Cultural Scrapbook of New Zealand

By: Elizabeth Moro

New Zealand Its indigenous name is

Aotearoa “Land of the Long White Cloud”

Is the world’s largest exporter of wool

National Anthem is “God Defend New Zealand”

Covers about 103,362 square miles

Flag Was adopted on June12,

1902

Has four stars they represent the Southern Cross Constellation

Contains the UK flag representing the ties between the two nations

Map Capital is Wellington

New Zealand is about the same size as Colorado

This mountainous island nation lies in the South Pacific

There are many glaciers, lakes, and rivers

Population About 4,252,277 people

live in New Zealand

Country comparison to the world 124

.901% is the growth rate of the population

About 87% of the population lives in Urban areas

Economy Has a modern industrialized

economy

Only 5% of the population is employed in agriculture

The most important exports include wool, lamb, beef, fruit, fish, cheese, wine, and timber products

Is one of the world's largest exporters of wool

The currency is the New Zealand dollar

Ethnic Makeup The ethnic groups include:

About 70 percent of the population is European decent, 8 percent is Maori, Asian and Pacific Islanders make up about 10 percent

European decent and Maori live mainly on the North Island

Two-thirds of both the Pacific Islander and Asian populations live in Auckland

Language English and Maori are the

official languages as well as their sign language

The most common everyday is English

Maori is used in educational and cultural setting

A car’s truck is called boot and lift is an elevator

Religion 56 percent of New Zealanders

identify themselves as Christians

Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Presbyterian comprise the largest denominations

The largest non-Christian religions are Hinduism 1.7%, Buddhism 1.7%, and Islam 1%

Only a small minority of New Zealanders attend church on a regular basis the attendance is higher on religious holidays

General Attitudes New Zealanders are open,

friendly, and hospitable

Enjoy working around their homes and gardens

They believe their society should be caring and help people through public programs

They are curious about the world around them 2/3 of the population read a newspaper daily

Greetings Generally greet with a

handshake unless they know each other well they greet with a hug

In formal situations men often wait for women to offer their hand before shaking

After an initial introduction, most people switch from addressing each other by title and surname to using first names.

Gestures Often supplement their

conversation with hand gestures

It’s considered polite to avoid chewing gum or using a toothpick in public and to cover yawns with the hand

Personal space usually is important during conversation standing too close is uncomfortable for many people.

Rite of Passage Parents restrict one-to-one

dating until their children are 15 or 16

Group social activities usually begin around age 12

Women marry at age 27 and men tend to marry a little later

Many choose to live together before or instead of marrying

Recreation (Sports) New Zealanders love Sports

Half the people are paying members of sporting clubs

The national sport is Rugby

Soccer is popular in winter, while cricket is the favorite for summer

Field hockey and softball are popular with both men and women

Arts Performing arts include songs,

chants, and dances that convey legends, love poems, tributes to ancestors, oral histories, and political statements

A popular form of the haka (traditional dance) is a war dance performed by men

A common dance performed by women includes the swinging of poi

The nation is a favorite location for filmmakers from around the globe

Holidays Public holidays include New

Year’s (1 Jan.

Waitangi Day (6 Feb.)

Easter (Good Friday and Easter Monday)

Anzac Day (25 Apr.)

Labor Day (4th Monday in Oct.)

Christmas; and Boxing Day (26 Dec.)

Government Queen Elizabeth II as head of state

She is represented in the country by a governor-general (currently Anand Satyanand)

The head of government is the prime minister (currently John Key), who is the leader of the majority party

House of Representatives members are elected to three-year terms

Voting age is 18.

Clothing Western-style clothing is

the standard

People wear casual clothing in public, although it is usually neat and clean

European fashions are popular, but New Zealand also has its own fashion industry

Education Education is free and

compulsory between ages five and sixteen

Most children enter school at age five, but preschools are also available

Secondary education begins at age 13

Most secondary schools require their students to wear uniforms

Some high schools are segregated by sex

The End…