| Area |
266,171 sq km (102,374 sq miles). |
| Population |
4,393,500 (2011 estimate) |
| Capital |
Wellington - population 389,700 (2010) |
| Language |
English is the most common and everyday language, but other languages are also spoken, including Maori, which is New Zealand's second official language. |
| Religion |
60 per cent Christian: Anglican, Presbytarian, Roman Catholic and Methodist are all represented. |
| Time |
New Zealand: GMT + 12 (GMT + 13 from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in March.) Catham Island: GMT + 12.45 (GMT + 13.45 from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in March.) |
| Highlights |
New Zealand is a small country of incredible contrasts ranging from pristine beaches to snow-capped Alps, protected marine parks to prehistoric forests. North Island's main attractions include the Bay of Islands offering superb diving and game fishing and Rotorua, with its geysers, pools of boiling mud, springs of hot mineral water, silica terraces, coloured craters and hissing fumaroles. Nearby, Lake Taupo and Tongariro National Park are stunning and Wellington, New Zealand's pleasant capital city offers splendid views across to the nearby South Island which can be reached by ferry. The highlights of South Island are numerous and varied. The Southern Alps dominate with Mount Cook and Franz Josef and Fox glaciers offering a variety of activities. Queenstown is known as New Zealand's 'adventure capital' and further south is Milford Sound with superb walking and boating opportunities. Other famous treks on South Island include the Abel Tasman Track and the Queen Charlotte Track. Whale-watching is on offer in Kaikoura, on the east coast and Christchurch is an ideal place to relax. If you are looking for action-packed adventure in stunning scenery, New Zealand is the place to go!
This country is for the most part utterly unspoiled and incessantly photogenic - as you round every corner you'll stop and marvel at yet another mesmerising view. A world leader in eco-tourism with outstanding camping facilities and the self-proclaimed 'adventure capital of the world', New Zealand is a haven for lovers of the Great Outdoors. Glimpse the reclusive kiwi bird, take a hair-raising bungee jump or sky dive, get involved in the national obsession - rugby - and sample some of their internationally renowned wines.
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| Geography |
New Zealand is 1930km (1200 miles) Southeast of Australia and consists of two major islands, the North Island (44,197sq miles) and the South Island (58,170sq miles), which are separated by Cook Strait. Stewart Island is located immediately south of the South Island and the Chatham Islands lie to the Southeast of the North Island. Temperatures decrease going from north to south. Compared to its huge neighbour Australia, New Zealand's three islands make up a country that is relatively small (about 20% more land mass than the British Isles). Two-thirds of the country is mountainous: a region of swift flowing rivers, deep alpine lakes and dense subtropical forest known as 'bush'. The country's largest city, Auckland, is situated on the peninsula that forms the northern part of North Island. Around Rotorua, 149 miles south of Auckland, there is violent thermal activity, making the area a world-famous tourist attraction. The South Island is larger although only about one-third of the population live there. The Southern Alps extend the whole length of the island, culminating in Mount Cook, the country's highest peak. |
| History |
New Zealand was first settled at least 1000 years ago by the Polynesian Maoris, a well-ordered tribal society led by hereditary chiefs and a powerful priesthood. The first European arrival was the Dutchman Abel Tasman in 1642, but it was not until the voyages of Captain James Cook in 1769 and 1779 that the islands were charted and explored. British settlers began to emigrate after British sovereignty was established in 1840 and Wellington was founded soon afterwards. New Zealand was granted internal self-government in 1852 and in 1893 it became the first country in the world to extend the vote to women. New Zealand became a Dominion within the British Empire in 1907 and its forces took part in both World Wars.
The Great Depression led to the election of New Zealand's first Labour government and the establishment of a comprehensive welfare state and a protectionist economy. New Zealand experienced increasing prosperity following World War II and Māori began to leave their traditional rural life and move to the cities in search of work. A Māori protest movement developed, working for greater recognition of Māori culture and the Treaty of Waitangi. In 1975, a Waitangi Tribunal was set up to investigate alleged breaches of the Treaty, and it was enabled to investigate historic grievances in 1985. The government has negotiated settlements of these grievances with many iwi, although Māori claims to the foreshore and seabed have proved controversial in the 2000s.
Between March 2005 and August 2006 New Zealand became the only country in the world where all the highest offices in the land (Head of State, Governor-General, Prime Minister, Speaker and Chief Justice) were occupied simultaneously by women.
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