New Zealand (the Land of the Long White Cloud)

of Zeeland which means “Sea Land” in Dutch.
New Zealand has

another name, Aotearoa, which means “the land of the Long white cloud” in the Maori language.

Zealand in 1642, Maori warriors fought off his sailors and

he was unable to land.

The first Maori settled in New Zealand about a thousand years ago. They came from Polynesia and were excellent sailors and fierce warriors.

In 1769, the British explorer James Cook's claimed New
Zealand for Britain.

the top left-hand corner and the four-star Southern cross in

the right half. On the blue state flag the stars are red, outlined in white.

flag

symbol of New Zealand.
The shield is supported by two

figures, a blonde Pākehā (European) woman holding the New Zealand flag, and a Māori warrior holding a taiaha (Māori staff). The shield is topped with the St Edward’s Crown, and beneath the shield are two silver fern leaves and a scroll bearing the words "New Zealand".

Coat of arms

we meet, Hear our voices, we entreat, God defend our free land. Guard

Pacific's triple star From the shafts of strife and war, Make her praises heard afar, God defend New Zealand.
Men of every creed and race, Gather here before Thy face, Asking Thee to bless this place, God defend our free land. From dissension, envy, hate, And corruption guard our state, Make our country good and great, God defend New Zealand.
Peace, not war, shall be our boast, But, should foes assail our coast, Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our free land.

National Anthem

Lord of battles in Thy might, Put our enemies to flight, Let our cause be just and right, God defend New Zealand.
Let our love for Thee increase, May Thy blessings never cease, Give us plenty, give us peace, God defend our free land. From dishonour and from shame, Guard our country's spotless name, Crown her with immortal fame, God defend New Zealand.
May our mountains ever be Freedom's ramparts on the sea, Make us faithful unto Thee, God defend our free land. Guide her in the nations' van, Preaching love and truth to man, Working out Thy glorious plan, God defend New Zealand.

God defend New Zealand

the Governor-General.
Sir Anand Satyanand,
Governor-General
John Key,
the Prime Minister is
the

Head of
Government.

It is a constitutional monarchy,
an independent state within
the Commonwealth.

consists of three large islands, called North Island, South Island

and Steward Island, and also many small islands.

The Cook Strait separates the main North and South islands.
The Tasman Sea separates New Zealand from Australia.

The total land area is 268,021  km²

is a mountainous country. The highest New Zealand mountains are

the Southern Alps. They lie near the west coast of South Island. The mountains in North Island are not so high and are mostly forest covered.

between winter and summer. It is never very hot or

very cold in New Zealand because it is surrounded by water.

in the centre of the North Island is the largest

lake in the country.
The longest river is the Waikato.

are sleeping, but some are active and you can see

steam and smoke coming from them.

Rotorua

The hot water lakes in Rotorua are
of extraordinary colours: yellow, green
and even orange. Here steam and hot water explode out of the hot ground.

There are pools of natural hot water where you can swim.

survival of animals and plants from the time of the

dinosaurs.

weka

takahe

kakapo

tuatara

New Zealand is the only place in the whole world where Tuatara can be found in the wild. Its relatives were dinosaurs.

animals

and people call it “ the New
Zealand Christmas tree.” It

is a symbol of the country.
The ancient silver fern can be found only in New Zealand. It can be 10 meters high or more.
Kiwifruit, the brown furry fruit with green flesh , is grown in here too.

The oldest tree in the country
is Tane Mahuta. It is a Maori
name which means “Lord of
theForest.” It is between 1250
and 2500 years old.

a bird which lives in the forest and doesn’t fly.

It is found nowhere in the world!
New Zealanders also like to call themselves Kiwis.

(spoken by 3,673,623 people)
• Te Reo Māori (the Māori language)

(spoken by 157,110 people)
• New Zealand Sign Language (spoken by 24,090 people)

New Zealand. They lived in New Zealand hundreds of years

before the white man came. For many years the Māori people have been fighting for their rights.

all from part of the Maori heritage.
The Maori had no

written language,
so all their traditions were handed
down orally. They used songs and
carvings to tell stories from the past
that held lessons for the young.

Traditionally, Maori people had tattoos (known as “moko”) on the faces and bodies. Men usually had full-faced tattoos, women had moko on their chins and noses.

of are Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Auckland.
Cities
The population of New

Zealand is over 3 million people.

south-western tip of the North Island. It is built on

high hills around a picturesque harbour. Its nickname is “Windy Wellington.”

Wellington

population of over 1.4 million people.
It is often called “The

City of Sails” because its two harbours are dotted with hundreds of yachts.

It is also famous for its Sky Tower.
It is 328 meters tall and is the highest building in New Zealand.

New Zealand, and the country's second-largest city.
It is “the most

English city outside England.”It was designed in England, and its river is called the Avon.

New Zealand. It has strong Scottish roots. In the past

it was called New Edinburgh. It is called “The City of Firsts.” It is home to the country’s oldest university, the first newspaper and the first botanic garden.

Dunedin

sport is Rugby Union, but it is more than a

game, because winning a matter of national pride. The New Zealand team is called “The All Blacks.” They wear black shirts and black shorts. Before the match The All Blacks usually perform a haka, the traditional Maori war dance.
Cricket, yachting, diving, rafting are popular too.

sport

2011.