What stands for New Zealand? Made by Julia Pavlenko Gymnasium 34

Geographical position New Zealand is an Island Nation, situated between the Equator and the South Pole in the southern Pacific Ocean. The area of New Zealand is more than sq. kilometers. The nearest western neighbor of New Zealand is Australia. The distance between the two countries is more than 1, 600 kilometers.

Climate Most parts of New Zealand enjoy ample sunshine and rainfall, although the weather is changeable. Temperatures are higher in the north of the country with subtropical warmth in summer. Winter brings much snow in the Southern Alps.

Wildlife In New Zealand one can see the largest in the world flightless parrot, the only alpine parrot, the oldest reptile, the biggest earthworms, some of the oldest trees. It is home for famous Tuatara, a lizard- like reptile. Because of isolation there was no higher animal life in the country. and two species of bats. The kiwi is the national bird and emblem of New Zealand. It has nostrils at the end of its beak and it can not fly. New Zealanders also like to call themselves Kiwis.

Vegetation Most of New Zealand flora and fauna is endemic. Because of isolation almost 90 % of plants are peculiar. Radiata pine, silver fern, kauri and ngao trees grow much better in New Zealand.

Sport With its mild climate and a lot of rivers, lakes and mountains, New Zealand is a great place for sports. Thrill- seekers can go surfing, diving, rafting, mountain biking, zorbing and bungee jumping.

Rugby The national sport of the country is Rugby, but it is more than a game, because winning is a matter of national pride. The New Zealand team is called The All Blacks – they wear black shirts and shorts. Before a match The All Blacks usually perform a haka, the traditional Maori war dance.

History The first people Polynesians who settled on these islands in the X – XIY centuries got the name of Maori. In 1642 the islands were discovered by Abel J.Tasman, the famous Dutch navigator. He called the land New Zealand after the province in Holland.

History On October 7, 1769, J. Cook on his ship Endeavour approached the land and charted the coastline. In the middle of December the shape of North Island appeared on Cooks map. This was followed by British colonization Maori fought desperately against Britain. It took the British almost a century to conquer New Zealand.

Maori culture Pakeha is the Maori name for all white people. Haka is a war dance. Forming a line, they stamp and leap and slap their sides. Their eyes roll and their tongues poke out. It is a combination of action song. «Poi dance» is a traditional Maori female dance with small fluffy balls on the strings. Maori traditional musical instrument is flute. Maori traditional dish is hangi. It is food steamed over hot stones in the ground.

Maori culture The Maori have a rich oral tradition of creation myths, stories of adventurous voyages, legends. The greatest figure of Maori myths is Kupe. He is thought to discover New Zealand after semigod Maui fished out North Island. He was the only person voyaged from the legendary land Hawaiki round New Zealand and came back.

Population Although the country is about the same size as Japan, Italy or Great Britain, it is not as densely populated. In 1997 the total population numbered over 3,5 million people.

Auckland Auckland was established in 1840 as the capital of the British colonial government. Nowadays it is the industrial port and the largest city of New Zealand. It is a modern cosmopolitan city with a population of over a million people. Twenty percent of the population are Maori and Polynesian.

Wellington Wellington is the second-largest city of New Zealand. It was called by Nicholson. The city became the capital of New Zealand in It i s administrative centre with a population less than 200,000 people. Wellington is the transport link between the islands. Wellington is the centre of finance and commerce.

Christchurch Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island. It is an island city with an English atmosphere and Oxford-style buildings. Near Christchurch are mountains and ski fields, lakes, hot pools and beaches. Population of this city is 300,000 people.