New Zealand

Location:
in the Southern Hemisphere, in the SW Pacific Ocean, SE of
Australia
consists of several islands, the largest ones the North and the
South Islands separated by narrow Cook Strait
History:
discovered by a Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642
in a hostile encounter, four crew members were killed
explored by an English explorer James Cook in 1769 when he
mapped the coastline
from the early 19th century, Christian missionaries began to settle
New Zealand converting most of the Maori population
in 1840 the British and Mori signed a treaty making New Zealand
a colony of the British Empire = the Treaty of Waitangi
in 1907 King Edward VII proclaimed New Zealand a dominion
within the British Empire
independent sovereign nation within the Commonwealth (since
1947)
Political system:
a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy,
although its constitution is not codified
Queen Elizabeth II is the head
she is represented by the Governor General
Flag:
dark blue
British Union Jack in the top left corner + on the right side
Southern Cross star constellation
Capital: Wellington
Large cities and towns:
Christchurch
the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand
in 2010, an earthquake caused widespread damage to the city and
minor injuries, but no direct fatalities
Auckland
the largest and most populous city in New Zealand
one of its nicknames is the City of Sails
home to a lot of cultural events
Dunedin
the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand
home to the University of Otago, New Zealand's first university
Currency: 1 New Zealand dollar = 100 cents
Economy:
Agriculture: sheep and cattle, wool, dairy products (butter, cheese)

 Industry: paper, wood, textile and machinery production, movie

industry, tourism, mineral resources
People:
original inhabitants Maori
people of Polynesian origin
roughly 15% of the national population
in 2004 Mori Television started to broadcast
Mori is an official language de jure, but English is de facto the
national language
kapahaka
+ European (mostly British)
Largest lake: Taupo
Highest mountain: Mt. Cook
Countryside: spectacular landscape with glaciers, mountains, rivers,
lakes, rainforests, geysers, deserted beaches, fjords
Symbols: kiwi, silver fern
Sport: rugby (All Blacks = New Zealand men's national rugby union
team), netball, cricket, hiking, swimming, skiing, rafting, fishing, bungee
jumping
Culture: Lucy Lawless (Xena), Peter Jackson (director), Anna Paquin
(actress, born in Canada), Jane Campion (director), Kiri Te Kanawa
(opera singer), Sam Neill (actor, born in Northern Ireland)