New Zealand: a destination of choice
Our location
An island nation nestled in the South Pacific Ocean, New Zealand lies 2162km (1343 miles) southeast of Australia. Other neighbours include Fiji, New Caledonia and Tonga.
Made up of two larger islands – the North Island and the South Island – and many smaller islands, New Zealand’s total land area is 270,000km2 (104,000 square miles).
Our people
In this largely rural country, over three-quarters of New Zealand’s 4.2 million inhabitants live on the North Island. Every member of the population is either an immigrant or a descendent of one.
The Maori first arrived here over 600 years ago, followed in the 19th Century by large numbers of migrants from Europe. More recently, we’ve welcomed new residents from countries as diverse as South Africa, Zimbabwe and Somalia. New Zealand is now home to migrants from over 145 different countries.
Our history
By world standards, New Zealand is a very young country, with European settlement on a large scale occurring only over the last 150 years. Maori call the country Aotearoa, meaning ‘land of the long white cloud’.
Maori legend tells of a boy name Maui, who, while fishing in the great ocean with his brothers, hooked a fish that became the North Island of Aotearoa. The South Island, his boat, and Stewart Island, located off the tip of the South Island, his anchor.
The Treaty of Waitangi
In Waitangi on February 6, 1840, Governor Hobson, representing the British Crown, put his signature to a document signed by 40 Maori chiefs. This document, now known as the Treaty of Waitangi, ceded sovereignty of New Zealand from Maori to the Queen of England.
In return, the rights of Maori to their land, forests and fisheries were to remain undisturbed, with Maori enjoying the ongoing protection of the Crown. The Treaty exists today as a living document and has, in recent years, acquired increasing importance in the development of the nation’s social and economic policies.
Our language
Both English and Maori are official languages of New Zealand, though English is the main written and spoken language. Maori is spoken fluently by over 4% of the population, and the Maori community has experienced a resurgence of members speaking and writing the native language in recent years.
Our climate
As New Zealand is surrounded by sea, the climate is rarely uncomfortably hot or unbearably cold. Overall, temperate ranges from 20-30°C (68-86°F) in summer, and from 5-15°C (41-59°F) in winter, with the mean average being 10°C for the South Island and 16°C for the North Island.
Home to all four ecosystems, New Zealand’s climate is complex, ranging from sub tropical in the far north to severe alpine conditions in the South Island’s mountainous regions. Winter lasts from June until August, while summer is between December and February.
Our government
New Zealand is a modern parliamentary democracy based on the Westminster parliamentary system. New Zealand’s Parliament is usually made up of 120 members. John Key is the current Prime Minister and heads the ruling National Party Government.
New Zealand is a member of the British Commonwealth and numerous international organisations such as the OECD, UNESCO and WHO, as well as being party to a number of international agreements like the Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol and Ozone Layer Protection. For many years, the government has been active in promoting free trade, nuclear disarmament, and arms control.
Our landscape
New Zealand has 14 national parks, majestic mountain ranges, sweeping plains, fjords, imposing native forests, crystal clear inland lakes, miles of golden sand beaches and numerous bays dotted around one of the longest coastlines in the world.
Visitors to New Zealand remark on the country’s beauty and wide open landscape. The majority of New Zealand’s land mass remains undeveloped, and the country is a haven to those who love the outdoors.
