New Zealand 
New Zealand
New Zealand 2
Landscape 2
Demography 4
Politics 4
History 6
Economy 8
Life in General 9
North Island 12
South Island 14 New Zealand Where is New Zealand?
New Zealand is a country in Southwestern Oceania, southeast of Australia in
the South Pacific Ocean, with two large islands (North and South Island),
one smaller island (Stewart Island), and numerous much smaller islands. New
Zealand has a total land area of 268,670 sq km and a coastline of 15,134
km.
Time Zones
New Zealand is 12 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) making it one of
the first places in the world to see the new day. Summer time (or Daylight
Saving Time) is an advance of one hour at 2am in the morning on the first
Sunday in October and back to NZST at 3am in the morning on the third
Sunday morning of March.
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Landscape New Zealand is a long narrow country lying roughly North/South with
mountain ranges running much of its length. It is predominately mountainous
with some large coastal plains and is a little larger than Britain,
slightly smaller than Italy, and almost exactly the size of Colorado.
The only `geographical feature' New Zealand doesn't have is live coral
reef. New Zealand has all the rest: rainforest, desert, fiords, flooded
valleys, gorges, plains, mountains, glaciers, volcanoes, geothermics,
swamps, lakes, braided rivers, peneplains, badlands, and our very own
continental plate junction... As a result of the latter, earthquakes are
common, though usually not severe.
The North Island has a number of large volcanoes (including the currently
active Mount Ruapehu) and highly active thermal areas, while the South
Island boasts the Southern Alps - a spine of magnificent mountains running
almost its entire length. Another notable feature of New Zealand is its
myriad rivers and lakes: notably the Whanganui River, Lake Taupo and the
breathtaking lakes Waikaremoana and Wanaka. Flora and Fauna
New Zealand is believed to be a fragment of the ancient Southern continent
of Gondwanaland which became detached over 100 million years ago allowing
many ancient plants and animals to survive and evolve in isolation. As a
result, most of the New Zealand flora and fauna is indigenous/endemic.
About 10 to 15% of the total land area of New Zealand is native flora, the
bulk protected in national parks and reserves.
New Zealand has the worlds largest flightless parrot (kakapo), the only
truly alpine parrot (kea), the oldest reptile (tuatara), the biggest
earthworms, the largest weta, the smallest bats, some of the oldest trees,
and many of the rarest birds, insects, and plants in the world.... New
Zealand is home to the world famous Tuatara, a lizard-like reptile which
dates back to the dinosaurs and perhaps before (260 mill years?). The only
native land mammals are two rare species of bat. New Zealand's many endemic
birds include the flightless kiwi, takahe, kakapo and weka. Far too many
species of bird have become extinct since humans arrived on New Zealand
included the various species of Dinornis (moa) the largest of which stood
up to 2.5 metres high. There is also some unique insect life such as the
Giant Weta and glow worms. Other than two spiders, there is a lack of any
deadly poisonous things (snakes, spiders, etc.) which is why New Zealand
Agricultural Regulations are so strict.
Introduced species - pigs, goats, possums, dogs, cats, deer and the
ubiquitous sheep - are found throughout New Zealand but their proliferation
in the wild has had a deleterious effect on the environment: over 150
native plants - 10% of the total number of native species - and many native
birds are presently threatened with extinction.
New Zealand's offshore waters hold a variety of fish, including tuna,
marlin, snapper, trevally, kahawai and shark; while its marine mammals -
dolphins, seals and whales - attract nature-lovers from around the world.
There are 12 national, 20 forest, three maritime and two marine parks, plus
two World Heritage Areas: Tongariro National Park in the North Island and
Te Waihipouna-mu in the South Island.
One of the most noticeable plants is the pohutakawa (known as the New
Zealand Christmas tree) which detonates with brilliant red flowers around
December. The great kauri trees in the few remaining kauri forests in
Northland are very old with some believed to be up to 2000 years old. Much
of the South Island is still forested, particularly the West Coast. Climate Lying between 34S and 47S, New Zealand sits squarely in the `roaring
forties' latitude which means a prevailing and continual wind blows over
the country from east to west; this can range from a gentle breeze in
summer to a buffeting, roof-stripping gale in winter. The North Island and
South Island, because of their different geological features, have two
distinct patterns of rainfall: in the South Island, the Southern Alps act
as a barrier for the moisture-laden winds from the Tasman Sea, creating a
wet climate to the west of the mountains and a dry climate to the east;
while the North Island's rainfall is more evenly distributed without a
comparable geological feature such as the Alps.
The New Zealand climate is temperate with no real extremes. Temperatures
are a few degrees cooler in the South Island, and both islands receive snow
in winter. Being an island nation, the yearly range of temperatures is
quite small, around 10 degrees Celsius variation between winter and summer.
Winter falls in the months of June through August and summer from December
through to February.
It is important to remember that New Zealand's climate is maritime, rather
than continental, which means the weather can change with amazing rapidity
and consequence. New Zealand enjoys long hours of sunshine throughout the
year making it an ideal year round destination. In winter the South Island
mountain and central North Island do have heavy snowfalls providing great
skiing. The busy tourist season falls in the warmer months between November
and April, though ski resorts, such as Queenstown, are full during winter. Demography Total population is about 3.7 million. Over 70% of the population are in
the North Island. The largest centre is Auckland (over 1 million), and the
capital Wellington.
The official languages are English and Maori. English is more widely
spoken, though the Maori language, for so long on the decline, is now
making a comeback due to the revival of Maoritanga. A mellifluous, poetic
language, the Maori language is surprisingly easy to pronounce if spoken
phonetically and each word split into separate syllables. Pacific Island
and Asian languages may be heard in cities.
Culture
The dominant cultural groups are the Pakeha and the Maori. Other smaller
groups include Yugoslavian Dalmatians, Polynesians, Indians and Chinese. A
common thread that binds the entire population is its love of sport -
especially the national game of rugby union - and outdoor pursuits such as
sailing, swimming, cycling, hiking and camping. The secular aside,
Christianity is the most common religion, with Anglicanism, Presbyterianism
and Catholicism the largest denominations. An interesting religious
variation is the synthesis of the Maori Ratana and Ringatu faiths with
Christianity.
New Zealand art is multifarious, valuing innovation, integrity and
craftsmanship that reflects Pakeha, Maori and Melanesian heritage. Wood,
stone, shell and bone carvings are readily available while larger works
such as tukutuku (wood panelling) can be seen in most maraes (meeting
houses). Paua shell, greenstone, greywacke and greenwacke pebbles are often
fashioned into jewellery that takes its inspiration from the landscape:
earrings shaped like the leaves of a gingko tree; sunglasses modelled on
native fern tendrils; and necklaces in frangipani-flower designs. There is
a lively theatre scene in the country, especially in Wellington, and a
number of galleries, including the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, which is the
oldest viewing room in New Zealand and one of its best. The music scene is
vigorous and fecund, spawning a pool of talent - from Split Enz and Crowded
House to the thrashing guitar pyrotechnics of Dunedin's 3D's and
Straitjacket Fits - lauded locally and overseas.
Politics Constitution New Zealand shares with Britain and Israel the distinction of being one of
the three developed countries that does not have a codified Constitution on
the U.S. model. When the country was annexed by Britain in 1840, the
British parliament enacted that all applicable law of England as at 1840
became the law of New Zealand. In 1856, the New Zealand parliament was
given the power to enact its own law and nothing changed when full
independence was achieved (26-9-1907) except that the British parliament
lost its overriding authority. We have, thus, never had the problem that
Australia and Canada have had of "repatriating" a constitution that was
really an Act of the British parliament.
Our constitution, like the British, consists of parliament's own
conventions and rules of conduct, some legislation such as the New Zealand
Constitution Act (1986, not enacted), and fundamental rules applied by the
Courts which go back into English history. It evolves rather than is
amended.
The flag of New Zealand is blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-
side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in
the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross
constellation.
The National Anthem of New Zealand is "God Defend New Zealand". Form of Government
Constitutional monarchy, with a single-chamber parliament.
The monarch is said to "reign but not rule": except for a residual power to
actually govern in the event of some complete breakdown of the
parliamentary system, the monarch has merely ceremonial duties and advisory
powers. When the monarch is absent from the country, which is most of the
time, those duties and powers are delegated to the Governor-General who is
appointed by the monarch for a limited term after approval by the
government.
Parliament is the consitutional "sovereign" - there is no theoretical limit
on what it can validly do, and the validity of the laws which it enacts
cannot be challenged in the courts (although the courts do have and use
wide-ranging powers to control administrative acts of the government). A
new parliament is elected every three years (universal suffrage at age 18).
The leader of the party which commands majority support in parliament is
appointed prime minister and he or she nominates the other Ministers of the
Crown. The ministers (and sometimes the whole majority party in parliament)
are collectively called "the government". Our system almost entirely lacks
formal checks and balances - the majority party can virtually legislate as
it likes subject only to its desire to be re-elected every three years.
Until now, members of parliament have been elected on a single-member
constituency, winner takes all, system similar to those of Britain and the
U.S.A. As a result of referenda conducted in 1993, future parliaments will
be elected on a mixed-member proportional system modelled on that of
Germany.
The administration is highly centralised. The country is divided into
"districts" (the urban ones called "cities") each with a District (or City)
Council and Mayor, but their powers are limited to providing public
facilities (not housing) and enforcement of by-laws (local regulations)
such as parking regulations. The Police are a single force controlled by
the central government.
The Justice System
There is a four-level hearings and appeals system:
Top level Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (London) | Court of Appeal (Wellington) | High Court (in all cities) | Bottom level District Courts (most towns) There is also the Small Claims Court which handles smaller personal
disputes.
Civil and criminal cases start in the District or High Court, depending on
their seriousness and appeals go up the chain. Certain rare cases can start
in the Court of Appeal. District and High Court judges sit alone or with
juries. The Court of Appeal (and on certain rare occasions the High Court)
consists of three or five judges sitting "en banc". The Judicial Committee
of the Privy Council consists mainly of British Law Lords with New Zealand
judges also sitting in New Zealand cases; in theory its decisions merely
"opinions" for the benefit of the monarch as the fount of all justice, but
in practice its rulings have the force of ultimate appeal.
All judges are appointed by the government - High Court judges are
nominated by the Law Society, but District Court judges apply for the job
like any other. Various special-purpose courts (Industrial Court, Maori
Land Court, Family Court, etc.) exist and have the same status as either a
District Court or the High Court. History The Polynesian navigator Kupe has been credited with the discovery of New
Zealand in 950 AD. He named it Aotearoa (Land of the Long White Cloud).
Centuries later, around 1350 AD, a great migration of people from Kupe's
homeland of Hawaiki followed his navigational instructions and sailed to
New Zealand, eventually supplanting or mixing with previous residents.
Their culture, developed over centuries without any discernible outside
influence, was hierarchical and often sanguinary.
In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman briefly sailed along the west coast
of New Zealand; any thoughts of a longer stay were thwarted when his
attempt to land resulted in several of his crew being killed and eaten. In
1769, Captain James Cook circumnavigated the two main islands aboard the
Endeavour. Initial contact with the Maoris also proved violent but Cook,
impressed with the Maoris' bravery and spirit and recognising the potential
of this newfound land, grabbed it for the British crown before setting sail
for Australia.
When the British began their antipodean colonising, New Zealand was
originally seen as an offshoot of Australian enterprise in whaling and
sealing: in fact, from 1839 to 1841 the country was under the jurisdiction
of New South Wales. However, increased European settlement soon proved
problematic: a policy was urgently required regarding land deals between
the settlers (Pakeha) and the Maori. In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was
signed, with the Maori ceding sovereignty of their country to Britain in
exchange for protection and guaranteed possession of their lands. But
relations between the Maori and Pakeha soon soured (the Maoris became
increasingly alarmed at the effect the Pakeha had on their society while
the Pakeha rode roughshod over Maori rights outlined in the treaty). In
1860, war broke out between them, continuing for much of the decade before
the Maori were defeated.
By the late 19th century, things had temporarily calmed down. The discovery
of gold had engendered much prosperity, and wide-scale sheep farming meant
New Zealand became an efficient and mostly self-reliant country. Sweeping
social changes - women's suffrage, social security, the encouragement of
trade unions and the introduction of child care services - cemented New
Zealand's reputation as a country committed to egalitarian reform.
New Zealand was given dominion status in the British Empire in 1907 and
granted autonomy by Britain in 1931; independence, however, was not
formally proclaimed until 1947. The economy continued to prosper until the
worldwide recession in the 1980s, when unemployment rose dramatically.
Today the economy has stabilised, thanks largely to an export-driven
recovery. Internationally, New Zealand was hailed during the mid-1980s for
its anti-nuclear stance - even though it meant a falling-out with the USA -
and its opposition to French nuclear testing in the Pacific (which France
countered, to much opprobrium but little penalty, by blowing up the
Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior as it sat in Auckland Harbour).
The Maori population is now increasing faster than the Pakeha and a
resurgence in Maoritanga (Maori culture) has had a major and lasting impact
on New Zealand society. Culturally, the most heartening aspect had been the
mending of relations between the Maori and Pakeha (in 1985, the Treaty of
Waitangi was overhauled, leading to financial reparations to a number of
Maori tribes whose land had been unjustly confiscated). However, a recent
clumsy take-it-or-leave-it attempt by the New Zealand government to offer
financial reparations has resulted in an upsurge of militant Maori
protests. Maoris have disrupted events, occupied land claim areas, set up
roadblocks and threatened to blow-up the New Zealand parliament. The
disharmony has shocked New Zealanders and placed national conciliation at
the top of the political agenda.
26,000,000 B.C.
Southern alps rise above the ocean.
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