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