New Zealand

National Flag

National Emblem

• National Day: Waitangi Day ( 1840.2.4)

• New Zealand Dollar

• National Flower: Spinulose tree ferns ( 桫椤 ), four wing scholar ( 四翅槐 )

• Capital: Wellington

• The largest city: Auckland (1,318,700 )

1 .Land People and History

• 1). Land

• In the south-west Pacific Ocean, New Zealand is a large, long group of islands----two main land masses separated by Cook Strait. New Zealand is in the southern temperate latitudes midway between the Equator and the South Pole. The climate is maritime.

New Zealand’s geography

• New Zealand is in the Southern Pacific Ocean, halfway between the equator and the South Pole.

• The size of the country is similar to Britain or Japan. It has two main islands: North Island and South Island.

• Hilly and 3/4 land more than 200 meters above sea level.

• Three volcanic mountains in North Island: Ruapebh, Ngeaurohoe and Tongariro.

• The largest lake: Lake Taupo( 托波湖 ) • The highest peak: Mt Cook in South Island. 3764M• The largest river:the Clutha( 克鲁沙河 ) in S.I. and

Waikato and the Wanganui in N.I.    

• New Zealand is just west of the International Date Line, so it is the first country to get the new day. Earthquakes and volcanoes are the most serious potential natural disasters.

Characteristics of New Zealand’s climate

• ①generally temperate,

• ②varied climate: In the far north it is subtropical( 亚热带 ) and in some mountainous areas of South Island it is sub arctic （亚寒带 ,

• ③Rain falls all year round.

Native plants and animals • ① “the bush” 丛林 ;native evergreen trees 常青

树 : Kauri( 栲李树 ) ， totara ( 椭榻拉树 ), the “cabbage tree” (a giant lily 百合科植物 ).

• ②a nocturnal (awake at night) bird that can not fly. It is the national symbol and New Zealander call themselves Kiwis. 几维鸟是一种夜间不会飞的鸟，是新西兰的象征

• ③ kiwifruit( 新西兰果 ) ： introduced form Chinese monkey fruit( 弥猴桃 ).

• ④the only native land mammal are two species of bats.

2). The New Zealanders

• Around 80% of New Zealanders identify themselves as having some European ancestry mainly from Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Former Yugoslavia and other nations.

• The next largest population group is Maori. People from the Pacific Islands make up about 50% of the population. New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote ( in 1893).

3). History

• New Zealand ----Aotearoa, “land of the long white cloud”----was settled over 1.000 years ago by voyagers from East Polynesia.

• The first European to visit new Zealand was a Dutchman, Abel Tasman in 1642;

• The first Englishman to visit was Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy in 1769.

• The first official governor, William Hobson was sent there by the British government in 1840, representing Queen Victoria, and some Maori chiefs, signed the Treaty of Waitangi. Modern New Zealand was founded.

• It was granted internal self-government in 1852.

• Wellington founded by the first settlers became the capital in 1865.

• Land war between the Europeans and the Maoris broke out in the 1860s.

• Gold was discovered in Otago and Westland, but the gold boom ended in 1870.

• The Treaty of Waitangi 1840 has three articles:

• 1) the Maori people gave the Queen of England the right to make laws for the country.

• 2)promised the Maori own their lands, forests, fisheries and other treasured possessions, if Maori wanted to sell land ,only the Crown had the right to buy.

• 3)Maoris were granted all the rights and privileges of British subjects.

• The anniversary of the signing, February 6, is celebrated as New Zealand National Day, Waitangi Day, and is a national holiday.

• Characteristics of Maori culture (Maoritanga) :Maoritanga means Maori culture, the Maori way of life and view of the world, which is a very important part of New Zealand culture today.

2. Political System, Education and Economy

• 1). Political System• New Zealand’s constitution is made up of

parliamentary statutes, judicial rulings and administrative practices. The Head of State is the British monarch, represented by a Governor—General. Parliament has important functions like enacting laws, supervising the government’s administration and the redress of grievances by receiving petitions.

• 2). Education

• Education in New Zealand is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16, and tuition in state schools is free to New Zealand residents.

• 3. Economy

• It is one of the largest fishing areas in the world. Forest products are important earners of overseas funds.