New Zealand

NEWZEALAND

New Zealand is an island country. The official names of the country are the Realm [relm] of New Zealand and New Zealand (commonly used). It is situated to south-east of Australia in the Pacific Ocean. New Zealand is not part of Australia. The Tasman Sea separates the two countries. It consists of two big islands (theNorth Island and the South Island) and many (61) small islands around.

Most population of New Zealand lives on the North Island, but it is smaller than the South Island. New Zealand is a mountainous country. The highest mountains of the country are called Southern Alps. The highest mountain is Mount Cook or Aoraki (3,764 metres high). It was named after Captain Cook who visited the islands before discovering the eastern coast of Australia. It is called “Cloud in the Skies” by the Maoris [’mauri]. In North Island you can see big volcanoes like Egmont and Tongariro.

There are numerous lakes and rivers in New Zealand. Most of them are short and rapid. The country’s longest river Waikato (425 km.) and the largest lake Taupo are situated on the North Island.

The climate in New Zealand is warm and the greater part of the country is well watered. There are evergreen forests and large areas of grasslands. New Zealand is south of the Equator so the seasons are reversed there. It is summer in December, January and February and winter in June, July and August.

Nearly 4,5 million people live in the country. About 80% of the population lives in cities. The natives of New Zealand are the Maoris, poetically called “the Vikings of the Sunrise”. They call New Zealand “Aotearoa”. It means “Land of the Long White Cloud”.Ao means “cloud”, tea means “white”, and roa means “long”: because of volcano activity the long islands of New Zealand are often cloud-capped and look like a long white cloud.

The country was discovered by Europeans in 1642, but they did not start to settle in the islands until the late 1700’s. Today, most New Zealanders are descendants of the early European settlers. The pakeha (the Maori word for European settlers) make up 86% of the total population. The Maoris were the first people who came to New Zealand from Polynesia in the middle of the 14th century. Most of Maoris live near Auckland. The Maoris are famous for their folk songs, music, dances and woodwork.

The official languages are English and Maori. Many native people speak Maori, in addition to English. The Maori language is used primarily for ceremonies and other special occasions. English in New Zealand includes many Maori words, and many place names come from the Maori language. Many places now have dual Maori and English names. For example, the word kiwi, which refers to a native bird and national symbol, can also mean a New Zealander; and a white person is a pakeha (a Maori word meaning “fair skinned”).

New Zealand was first discovered by Europeans in 1642 when Dutch sea captain Abel Tasman arrived. The Dutch name the country “Nieuw Zeeland” after the Dutch island province of Zeeland.

After the visit of Captain James Cook to New Zealand in 1760-1777 the settlement of the islands progressed. British ships began trading with the Maoris. The New Zealand Company, founded in 1839, began the colonization of New Zealand, buying land for nothing and driving the Maoris from good lands, to set reservations. In 1845 the Maoris began to fight against the British rule. The so called “Maori wars” lasted till 1870 when the natives were finally defeated by the superior British forces.

When gold was found in South Island (1861), the population began to grow very quickly. In 1833 New Zealand was officially joined to New South Wales of Australia.

The country once belonged to the British Empire. It became an independent dominion in 1907. Independence Day is celebrated on September, 26.

National Flag of New Zealand

TheNew Zealand Flag represents the history of the country as a part of the BritishEmpire and its location in the southern hemisphere. The Flag of New Zealand has four red stars with a white border. The stars represent the configuration of Crux, referred to as the Southern Cross, in New Zealand.

National Symbols

The Coat of Arms of New Zealand features a Māori warrior holding a taiaha (a Māori war weapon) and a European woman holding the New Zealand Ensign. Four stars represent the Southern Cross, three ships symbolise the importance of New Zealand’s sea trade. A golden fleece represents the farming industry. The wheat sheaf represents the agriculture, and the crossed hammers represent mining and industry.

The national anthem of New Zealand has two variations. They are “God Defend New Zealand” which is English and “Aotearoa”which is Māori.

New Zealand has several official national emblems. They include the kiwi (the national bird); Zealandia, a middle-aged white woman on the national coat of arms; and the silver fern is most commonly used, especially in sports.

The political system

Today the country is anindependent state and a member of the Commonwealth. It is a parliamentary democracy.

The head of the state is the British monarch represented by a Governor General. He is appointed by the Monarch upon the recommendation of New Zealand government to a five-year term. The legislation, Prime Minister and Cabinet run the national government. The Prime Minister is the head of the government.

The Parliament consists of one house which is called the House of Representatives. It comprises 120 members elected for 3 years. The main political parties are the Labour Party and the National Party of New Zealand. New Zealand was the first country in the world to give the vote to women in 1893, to have old age pensions and the eight-hour working day.

New Zealand is sometimes called “The Britain of the Pacific”, because the cities and towns of the country resemble very much those of England. The biggest cities of New Zealand are Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin.

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand since 1865. It has a population of325,000.It is the third largest city. The first colonists appeared there in 1840. They called their settlement Britannia. Later it was renamed into Wellington. It is built on high hills around a lovely harbour, and has lots of good shops, restaurants and theatres.

Auckland is the largest city of the state. Almost one million people live there. Auckland is a modern business centre with many high-rise buildings.

Christchurch is the second largest city with 300,000 people. It is a green place;¹/₃ of the city is parks. To many people Christchurch is “the most English city outside England”; it was designed in England, and its river is called the Avon. The name Christchurch comes from Christ Church College at Oxford, as one of the leaders of the early settlers was educated there.

New Zealand’s fourth city has the old name for Edinburgh – Dunedin. In the 19th century it was the centre of New Zealand’s business and its largest city. Many of Dunedin’s most beautiful buildings were built at this time. It also has New Zealand’s oldest university.

Waitangi Day (6 February)

Waitangi Day marks the occasion in 1840 when the United Kingdom signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the indigenous Maori. Under this treaty, New Zealand became a British colony. The Maori ceded sovereignty to the British in return for legal protection as British subjects. The Maori were guaranteed possession of their land, but with the limitation that they could sell only to the monarchy.

Anzac Day (25 April)

Anzac is an acronym for Australia and NewZealandArmyCorps. Anzac Day honors the nation’s armed forces that have fought in wars. Boxing Day derives from an old British tradition of giving small-boxed gifts to service workers and trades people on day after Christmas. It is now a day for visiting and relaxing. In addition to these holidays, each province has an Anniversary Day commemorating its founding.

Sports play a big part in the lives of most New Zealanders. Rugby is their national game. Women’s netball and rugby league are also popular winter spectator sport. Yachting has a large following. Some New Zealanders are horseracing fans.

Many other sports are enjoyed during the year, including tennis, golf, swimming, and sailing (many families own a boat of some kind).

Адрес публикации: https://www.prodlenka.org/metodicheskie-razrabotki/369215-new-zealand