New Zealand

New Zealand is a country comprised of two large islands and many smaller islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and is noted for its geographic isolation. The Tasman Sea separates Australia to the northwest; to north are Fiji and Tonga. The total area of New Zealand is 268670 sq. km, which is slightly less than Japan but a little more than the United Kingdom. The country has extensive marine resources and the fifth largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world. Meaning New Zealand can claim over four million km2 or more than 15 times its land area for exploration and use of marine resources.

The climate is mild, mostly cool temperate to warm temperate, with temperatures rarely falling below 0°C (32°F) or rising above 30°C (86°F). The South Island is the largest mass, mountainous, wet and cold. It is divided length-wise by the Southern Alps. The North Island, dry and continental, is marked by volcanism. The tallest mountain on the North Island Mount Ruapehu (9,176-ft) is an active cone volcano. Although the island landscapes are impressive, they became a lot more popular when the production the Lord of the Rings trilogy called them home.

From natural beauty to fabulous food and a unique local culture, New Zealand is a must visit. The top priority of New Zealand’s administration is:

Ø  Preserving the water bodies

Ø  Protecting the local flora

Ø  Protecting wildlife

Ø  Enable the country’s indigenous tribe, the Maori, to maintain traditional ties with the water bodies

Amazing Water Bodies: New Zealand’s water bodies comprise 4,25,000 km of rivers and streams, 4,000 lakes and more than 200 underground aquifers. With great tourism potential, each water body is treated with utmost care.

Large sky country: The sky hangs large and low over beach forests hedged with giant fern.

Large area of forest: New Zealand has approximately 6.4 million hectares of indigenous forest, almost entirely located in the South Island.

Maori Tribes:

The diverse culture of New Zealand carries much tradition and history built on the customs of the indigenous people known as the Maori. Legend holds that the Maori travelled by canoe from their mythical ancestral island of Hawaiki over 1,000 years ago. These Polynesian settlers travelled in open boats (or in canoes) that are not too different from the traditional crafts found in Polynesia today.

The Maori tribes are resettled and included in everything from seats in parliament to mainstream jobs in the public and private sectors. Maori handicrafts sell very well and visitors are welcomed with the Maori greeting. Maori tribe form 14.9% of population of New Zealand.

Polity: New Zealand has a population of about 4.1 million people mostly of European descent with Maori being the largest minority. Non-Maori Polynesian and Asian peoples are also significant minorities, especially in the nation's cities. Officially, Elizabeth II is the Queen of New Zealand and is represented in the country by a non-political governor-general; however, the Queen has no real political influence. Political power is held by the Prime Minister who is leader of the Government in the democratically elected Parliament of New Zealand.

Kiwi: A Kiwi to a New Zealander is not the green fuzzy fruit most Americans relate to. It is in truth a flightless nocturnal native bird with a long beak with nostrils on the end. Most important however, it is the national bird of New Zealand. Over the years, Kiwi has been applied to and adopted by New Zealanders as a nickname for themselves and as an adjective for their culture.