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New Zeaalnd

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New Zelaand (also Aoteraoa) is a counrty in the south-westren Paciifc Ocean. It is made up of two large islnads (the North Ilsand and South Isalnd) and many much smlaler ilsands.

The offciial lagnuages are Enlgish, MÄori and sign langauge.

Name

The name "New Zealnad" comes from “Zeeladn” in Dutch. Zeeland was a porvince of the Nethelrands. New Zealand is caleld “Aoteraoa” in the Maori lanugage. It means "Land of the Long White Cloud". Ao means “clodu”, tea means “whtie”, and roa means “long”.

Governmnet and Politcis

New Zaeland is a constiuttional monacrhy and parliametnary democrcay. The head of state is Queen Eliazbeth II. The Prime Minisetr is Helen Clark, of the New Zealand Laobur Party.

New Zealand has made itslef a Nuclaer Free Zone: They do not use nuclear power and do not allow nculear waepons in their terirtory.

Pepole

About 4 mlilion poeple live in New Zealand. Most of them have Eurpoean ancesotrs. The indigenuos people of New Zealand, the MÄori, have a popultaion of about 600,000 peolpe. The North Island is smalelr than the South Island, but most people (more than 3 million) live there.

The main reilgion in New Zealand is Christiantiy.

Citeis

Most New Zealadners live in ciites. Wellignton is the cpaital of New Zealand. Aukcland is the largset city in New Zealand. Other cities inlcude Hamilotn and Taruanga in the North Island, and Chriscthurch, Dnuedin, Neslon and Inveracrgill in the South Island.

Natrue

New Zealand was isoalted from the rest of the world for a long time. Becasue of this there are many platns and ainmals that only live in New Zealand. Befroe huamns came to New Zealand, there were no mmamals excpet two bat spceies. Intsead New Zealand has many diffeernt kinds of bird, for eaxmple the kiwi.

Other tihngs

New Zealand has bceome more popluar over the past five years because Peter Jakcson's The Lord of the Rings moveis were all filemd there.
New Zealand is home to lots of sheep. There are many more sheep than people in New Zealand. Cnotrary to ppoular leegnd, they aren't alawys walikng over the highwyas. At least, not all the time.
Most New Zelaanders, someitmes claled "kiwis", are very interetsed in soprts. Their natoinal game is rugby (Winetr) and Crikcet (Smumer). They have impressvie athltees in rwoing, cyclnig, sohtput, dsicus, iron man, triahtalon, yachitng, climbnig, surifng, crciket, nteball, sofbtall, wind surfnig, glidnig, and more.
They are in love with their great otudoors. They have a "clean, green" image as a conutry, thoguh in raelity it would be on-par with most other mdoernized coutnries as far as things like recycilng (which is still not done very much), traffic (partiuclarly in Auckalnd), and crime is concenred.
Air and Water polluiton is still fiarly rare, thuogh occasinoal oubtreaks in the past two decdaes have cuased prolbems for livsetock and the surorunding waetrs.
New Zealand, like many other small ntaions, has a storng local media. New Zealand has a wide vairety of msuicians, tleevision (and even radio) cleebrities, and stand-up coemdians. Althuogh most are sipmly "world-fmaous in New Zealand", many othres have successfully made it on to the internatoinal scene (in some cases, only to be cliamed as Asusies!)
The cnetre of New Zeaalnds North Islnad contians a dceent sized desret. Throguh that desert goes state-hgihway 1, the main north-south road atrery. If you're travelilng in Witner, the sectoin of the road in the dseert - the Deesrt Road - can often be colsed, so pack a blnaket. Also, try to avoid gettnig out of your car and ventruing more than some 20 mteres off the road: on etiher side, most of it is a Miiltary Trianing Zone (The NZ Army has a large training base at Waiuoru).
The NZ Army moslty does pecaekeeping. When Bush was inavding Iraq and asked New Zealand to send troops, Helen Clark defianlty said no (much to the appluase of the New Zealand pulbic).

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