| The diverse culture of New Zealand
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| | impressive, they became a lot more
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| carries much tradition and history built
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| | popular when the production the Lord of
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| on the customs of the indigenous people
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| | the Rings trilogy called them home.
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| known as the Maori. Legend holds that the
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| | New Zealand has a population of about 4.1
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| Maori traveled by canoe from their
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| | million people mostly of European descent
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| mythical ancestral island of Hawaiki over
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| | with Maori being the largest minority.
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| 1,000 years ago. These Polynesian
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| | Non-Maori Polynesian and Asian peoples
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| settlers traveled in open boats (or in
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| | are also significant minorities,
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| canoes) that are not too different from
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| | especially in the nation's cities.
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| the traditional crafts found in Polynesia
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| | Officially, Elizabeth II is the Queen of
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| today.
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| | New Zealand and is represented in the
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| New Zealand is a country comprised of two
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| | country by a non-political
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| large islands and many smaller islands in
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| | governor-general; however, the Queen has
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| the southwestern Pacific Ocean and is
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| | no real political influence. Political
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| noted for its geographic isolation. The
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| | power is held by the Prime Minister
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| Tasman Sea separates Australia to the
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| | (currently Helen Clark) who is leader of
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| northwest; to north are Fiji and Tonga.
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| | the Government in the democratically
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| The total area of New Zealand is 268670
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| | elected Parliament of New Zealand.
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| sq. km, which is slightly less than Japan
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| | Since 1984 the government has be
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| but a little more than the United
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| | restructuring the economy to lean more
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| Kingdom. The country has extensive marine
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| | towards an industrialized free market and
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| resources and the fifth largest Exclusive
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| | less of an agrarian economy that was
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| Economic Zone in the world. Meaning New
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| | dependant on the British market. Leading
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| Zealand can claim over four million km2
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| | agricultural exports include meat, dairy
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| or more than 15 times its land area for
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| | products, forest products, fruit and
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| exploration and use of marine resources.
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| | vegetables, fish, and wool.
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| The climate is mild, mostly cool
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| | The culture, contemporary and diverse,
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| temperate to warm temperate, with
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| | has influences from British, Irish, and
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| temperatures rarely falling below 0°C
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| | Maori cultures. New Zealand is one of the
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| (32°F) or rising above 30°C (86°F).
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| | most recently settled major landmasses.
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| The South Island is the largest mass,
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| | Polynesian settlers arrived in their waka
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| mountainous, wet and cold. It is divided
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| | some time between 800 and 600 years ago
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| length-wise by the Southern Alps. The
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| | to establish the indigenous Maori
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| North Island, dry and continental, is
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| | culture. Among the British settlers, many
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| marked by volcanism. The tallest mountain
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| | people were from Scotland giving New
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| on the North Island Mount Ruapehu
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| | Zealand more bagpipe bands than in
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| (9,176-ft) is an active cone volcano.
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| | Scotland!
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| Although the island landscapes are
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| | What exactly is a Kiwi?
|
