New Zealand

New Zealand A few years ago, if anyone mentioned New Zealand, images of thousands of sheep would come to our minds. But NZ is not a country just about sheep, it's got amazing landscapes, beautiful beaches, breath-taking sunsets, ancestral Maori culture, new and modern cities, sizzling nightlife, kiwis, and the most extreme sports under the sun.... It's New Zealand!!! New Zealand consists of two large islands in the middle of the South Pacific, it is so far away from any other place thatit was one of the last lands to be colonized by Europeans. New Zealanders enjoy a fresh, liveable, and young country where any foreigner can still feel at home. Discover this unbelievable people and find out why New Zealand is one of the hottest destinations worldwide.

Area: 270.500 Km²
Population: 3.826.000
Density: 14 pop/Km²

System of government: Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Wellington (334.000 pop.)
Major cities: Auckland 992.000 pop., Christchurch 325.000 pop., Hamilton 158.000 pop., Dunedin 111.000 pop.
Ethnic majority: New Zealand European 72%, Maori 14,5%, Polynesian 5%, Asian 4,5%
Border countries: -

Principal mountains: Mount Cook 3754 m
Principal rivers: Waikato 425 Km, Clutha 340 Km
Principal lakes: Taupo 606 Km²
Principal islands: South Island 150.437 Km², North Island 113.729 Km²
Climate: Temperate

Language: English, Maori (both officials)
Religion: Anglican 17,5%, Catholic 13%, Presbyterian 12,5%, Methodist 3,5%
Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)

Territories: Cook Islands (240 Km², 20.600 pop.), Niue (259 Km², 2100 pop.), Tokelau (10 Km², 1450 pop.)

Fixed public holidays: 1/1, 2/1, 6/2, 25/4, 25/12, 26/12
Dialling code: 0064
GMT: +12

World Heritage List:

• Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand (1990) 13
• Tongariro National Park (1990, 1993)
• New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands (1998)