When the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman came to New Zealand in 1642, Maori warriors fought off his sailors and he was unable to land. The first Maori settled in New Zealand about a thousand years ago. They came from Polynesia and were excellent sailors and fierce warriors. In 1769, the British explorer James Cook's claimed New Zealand for Britain.

The flag of New Zealand has the Union Jack in the top left-hand corner and the four-star Southern cross in the right half. On the blue state flag the stars are red, outlined in white.

The Coat of Arms of New Zealand is the official symbol of New Zealand. The shield is supported by two figures, a blonde P ā keh ā (European) woman holding the New Zealand flag, and a M ā ori warrior holding a taiaha (M ā ori staff). The shield is topped with the St Edwards Crown, and beneath the shield are two silver fern leaves and a scroll bearing the words "New Zealand".

God of Nations at Thy feet, In the bonds of love we meet, Hear our voices, we entreat, God defend our free land. Guard Pacific's triple star From the shafts of strife and war, Make her praises heard afar, God defend New Zealand. Men of every creed and race, Gather here before Thy face, Asking Thee to bless this place, God defend our free land. From dissension, envy, hate, And corruption guard our state, Make our country good and great, God defend New Zealand. Peace, not war, shall be our boast, But, should foes assail our coast, Make us then a mighty host, God defend our free land. Lord of battles in Thy might, Put our enemies to flight, Let our cause be just and right, God defend New Zealand. Let our love for Thee increase, May Thy blessings never cease, Give us plenty, give us peace, God defend our free land. From dishonour and from shame, Guard our country's spotless name, Crown her with immortal fame, God defend New Zealand. May our mountains ever be Freedom's ramparts on the sea, Make us faithful unto Thee, God defend our free land. Guide her in the nations' van, Preaching love and truth to man, Working out Thy glorious plan, God defend New Zealand. God defend New Zealand

The head of State is Queen Elizabeth II represented by the Governor-General. Sir Anand Satyanand, Governor- General John Key, the Prime Minister is the Head of Government. It is a constitutional monarchy, an independent state within the Commonwealth.

The country is situated to the south-east of Australia. It consists of three large islands, called North Island, South Island and Steward Island, and also many small islands. The Cook Strait separates the main North and South islands. The Tasman Sea separates New Zealand from Australia. The total land area is 268,021 km ²

Mount Cook (Aoraki) is the highest (3,754 m) peak. New Zealand is a mountainous country. The highest New Zealand mountains are the Southern Alps. They lie near the west coast of South Island. The mountains in North Island are not so high and are mostly forest covered.

New Zealand is a land of volcanoes. Most of them are sleeping, but some are active and you can see steam and smoke coming from them. Rotorua The hot water lakes in Rotorua are of extraordinary colours: yellow, green and even orange. Here steam and hot water explode out of the hot ground. There are pools of natural hot water where you can swim.

weka takahe kakapo tuatara New Zealand is the only place in the whole world where Tuatara can be found in the wild. Its relatives were dinosaurs.

pohutukawa fern Tane Mahuta kiwi The beautiful pohutukawa tree has red flowers at Christmas, and people call it the New Zealand Christmas tree. It is a symbol of the country. The ancient silver fern can be found only in New Zealand. It can be 10 meters high or more. Kiwifruit, the brown furry fruit with green flesh, is grown in here too. The oldest tree in the country is Tane Mahuta. It is a Maori name which means Lord of theForest. It is between 1250 and 2500 years old.

waka taua wood carving tattoos Beautiful carvings, artwork, music, dance and traditional buildings all from part of the Maori heritage. The Maori had no written language, so all their traditions were handed down orally. They used songs and carvings to tell stories from the past that held lessons for the young. Traditionally, Maori people had tattoos (known as moko) on the faces and bodies. Men usually had full-faced tattoos, women had moko on their chins and noses.

CityPopulation Auckland 1,354,900 Christchurch 390,300 Wellington 389,700 Hamilton 171,600 Napier-Hastings Urban Area 124,400 Tauranga 120,000 Dunedin 116,600 Palmerston North 81,600 Nelson 59,800 Rotorua 55,900 The capital of New Zealand is Wellington. The main cities of are Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Auckland. The population of New Zealand is over 3 million people.

It is the biggest city in the country with a population of over 1.4 million people. It is often called The City of Sails because its two harbours are dotted with hundreds of yachts. It is also famous for its Sky Tower. It is 328 meters tall and is the highest building in New Zealand.

It is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. It has strong Scottish roots. In the past it was called New Edinburgh. It is called The City of Firsts. It is home to the countrys oldest university, the first newspaper and the first botanic garden.

New Zealand is a great place for sports. The countrys national sport is Rugby Union, but it is more than a game, because winning a matter of national pride. The New Zealand team is called The All Blacks. They wear black shirts and black shorts. Before the match The All Blacks usually perform a haka, the traditional Maori war dance. Cricket, yachting, diving, rafting are popular too.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand newzealand.govt.nz tattoo.maryno.net nzeland.org/content/cities KiwiAcademy.ru/?id=23 maps.turizm.ru/country_144.html Speak Out 59, 2007; 66,2008. Е. А. Рыбкина New Zealand, СПб Каро,2001