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Welcome to New Zealand
Aotearoa! The Land of the Long White Cloud!
New Zealand. called Aotearoa in the Maori language. is a fairytale land. 80% of the flora and fauna specific to the island can be found only in New Zealand. The places have a special charm. isolated and eternal. immune to the many of the problems we new:tate to the urbanized civilisation.
New Zealand means two main islands (South Island and North Island) and other archipelagos. among which: the Kermadek Islands. the Chatham Islands. the Sub-Antarctic Island. under the New Zealand’s control and the Cook Islands which are in an association form with the country.
The state took the name from a region in Holland (Zealand). the islands being discovered by a Dutch man. Abel Tasman: discovered from the Europeans point of view the islands being inhabited even since the 8th century BC by members of the Polynesian populations. In the moment of meeting with the Europeans. the Maori was already formed. James Cooks went in 1789 in New Zealand and navigated around them to adequately mapped them.
The English signed a treaty with Maori in 1840. recognizing the rights of the aboriginal population. The treaty sits at the base of the state even today. The New Zealand’s queen is Elisabeth II but is actually a symbolic title. The Parliament led by prime-minister owns the power in state. John Key is the actual prime-minister.
New Zealand was the first state to grant the women the right to vote. in 1893. The South island (Te Wai Pounamu in Maori) has a mountainous relief. the highest top being the Cook peak with 3754 metres. Also. the island’s South-West Coast is consisting of fiords.
The North island (Te Ike A Maui) doesn’t have such high mountains but the its mountainous relief is of volcanic origin. The two islands are separated by the Cook Strait.
The islands’ relief is perfect for extreme sports. from ski to bungee jumping. The fiords are geological jewellery like the volcanic Taupo (the biggest on island and attracting more than one million tourists every year). the Huka Waterfall and the Glow Worm Grote which is continually illuminated by bio-luminescent larva.
There are 4 million people in New Zealand from which 70% of European origin and the rest are Asian. Maori or Polynesian. The Maori culture evolved from the culture of the first Polynesian travellers that came to New Zealand. Maori have their own language and culture. separated of the Europeans’ and classes in the Maori language are taught in universities. Enjoy exploring New Zealand.