BASIC
INFORMATION
Full
Name: New Zeland
Capital
Wellington
Largest city Auckland
Official language
English3, Maori,
New Zealand Sign Language
Government
Constitutional monarchy
Area 268,680 km²
Population
March 2006 est. 4,147,972
Currency New Zealand
dollar (NZD)
Time
zone (UTC+12)
Internet
TLD .nz
Calling
code +64
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GEOGRAPHY
& BACKGROUND
New
Zealand/Aotearoa is a country in the south-western
Pacific Ocean consisting of two large islands
(North Island and South Island) and many
much smaller islands, most notably Stewart
Island and the Chatham Islands. It is called
Aotearoa in Maori, which translates as the
Land of the Long White Cloud.
It
is notable for its geographic isolation,
being separated from Australia to the northwest
by the Tasman Sea, some 2000 kilometres
(1250 miles) across. Its closest neighbours
to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji, and
Tonga.
The
population is mostly of European descent,
with Maori being the largest minority. Non-Maori
Polynesian and Asian peoples are also significant
minorities, especially in the cities.
Elizabeth
II, as the Queen of New Zealand, is the
Head of State and is represented, in her
absence, by a non-partisan Governor-General;
the Queen 'reigns but does not rule', so
she has no real political influence. Political
power is held by the Prime Minister, who
is the Head of Government in the democratically-elected
Parliament of New Zealand. The Realm of
New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands
and Niue, which are self-governing, but
in free association; Tokelau; and the Ross
Dependency (New Zealand's territorial claim
in Antarctica).
New
Zealand comprises two main islands (called
the North and South Islands in English,
Te-Ika-a-Maui and Te Wai Pounamu in Maori)
and a number of smaller islands. The total
land area, 268,680 square kilometres (103,738
sq miles), is a little less than that of
Italy and Japan, and a little more than
the United Kingdom. The country extends
more than 1600 kilometres (1000 miles) along
its main, north-north-east axis, with approximately
15,134 km of coastline. The most significant
of the smaller inhabited islands include
Stewart Island/Rakiura; Waiheke Island,
in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf; Great Barrier
Island, east of the Hauraki Gulf; and the
Chatham Islands, named Rekohu by Moriori.
The country has extensive marine resources,
with the fifth-largest Exclusive Economic
Zone in the world, covering over four million
square kilometres (1.5 million sq mi), more
than 15 times its land area.[2]
The
South Island is the largest land mass, and
is divided along its length by the Southern
Alps, the highest peak of which is Aoraki/Mount
Cook at 3754 metres (12,316 ft). There are
18 peaks of more than 3000 metres (9800
ft) in the South Island. The North Island
is less mountainous than the South, but
is marked by volcanism. The tallest North
Island mountain, Mount Ruapehu (2797 m /
9176 ft), is an active cone volcano. The
dramatic and varied landscape of New Zealand
has made it a popular location for the production
of television programmes and films, including
the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Aoraki/Mount Cook is the tallest mountain
in New ZealandThe climate throughout the
country is mild, mostly cool temperate to
warm temperate, with temperatures rarely
falling below 0°C (32°F) or rising
above 30°C (86°F). Conditions vary
from wet and cold on the West Coast of the
South Island to dry and continental in the
Mackenzie Basin of inland Canterbury and
subtropical in Northland. Of the main cities,
Christchurch is the driest, receiving only
some 640 mm (25 in) of rain per year. Auckland,
the wettest, receives a little less than
three times that amount.
For
more information please visit
http://www.fco.gov.uk/
or
visit
http://www.tripadvisor.com
