New Zealand
AVAILABLES PROGRAMS FOR NEW ZEALAND :
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New Zealand is a fertile and mountainous group of islands in the south west Pacific Ocean. Seventy five per cent of the country is more than 200 metres above sea level. Geographically, New Zealand is perhaps the most isolated land mass on earth. It is made up of two main islands (the North Island and South Island), Stewart Island and a number of smaller islands, including the Auckland, Chatham and Pitt Islands. Its nearest neighbour is Australia, 1,600 km to the west New Zealand is 18,000 km from the UK. Its climate is temperate and changeable. Because of its isolated geographical location, New Zealand is home to many unique species of flora and fauna, including the kiwi, kakapo and weka (all flightless birds).
In Maori, New Zealand is also known as Aotearoa, which is usually paraphrased in English as the Land of the Long White Cloud.The population is mostly of European descent, with the indigenous Maori being the largest minority. Non-Maori Polynesian and Asian people are also significant minorities, especially in the cities.
AREA: 268,680 sq km
CLIMATE: Temperate with sharp regional contrasts
POPULATION: 4.26 million
RELIGIONS: Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 census)
LANGUAGES: English (official), Maori (official)
GOVERNMENT TYPE: Parliamentary democracy
CAPITAL: Wellington
CURRENCY: New Zealand Dollar
NATIONAL HOLIDAY: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
GDP PER CAPITA (purchasing power parity): $25,300 (2005 est.)
France = $29,600 (2005 est.)
USA = $41,600 (2005 est.)
China = $6,800 (2005 est.)
Bresil = $8,300 (2005 est.)
High School Programs
