New Zealand

New Zealand is an island in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is made up of the North and South Islands. The total area of New Zealand is 270, 534 sq km. The capital in the country is Wellington. The capital is located at the southern tip of the North Island. The population is 4 million, and is mostly of European descent. The largest minority is the indigenous Maori. The languages they speak in New Zealand are English and Maori. The landscape is dominated of mountains and hills. The Southern Alps is a vast mountain chain on the South Island. The North Island has a volcano region, fiords, glaciers, lakes, and rainforests.


The country’s main exports are wool, food, dairy products, wood and paper products. New Zealand is a very development country. The country ranks highly in international comparisons on human development, quality of life and life expectancy. The life expectancy is 76 years for men and 81 for women.

In 1642, Abel Janzoon Tasman was the first European explorer to see New Zealand, but it was Captain James Cook who first set foot on New Zealand soil in 1769.

The flag of New Zealand is blue with the Union Jack in the left corner. It has also four red stars with white borders to the right. The stars represent the constellation of Crux, the Southern Cross, as seen from New Zealand.