Geographical position

New Zealand is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, shared with Australia by
the Tasman Sea at a distance of more than 4000 kilometers. The territory of the
country consists of two main islands of the North and South separated by the Cook
Strait, as well as about 700 islands of much smaller area, most of which are
uninhabited.
The total area of the country is almost 270,000 square kilometers, which is slightly
larger than the UK or Belarus, but smaller than Japan or Germany. You can fly by
plane from the largest city of Northern Auckland to the most popular city of South
Queenstown in two hours. At the same time, no matter where you are, the nearest
coast will be no more than 3 hours away by car. In fact, you can even snowboard in
the mountains and surf the sea on the same day.
Willington
Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. It has been the capital since 1865. Before
then Auckland was the capital. Wellington is the second largest city in New Zealand.
It had about 448,000 people in 2006.[1] Wellington is the southernmost capital city
in the world.
Wellington is in the middle of New Zealand, at the south end of the North Island.
South of Wellington is Cook Strait, the sea between the North Island and the South
Island. The city has a lot of hills and a deep harbour. The middle of the city is busier
than most small cities and is easy for people to walk around.
It was named for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Wellington recently
became famous because The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy was made there
Richard
Richard John Seddon (22 June 1845 – 10 June 1906) was a New Zealand politician
who served as the 15th Premier (Prime Minister) of New Zealand from 1893 until his
death.
In office for thirteen years, Seddon is to date New Zealand's longest-serving head of
government. Sometimes derisively known as "King Dick" for his autocratic style, he
has nonetheless been lauded as one of the greatest, most influential, and most
widely known politicians in New Zealand history.
History
First to arrive were ancestors of Māori. These first settlers probably arrived from
Polynesia between 1200 and 1300 AD. They discovered New Zealand as they
explored the Pacific, navigating by ocean currents and the winds and stars. In some
traditions, the navigator credited with discovering New Zealand is Kupe.
The first European to arrive in New Zealand was the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in
1642. That’s how we got the Dutch-sounding name – from a Dutch mapmaker who
first called us Nieuw Zeeland.
A surprisingly long time – 127 years – passed before New Zealand was visited by
another European, Captain James Cook. He came in 1769 on the first of three
voyages.
European whalers and sealers started visiting regularly and then came traders. By
the 1830s the British government was being pressured to curb lawlessness in the
country and also to pre-empt the French who were considering New Zealand as a
potential colony.
Eventually, at Waitangi on 6 February 1840, William Hobson, New Zealand’s first
Governor, invited assembled Māori chiefs to sign a treaty with the British Crown.
The treaty was taken all round the country, as far south as Foveaux Strait, for signing
by local chiefs, and eventually more than 500 signed.
Political system
Zealand has an unwritten Constitution and is a Monarchy. That means that the
Queen of New Zealand, Queen Elizabeth II, is Head of State.
The Queen’s representative in New Zealand is the Governor-General. Гавернел
дженерал The Queen and Governor-General are politically neutral and do not get
involved in elections.
The Governor-General carries out a mixture of constitutional, ceremonial сірімоніал
and community duties.
Parliament is made up of:
• the House of Representatives — MPs who have been elected in their electorate or
from a party list
• the Governor-General.
The House is elected for a maximum 3-year term.
System of government has three separate branches. The three branches are:
• the legislature (Parliament)
• the Executive branch (the elected government)
• the Judiciary (judges and courts) Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Courts and
District Courts.
Elections are free and fair and all citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote.
Voting is not compulsory, but it does give you a voice in democracy. Everyone who
is enrolled to vote is also can be a candidate for election as a member of Parliament
Name
In the Māori language, the country is called Aotearoa, which means "Land of the
Long White Cloud". Ao means “cloud”, tea means “white”, and roa means “long”.
The name "New Zealand" comes from “Zeeland” (which translates to "Sealand") in
Dutch, after the islands were seen by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman.
Population
Today, the majority of New Zealand's population of 5 million is of European descent;
the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific
Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealand's culture is mainly derived from Māori and
early British settlers, with recent broadening arising from increased immigration.
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