About New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean and is located about 1,000 miles Southeast of Australia. It consists of the North Island and the South Islands. The capital is Wellington and the biggest city is Auckland which are both located in the North. The country’s population is 4.794 million. It is New Zealand has an extremely diverse geography that includes active volcanoes, caves, glacier lakes, valleys, beaches, and even snowcapped peaks. The surface area of New Zealand is slightly less than the size of Colorado. The climates changes depending on different locations in New Zealand, however the summer months are December to February which are fairly warm. In New Zealand they use the New Zealand dollar which is $1 to ever $0.63 US dollar. Although New Zealand is an ethnically diverse country, the two main ethnic groups are NZ European and Maori. Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand and their culture is widely celebrated across the country. It is also incorporated into New Zealand school curriculum. NZ is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. Their head of state is a sovereign which is currently Queen Elizabeth II. They have three branches of government: the legislature or parliament, the executive or the Ministers of the Crown, and the judiciary.
Fun Facts About New Zealand
Fun Facts About New Zealand
- In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to give women the right to vote.
- New Zealand has won more Olympic gold medals per capita, than any other country.
- New Zealand won the first ever Rugby World Cup, held in 1987.
- Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mount Everest in 1953, was a New Zealander.