New Zealand is a country of Oceania. It consists of two main islands, the North Island and the South Island, 32 km apart by the Cook Strait. It also includes other smaller islands, such as Stewart’s and Chatham’s islands. It is 1600 kmfrom Australia, which is the closest country. It covers an area of 268 680 km2. The capital is Wellington, with 166 200 residents (2004), and the other most important cities are Auckland (374 300 residents), Christchurch (339 700 residents), Manukau (339 600 residents) and North Shore (185 000 residents).
On the North Island, the soil is fertile and there are active volcanoes. The mountainous southern island is bordered in the southeast and on the coast by extensive plains. After the plains, snowy peaks of the Southern Alps appear.
Climate
The climate is maritime temperate, with relatively abundant and distributed rainfall throughout the year.
Economy
New Zealand’s economy depends to a large extent on its exports, in particular, primary sector production. In agriculture, with good levels of productivity, the creation of sheep and cattle deserves reference, which results in high amounts of wool, meat and milk, and the production of cereals, apples and kiwis. In the industrial sector, in addition to dairy products, the wood industry developed with the production of paper. The seas also provide a lot of wealth, as they are abundant in fish and seafood. It also has coal reserves and in the volcanic areas of the North Island, geothermal energy is produced. The water courses that descend from the mountains are used to produce electricity. The existence of natural gas reserves helps to reduce oil imports.
Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita (metric tons, 1999), is 8.1.
Population
New Zealand’s population, which in 2006 was 4,076,140, descended from groups that were converted to Christianity incorporating Maori traditions. The birth and death rates are respectively 13.76% and 7.53%. Average life expectancy is 78.81 years. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.917 and the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.914 (2001). It is estimated that, in 2025, the population will be 4 673 000 residents. The main ethnic groups in New Zealand are white (74%), Maori (15%), Polynesians (6%) and Asians (5%).
The most important religions are Anglican (21%), Presbyterian (16%), Catholic (15%) and Methodist (4%). The official languages are English and Maori.
History
The islands of New Zealand have been inhabited by the Maori since the 10th century, when Dutch navigator Abel Tasman discovered them in 1642. More than a century later, they were visited by James Cook, who explored their coasts. It was annexed by the British in 1840, and the Treaty of Waitangi was signed with 500 Maori chiefs according to which the goods of the indigenous populations would be respected. As the Treaty was not respected, the Maori population revolted violently in 1845-48 and 1860-70. Britain came to be considered the South Pacific. Although it ceased to be a colony in 1907, it only began to develop an independent foreign policy 40 years later. New Zealand participated alongside Britain in the First World War and, later, in the Second World War. For New Zealand democracy and rights, please check localbusinessexplorer.
New Zealand has expressed its condemnation of French nuclear tests in the Pacific and in 1985 prevented ships with nuclear weapons or powered by nuclear energy from entering their ports, a policy that caused a climate of tension with the United States of America.
Countryaah.com: Offers a full list of airports in the country of New Zealand, sorted by city location and acronyms.
Abbreviationfinder.org: Provides most commonly used abbreviations and initials containing the country name of New Zealand. Listed by popularity.
1UpTravel.com – Maps of New Zealand
Browse a collection of political and shaded relief maps of the islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia.
