Australia and New Zealand

3. HISTORY

• 1st settlers in New Zealand came from Eastern Polynesia in the Central Pacific around AD 800 - these where most like the ancestors of the Maori population

• the 1st European to reach New Zealand was a Dutch sailor Abel Tasman - however, in the half of the 18th century, it was the British naval officer James Cook who really explored the country and colonists and tradesmen soon followed him to the islands

• Great Britain took control of the South Island by right of discovery and the North Island also became a British colony in 1840, when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by the Maori northern chiefs

• the Maori were promised protection

• a few years later war broke out between the Maori and the British, as some Maori were not willing to sell their land to the newcomers and felt deceived by the Treaty - the Maori resistance was more or less crushed by 1870

• after the 2nd World War the effort to achieve independence from Britain culminated - New Zealand became formally independent in 1947, but it is still a member of the Commonwealth

4. GEOGRAPHY

• the North Island had a sub-tropical climate = warm summers and cool mild winters

• there are volcanoes - hot mud springs and hot water springs

• the South Island is more mountainous - the Southern Alps run through the middle and is much colder and snow, glaciers are found in the mountain rangers

• mountains - in the Southern Alps is the highest peak Mount Cook

• rivers - the longest one is Waikato

• although there are several lowland areas around the New Zealand coast, the country is mainly rolling and hilly with a chain of high mountains rather like the Apennines, more or less down the centre of both islands

• lakes - the largest one is Taupo

• national parks - Fiordland National Park, Tongariro National Park

• animals in New Zealand - because of the long isolation, unique animal developed there - flightless birds kiwi and kakapo (type of parrot), tuatara (reptile) or south island takahe (flightless swamp hen)

5. POLITICAL SYSTEM

• constitutional monarchy in which the British monarch is the formal head of state - Queen Elizabeth II. and her representative is the Governor General

• part of Commonwealth

• head of the government is prime minister

• legislative power resides with the single-chambered parliament - House of Representatives, whose members are elected for 3 year terms

• the party that has a majority in the House forms the government, which comprises the prime minister (the leader of the winning party) and their ministers

• 2 major parties - National and Labour

6. PEOPLE AND LANGUAGES

• 5,1 million inhabitants

• official languages are English and Maori

• nearly 80 % of entire population - 3,9 million people live on North Island

• 1,2 million people live on South Island

• the majority of the population (about 74 %) are made up of those of European descent, the Maoris form the 2nd largest group

• New Zealanders are known for being friendly and easy going

• currency is New Zealand dollar

7. SPORTS AND CULTURE

• sport is significantly influenced by Britain

• national sport is rugby union - New Zealand is one of the top rugby nations in the world

• popular summer sport is cricket

• another sports are netball, basketball and tennis

• also very strong sailing nation

• Maori culture - ceremonial dance in Maori culture is haka dance = social function - welcoming guests, funerals, special occasions