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New Zealand |
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Land Characteristics
Name of Country: New Zealand
Form of Government: Parliamentary monarchy (Commonwealth)
Capital: Wellington
Area: 270,534 km²
Time Zone: GMT + 12 hours
Population: 4 316 000
Population 2015: (estimated) 4 450 000
Population density: 16.0 per km²
Life expectancy: 78.2 years
Infant mortality (per 1000): 6.2
Official languages: English and Maori
Literacy: 99%
Religions: Anglican 17.5%, Catholic 13%, Presbyterian 13%, Other Christians 17%, Other 2.5%, unaffiliated 37%
Population: New Zealanders of European descent 68%, Maori 15%, Other (including Samoans, Tongans, Cook Islanders, Asians) 16%
Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZ$)
Economy: Service 74%, Industry 19%, Agriculture 7%
GDP per capita: 28810 US-Dollars
Climate: Temperate; warmer in the north, colder and moist in the south west
Highest point: Mount Cook (3764m high)
National Flag
1 = Union Jack (flag of Great Britain) shows that New Zealand was once a British colony.
2 = Southern Cross (of peace) the constellation which is only seen from Oceania.
3 = The blue background represents the colour of the Pacific Ocean.
The first New Zealand flag was created in the pre-colonial period. In 1834 it was elected by the Maori chiefs at a meeting. In 1841, after the colonization, the British icon was added.
In 1869, the current flag was first used only for limited areas. Then in 1902 it became the official flag of New Zealand.
National Anthem(s)
"God Defend New Zealand" is one of the two national anthems of New Zealand, along with "God Save the Queen", which is also the British national Anthem. Both officially have an equivalent status, but in fact the former is the "true" national anthem of the Kiwis. Generally, only the first Verse is sung, at first in Maori, then in English.
God defend New Zealand consists of five stanzas, each in English and Maori. The Maori version is not a direct translation to English. The text in Maori was produced in 1878 by Thomas H. Smith of Auckland, a judge of the Native Land Court at the request of Governor George Edward Grey and "translated" in 1979 by Professor S. Timoti Karetu (Maori) into English.
