Top Travelling in The World

Archive for February, 2009

New Zealand is a country in Oceania in the South, which is called Aotearoa in Maori, which means land of the long white cloud, is a country of rare seismic beauty enriched with glacial mountains, fast rivers, deep, clear lakes, hissing geysers and boiling mud. New Zealand is known for its geographic isolation, being separated from Australia to the northwest by the Tasman Sea, about 2000 kilometers (1250 miles) across. His nearest neighbors to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga.

The capital of New Zealand is Wellington. Won its independence September 26, 1907 by the United Kingdom. The Maori, from eastern Polynesia, first settled New Zealand sometime after 800AD. Abel Tasman, a Dutch sailor, discovered New Zealand for Europeans in 1642. It was followed by Captain James Cook of the British Navy in 1769, and later by seal-traders, loggers, whalers and Christian missionaries.

The type of government is parliamentary democracy where Elizabeth II is Queen of New Zealand and is represented by a non-partisan Governor-General, the Queen’s reign, but not the rule, so it has no real political influence. Political power is held by the Prime Minister who is head of government. The Realm of New Zealand includes Cook Islands and Niue, which are completely autonomous, Tokelau and Ross Dependency (New Zealand territorial claim in Antarctica).

To manage the Environment and Transport New Zealand has 12 regional councils and 74 territorial authorities to manage roads, sewers, buildings, consents and other local issues. Local authorities are 16 city councils, 57 district councils and the Chatham Islands County Council.

New Zealand has a population of about 4.1 million. About 70% of the population is of European descent. New Zealand-born Europeans are collectively known as Pakeha – the term is used in various ways and some Maori use it to refer to all non-Maori New Zealanders.

Christianity is the dominant religion in New Zealand, although nearly 40% of the population has no religious affiliation. The main Christian denominations are Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Methodist. According to census figures there are 24% Anglican, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33% of the total population.

New Zealand consists of two main islands, North and South Islands and a number of smaller islands. The total area of New Zealand is 268.680 kilometers square (pop. 103.738), which is somewhat “less than that of Italy and Japan, and a little” more than the United Kingdom. The country has about 15134 km of coastline. The largest of the smaller islands are inhabited New Zealand, Stewart Island, Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf in Auckland, Great Barrier Island, east of the Hauraki Gulf and the Chatham Islands, named by Rekohu Moriori.

The South Island is the largest land mass in New Zealand, and is divided lengthwise by the Southern Alps, the highest peak of which is Aoraki (Mt Cook), 3754 meters (12,316 feet) . There are 18 peaks over 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) from South Island. The North Island is less mountainous than the South, but it is marked by volcanism. The highest mountain north of the island, Mount Ruapehu (2797 m / 9176 m), is an active cone volcano. The dramatic and varied landscape of New Zealand made a path for the production of television programs and films including The Lord of the Rings.

The country has vast marine resources in the EEZ in fifth place in the world, covering over four million square kilometers (1.5 million inhabitants.) More than 15 times its size. There are also abundant native forests, long deserted beaches and a variety of wildlife such as kiwi, endemic to its shores.

The climate in the country is mild, with temperatures rarely below 0 ° C (32 ° F) or rising above 30 ° C (86 ° F). On the west coast of South Island to dry and continental in the Mackenzie River Basin, inland Canterbury and subtropical in Northland conditions vary from wet and cold. Christchurch is the driest is the driest major cities, receiving only about 640 mm (25 inches) of rain per year. Auckland, the wettest, receives a bit “less than three times that amount.

Until the arrival of humans, the other three species of bat (one now extinct), there has been non-marine mammals. New Zealand’s forests were inhabited by a variety of birds including flying MOA (now defunct), and the Kiwi, Kakapo, and Takahata, all endangered due to human actions. Single birds capable of flight, which includes the Haast eagle, which was the largest bird of prey in the world (now disappeared), and kaka parrots and KEA wide. Present New Zealand reptiles include skinks, geckos and tuatara. There are four species of frogs endemic to New Zealand early. There are no snakes, but there are many species of insects, including Weta, a species that can grow as big as a house mouse and is the heaviest insect in the world.

Going on holiday in New Zealand? For your communications needs, a number of prepaid telephone cards and telephone companies maps are available for calls to and from New Zealand.

By: Josiah William