Moa).
After only 1000 years of human settlement New Zealand has lost many native species. But impressive gains have been made in recent times to protect and enhance what is left. These include removing introduced pests from island wildlife sanctuaries, the establishment of 13 national parks, three maritime parks, two world heritage areas, hundreds of nature reserves and ecological areas, a network of marine reserves and wetlands, and protection for special rivers and lakes. In total, around 30 percent of New Zealand's land area is protected conservation land.
In addition, research and management programmes have been introduced to aid the recovery of rare and endangered species like Kakapo, Kiwi and Tuatara.
New Zealand welcomes everyone to experience and discover its unique and precious natural heritage. We only ask that you make as little impact as possible, so future generations may also enjoy it all.
