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Although it is no longer the
case, New Zealand had once been governed as a
portion of the New South Wales territory which later
became part of Australia. After Australia became a
federal state in 1901, New Zealand was given the
choice to be one of its states. New Zealand declined
and is currently an independent country with no
Australian ties (aside from commonwealth and
economic ones).
A kiwi is a term used for a native flightless bird
of New Zealand or an informal way of referring to a
New Zealander. |
The term is frequently mixed up with that of the fruit known
as the “kiwifruit” (otherwise known as the Chinese
Gooseberry).
Europeans first rediscovered New Zealand in 1642 when Abel
Tasman, a Dutch sailor, arrived. After the Maoris killed
several of his men, he departed from New Zealand. It was not
until British Captain James Cook arrived on the islands in
1769 that then new country was put on the map.
Officially, Queen Elizabeth II is the New Zealand’s Queen. A
Governor General represents her in New Zealand, and he/she
is authorized to ratifies all laws presented by the New
Zealand elected parliament.
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One of the world’s largest birds in history, the
Moa, was a bird native to New Zealand. It stood 3.6
meters tall and weighed approximately three hundred
kilograms. Unfortunately, in the latter part of the
16th century, the Maori hunted this bird to
extinction.
The islands of New Zealand had already been
inhabited by the Maori when the first Europeans
came. The Maori are settlers from Eastern Polynesia
who settled in New Zealand approximately between the
800s and 1300s. Although the location is unknown,
oral tradition has it that they came from Hawaiki.
Due to the strong connections of the New Zealand Maori
language to that of the Maori of the Cook Island, it is
suggested that they came from that part of the Pacific.
New Zealand has cornered the market on the exportation of
sheep meat to the world. |
Today, there are about nine sheep to every human in
the country, considerable number since their present
population is over four million.
The capital city of New Zealand is Wellington, and
it is the world’s southernmost capital.
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When New Zealand outlawed nuclear power and arms in
1980s, it was forced out of the Australia, New
Zealand, United States alliance (ANZUS).
Even today,
no nuclear powered stations exist in New Zealand,
and for one to be built would require a change of
law.
New Zealand still has military ties with the
UK.
New Zealand is a quite liberal country with respect to the
legality of Civil Unions or homosexual marriage,
prostitution, brothel keeping, and soliciting. 15 is the
legal driving age, 16 is the consensual age for sex, and 18
is the drinking age (though minors who are accompanied by
adults may imbibe in restaurants). |
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One of the most popular New Zealand tourist destinations,
Lake Taupo, was the world’s largest source of eruption in
the last seventy thousand years. Its Volcanic Explosivity
Index was 8. It unleashed magma more than five hundred cubit
kilometers.
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