New Zealand

New Zealand lies in the southwest Pacific Ocean, nearly 2,000 km from Australia. New Zealand is over 1,600 kilometres long, and its widest part is 450 kilometres. The capital city is Wellington, with a population of about 360,000. Wellington's central position was the most important reason to make it the capital in 1865. Before 1865, Auckland had been the capital.

Auckland is the largest city with a population having just reached 1.3 million. The total population of New Zealand is 3.8 million. Maori make up about 15% of the population, and they are the native people of New Zealand. Most Maori live in the North Island.

New Zealand is an island country. The three main islands which make up New Zealand are the North Island, the South Island, and Stewart Island, but a number of smaller offshore islands are also included. About 23% of the country is covered by forest. Most forests are now protected areas. New Zealand is a very mountainous country. Among them are a number of volcanoes. Small earthquakes are quite common.

New Zealand has a sea climate. The North Island has a mild climate, while winter conditions in certain areas of the South Island may drop to near arctic conditions. New Zealand's weather is very changeable. A sudden rain shower will give way just as suddenly to sunny skies, or a strong wind. In general the country experiences high rainfall, especially in winter. The east coast of New Zealand is the driest area, while the west coast of the South Island has one of the highest rainfalls a year in the world. January and February are the warmest months in New Zealand; July and August are the coolest.

Agriculture is the most important economy of New Zealand. New Zealand has 13 times as many sheep as people. Since the 1970s, New Zealand tourism has been developing.

New Zealand's creative culture has grown from a magic mix of cultures-Maori, Polynesian, Asian and every kind of European. Many New Zealand artists are now