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New Zealand,
called Aotearoa in the Maori language, is a
fairytale land. 80% of the flora and fauna
specific to the island can be found only in New
Zealand.
The places have
a special charm, isolated and eternal, immune to
the many of the problems we associate to the
urbanized civilisation.
New Zealand
means two main islands (South Island and North
Island) and other archipelagos, among which: the Kermadek Islands, the Chatham Islands, the
Sub-Antarctic Island, under the New Zealand’s
control and the Cook Islands which are in an
association form with the country.
The state took
the name from a region in Holland (Zealand), the
islands being discovered by a Dutch man, Abel
Tasman; discovered from the Europeans point of
view the islands being inhabited even since the
8th century BC by members of the Polynesian
populations. In the moment of meeting with the
Europeans, the Maori was already formed. James
Cooks went in 1769 in New Zealand and navigated
around them to adequately mapped them.
The English
signed a treaty with Maori in 1840, recognizing
the rights of the aboriginal population. The
treaty sits at the base of the state even today.
The New Zealand’s queen is Elisabeth II but is
actually a symbolic title. The Parliament led by
prime-minister owns the power in state. John Key
is the actual prime-minister.
New Zealand was
the first state to grant the women the right to
vote, in 1893. The South island (Te Wai Pounamu
in Maori) has a mountainous relief, the highest
top being the Cook peak with 3754 metres. Also,
the island’s South-West Coast is consisting of
fiords.
The North
island (Te Ika A Maui) doesn’t have such high
mountains but the its mountainous relief is of
volcanic origin. The two islands are separated
by the Cook Strait.
The islands’
relief is perfect for extreme sports, from ski
to bungee jumping. The fiords are geological
jewellery like the volcanic Taupo (the biggest
on island and attracting more than one million
tourists every year), the Huka Waterfall and the
Glow Worm Grote which is continually illuminated
by bio-luminescent larva.
There are 4
million people in New Zealand from which 70% of
European origin and the rest are Asian, Maori or
Polynesian. The Maori culture evolved from the
culture of the first Polynesian travellers that
came to New Zealand. Maori have their own
language and culture, separated of the
Europeans’ and classes in the Maori language are
taught in universities.
Enjoy exploring New Zealand. |
