New Zealand (facts)

New Zealand (map)

.New Zealand topic

New Zealand topic
 New Zealand is a very interesting country. It has got total area of 269,000 square kilometers. It is situated to south-east of Australia in the Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (North Island and South Island) and some smaller ones. Nearly 3.5 million people live in the country. The capital of New Zealand is Wellington. It is a financial centre too. The city was founded in 1840 and has been the capital since 1865. The official language Is English. The climate of New Zealand is moist. New Zealand is rich in minerals. There are some main industries in the country, for example, iron and steel industry. The country has gas and petroleum. There are many mountains in New Zealand. The highest is Mount Cook (3,764 metres or 12,349 feet). There are many rivers and lakes in the country. The chief rivers are the Waikato and the Wairu. You have heard about the native animals in the country. One of them is the kiwi. This interesting bird lives in the wet parts of the thick bushes. In the day-time the bird does not go out. It comes out only at night to find food. Kiwis cannot fly. Many years ago kiwis were hunted for food. Now the government does not permit the hunting the kiwis. The kiwi is now the symbol of New Zealand people. Small children are often called kiwis. New Zealand is independent state, but formerly it is a part of the British Empire. The head of the state is the Queen. New Zealand is self-governing state. The Parliament consists of one House only, the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister is the head of the government. New Zealand has got heavy industry. There are many plants in the country. Paper and rubber industries are developed too. New Zealand exports wool, meat, butter. There are some big cities such as Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dune-din, Nelson. Auckland and Wellington are the main ports of the country. There are some educational and cultural institutions in Wellington. They are the University of New Zealand, Victoria University College and others. Victoria University was established in 1897. New Zealand is a very interesting and beautiful country
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New Zealand topic

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the Southwest Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1600 km southeast of Australia and about 10 500 km southwest of California. New Zealand belongs to a large island group called Polynesia. The country is situated on two main islands — the North Island and the South Island — and several dozen smaller islands. Most of the smaller islands are hundreds of kilometers from the main ones.

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand and Auckland is the largest city. English is the official language of New Zealand and is spoken throughout the country. Many native people speak their own language» Maori, in addition to English.

The country once belonged to the British empire. Today it is an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations, an association of Britain and a number of its former colonies.

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy. The British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, is the monarch of New Zealand. She appoints a governor general to represent her, but the governor general has little power. The legislation, prime minister, and Cabinet run the national government.

Britain gave New Zealand a constitution in 1852, when it was a British colony. But through the years the New Zealand legislature has changed almost all its provisions. Today, the nation has no written constitution.

The first people who settled in New Zealand were a brown-skinned people called Maoris. They came from Polynesian islands located northeast of New Zealand. 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. Maoris make up about 12 % of the country's population

New Zealand has one of the highest standard of living in the world. For many years, the economy of the country depended largely on agriculture. Today agriculture, manufacturing, and service industries are all important to the economy. New Zealand's economy depends on trade with many countries — Australia, Britain, Japan and the United States.

Questions:

1. Where is New Zealand situated?
2. What city is the capital of New Zealand?
3. What languages do people in New Zealand speak?
4. What is the official language in New Zealand?
5. Who is New Zealand's head of state?
6. Who runs the national government?
7. Who were the first people to live in New Zealand?
8. What are the main industries of the country?

 http://www.alleng.ru/engl-top/492.htm

New Zealand History

New Zealand History

New Zealand is a British Commonwealth country. It is self-ruling, but its government and citizens recognize the Monarch of England as their sovereign. The history of New Zealand is the history of two distinct groups of people; the Maori who began arriving in the 10th century, and the European settlers who arrived in the 19th century. The Maori are a Polynesian people who migrated to New Zealand by waka (canoe) from other Polynesian areas such as Tahiti. Best archaeological estimates place their first arrival in Aotearoa (New Zealand) in the late 10th century and subsequent arrivals continued over the next few hundred years. Their society is made up of familial tribes, each with a chief at its head.
At the time of the European arrival, Maori tribes occupied North Island and the northern tip and coastal areas of South Island. Early Maori history was maintained orally until it began to be written down in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Much of the earliest history is myth and tradition that plays an important part in the whakapapa (genealogy) of the people. For more information about whakapapa, see New Zealand Native Races.
The history of the European settlement of New Zealand is the story of three main causes; the scientific, the religious, and the economic. First discovered by the Dutchman Abel Janszoon Tasman in 1642, New Zealand’s coastal area was later explored and mapped by James Cook in 1769. The sealing and whaling industries followed and established stations along the coasts, but did not attract settlers. The religious settlers came first as missionaries in 1814 to bring Christianity to the Maori, and later as settlers who established religion-based settlements. Other settlers came seeking a better life, land, and economic opportunity, often at the expense of the native population. The greatest influx of settlers came after New Zealand was declared a British Crown Colony in 1841.
Maori society was radically and permanently affected by the coming of the Europeans:

• In the early years of settlement, European diseases killed many Maori.
• The Maori lost much of their traditional tribal lands to settlers and land speculators.
• Maori resistance to the loss of their lands resulted in armed conflict and the loss of life on both sides.
• European missionaries brought new religions.
• To survive, the Maori had to gradually assimilate into the European culture.

Some key dates and events in the history of the settlement of New Zealand are as follows:
10th C Maori begin arriving by canoe in New Zealand
1350 By this time the main migrations were completed.
1642 Abel Tasman sailed up the west coast of New Zealand. The Dutch gave the islands their name.
1769 James Cook explored and mapped the coast line of both islands.  He claimed the land for Britain.
1792 The sealing and later whaling industries established stations along the coasts of both islands.
1814 Rev. Samuel Marsden of the Church Missionary Society (Anglican) arrived at the Bay of Islands with several companions and their families, who established missions on the North Island.
1819 New Zealand was declared a dependency of New South Wales by Gov. Macquarie. In 1823 the jurisdiction of the Courts of NSW was extended to New Zealand.
1830Wesleyan mission was established.
1837 The New Zealand Company, formed by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, was established to aid in the settlement of British subjects at New Zealand.
1838A French Catholic mission was founded.
1840 The Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document, was signed on 6 February by Maori chieftains and representatives of the British Crown.
First New Zealand Company settlers arrived.
1841 New Zealand was declared a separate British colony, independent of New South Wales.
1843-72 New Zealand Wars.  Maori lost the rights to much of their native land.
1846
New Zealand divided into the two provinces of New Munster and New Ulster, which divided the North Island in half.
1852 New Zealand granted self-rule by the British government.
New Zealand was divided into six provinces of Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury and Otago, and the old province names ceased to be used. Four later provinces created were Hawke’s Bay, Marborough, Southland, and Westland.
Gold discovered at Coromandel.
1854  Latter-day Saint missionaries arrived, preaching mainly among the European settlers.
1861Gold discovered in Otago.
1864Gold rush on the West Coast.
1865 Native Land Court established.
1867 Gold rush in Thames.
1876 Abolition of the provinces in favor of elected local government borough and county councils.
1893New Zealand women were given the right to vote.
1899 New Zealanders participated with Britain in the Boer (South African) War.
1907 New Zealand was granted Dominion status within the British Commonwealth.

1914-1918 World War I; New Zealand contingents including the Pioneer Maori Battalion participated.
1939-1945 World War II; New Zealand contingents including the famed 28th (Maori) Battalion participated.
1947New Zealand gains full independence from Britain.
1958The LDS New Zealand Temple and the Church College of New Zealand in Hamilton were dedicated.
 https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/New_Zealand_History

відео New Zealand Basic Information