
New Zealand Facts

Although it is no longer the case, New Zealand had once been governed as a portion of the New South Wales territory which later became part of Australia. After Australia became a federal state in 1901, New Zealand was given the choice to be one of its states. New Zealand declined and is currently an independent country with no Australian ties (aside from commonwealth and economic ones).
A kiwi is a term used for a native flightless bird of New Zealand or an informal way of referring to a New Zealander.
The term is frequently mixed up with that of the fruit known as the “kiwifruit” (otherwise known as the
Chinese Gooseberry).
Europeans first rediscovered New Zealand in 1642 when Abel Tasman. a Dutch sailor. arrived. After the
Maoris killed several of his men, he departed from New Zealand. It was not until British Captain James
Cook arrived on the islands in 1769 that then new country was put on the map.
Officially, Queen Elizabeth II is the New Zealand’s Queen. A Governor General represents her in New
Zealand, and he/she is authorized to ratifies all laws presented by the New Zealand elected parliament.
One of the worlds largest birds in history, the Moa, was a
bird native to New Zealand. It stood 3.6 meters tall and
weighed approximately three hundred kilograms.
Unfortunately. in the latter part of the 16th century. the
Maori hunted this bird to extinction.
The islands of New Zealand had already been inhabited by
the Maori when the first Europeans came. The Maori are
settlers from Eastern Polynesia who settled in New
Zealand approximately between the 800s and 1300s.
Although the location is unknown. oral tradition has it that
they came from Hawaiki.
Due to the strong connections of the New Zealand Maori
language to that of the Maori of the Cook Island. it is
suggested that they came from that part of the Pacific.
New Zealand has cornered the market on the exportation
of sheep meat to the world.
Today, there are about nine sheep to every human in the country, considerable number since their present
population is over four million.
The capital city of New Zealand is Wellington and it is the worlds southernmost capital.
When New Zealand outlawed nuclear
power and arms in 1980s, it was forced
out of the Australia, New Zealand,
United States alliance (ANZUS).
Even today, no nuclear powered stations
exist in New Zealand, and for one to be
built would require a change of law.
New Zealand still has military ties with
the UK.
New Zealand is a quite liberal country
with respect to the legality of Civil
Unions or homosexual marriage,
prostitution, brothel keeping, and
soliciting. 15 is the legal driving age, 16
is the consensual age for sex, and 18 is
the drinking age (though minors who are
accompanied by adults may imbibe in
restaurants).
One of the most popular New Zealand tourist destinations, Lake Taupo, was the world’s largest source of
eruption in the last seventy thousand years. Its Volcanic Explosivity Index was 8. It unleashed magma more
than five hundred cubit kilometers.