New Zealand is a country in the Southern hemisphere.

It belongs to Oceania and is situated south-east of Australia. 

New Zealand consists of two main islands: North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and South Island (Te Waipounamu). 

The islands are separated by the waters of the Cook Strait. 

South Island is the largest of the two islands.

There are also about 600 smaller islands. 

The largest of these islands is Rakiura island, also referred to as Stewart Island. 

New Zealand is surrounded by the South Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea.

New Zealand lies on the Ring of Fire and there are numerous volcanos on North Island.

The capital city is Wellington, on the North island.

The main cities are Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton and Tauranga.

 More than half of the population of New Zealand lives in these five cities.

The country is the same size as England or Japan.

There are 4.6 million inhabitants. 14% are Maoris.

History

New Zealand was first settled by the Maori people who arrived from Polynesia in canoes about 1,000 years ago. 

They called their new country Aotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud. 

Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, was the first European to discover the country in 1642 but he didn’t colonise it.

He gave his name to the Tasman sea between New Zealand and Australia, and the Australian island of Tasmania.

British explorer James Cook arrived on North Island in 1769 and claimed the land for the British crown. 

The Maori claimed independence from Britain in 1835. 

In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between Maori chiefs and Great Britain. 

This treaty is recognised as the founding document of New Zealand.

Waitangi Day, February 6^th, is the National Day.

New Zealand became a dominion in 1907, but sent many soldiers to help Britain in the two World Wars. 

Those soldiers are honored with a public holiday on April 25^th: ANZAC Day. 

ANZAC means Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

The country became fully independent in 1947.

Political system

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy, in which the British Monarch is the sovereign and head of state. 

They have a Prime Minister who is the head of the government.

Religion

48.6% of the population doesn't have any religion and 37.3% are Christians.

Official languages

English and Maori are the official languages.

New Zealand Economy

New Zealand's main economic sectors are agriculture, fishing and forestry, manufacturing and mining. 

The main natural resources include natural gas, coal, iron ore, silver and gold.

The main trading partners are China, Australia, the USA and Japan. 

The main export products are dairy products and meats, fruits, wood and crude oil.

Currency

The New Zealand dollar is divided into 100 cents and approximately equals to half a Euro.

Rugby 

The All Blacks are very famous in the rugby world because they start all their games with the Haka, a traditional Maori dance.

It was originally performed by warriors before a battle, proclaiming their strength and prowess in order to intimidate their opponents.

National symbols

The kiwi, a flightless bird, is one of New Zealand's national symbols.

The silver fern is the national plant of New Zealand.

New Zealand Animals

New Zealand is home to many animal species. 

Some marine animals and bats live only live in this country. 

Whales such as sperm whales, killer whales and humpback whales as well as dolphins live in the Pacific Ocean off the New Zealand coastline.

In New Zealand more penguin species can be found than in any other country.

Auckland

The main business center of New Zealand is famous for the iconic landmark Sky Tower and a lively harbourfront.

It also has lovely beaches such as Takapuna Beach, which is located north of the city centre. 

And if you are in Auckland in March, make sure to visit the cultural performances of the Pasifika Festival.