NEW ZEALAND

Auckland [´ͻ:klǝnd] Dunedin [dʌ´ni:dɪn] Ruapehu [ˏru:ǝ´peɪhu:]

Gisborne [´gizbͻ: n] New Zealand [´nju:´zi:lǝnd] Samoan [sǝ´mǝυǝn]

Maori [´maυrɪ] Wellington [´welɪŋtǝn] Polynesian [pɒlɪ´ni:zɪǝn]

Otago [ǝ(υ)´tɑ:ɡǝυ] Taupo [´taυpǝυ] New Caledonia

[´nju:ˏkælɪ´dǝυnɪǝ]

New Zealand (Aotearoa – “land of the long white cloud”) is located in the Southwest Pacific Ocean and consists of two main islands as well as a number of smaller ones. The principal islands are the North and South Islands which are separated by the Cook Strait. North Island has a mountainous center with many hot springs and volcanic peaks while it also contains the country's longest river, the Waikato (makes electricity for New Zealand) and the largest lake, Lake Taupo. South Island is much more mountainous with the Southern

Alps, which has some 350 glaciers, running across the length of the island. In the mountains of the South Island the highest peak is Mt. Cook (3,764 m high). Its opposite in the North Island is Ruapehu (2,795 metres) which is one of several volcanoes still mildly active in the centre of the island. New Zealand is divided into counties. The capital is Wellington. New Zealand belongs among the highly developed countries of the world. The living standard of all the people is considered to be one of the highest in the world. Food processing, machinery and forest industry are the main industries here. New Zealand's prosperity is founded on dairy farming. The currency valid here is New Zealand Dollar.

History.The history of New Zealand dates back at least 700 years to when it was discovered and settled by Polynesians, who developed a dis­tinct Māori culture centred on kinship links and land in the middle of the fourteenth century. The first European explorer to discover New Zealand was Abel Janszoon Tasman on 13 December 1642. From the late 18th century, the country was regularly visited by explorers and other sailors, missionaries, traders and adventurers. In 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British Crown and various Māori chiefs, bringing New Zealand into the British Empire and giving Māori equal rights with British citizens. There was extensive European and some Asian settlement throughout the rest of the century. War and the imposition of a European economic and legal system led to most of New Zealand's land passing from Māori to Pākehā (European) ownership, and most Māori subsequently became impoverished.

From the 1890s the New Zealand parliament enacted a number of progressive initiatives, including women's suffrage and old age pensions. From the 1930s the economy was highly regulated and an extensive welfare state was developed. Meanwhile, Māori culture underwent a renaissance, and from the 1950s Māori began moving to the cities in large numbers. This led to the development of a Māori protest movement which in turn led to greater recognition of the Treaty of Waitangi in the late twentieth century.Foreign policy, which had previously consisted mostly of following Britain or the United States, became more independent.

Culture. The culture of New Zealand is largely inherited from British and European custom, interwoven with Maori and Polynesian tradition. Māori culture has predominated for most of New Zealand's history of human habitation. The distinct values, history, and worldview of Maori are expressed through traditional arts and skills such as haka, tā moko, waiata, carving, weaving, and poi. The concept of tapu (meaning taboo or sacred) is also a strong force in Māori culture, applied to objects, people, or even mountains. However most cultural material consumed in New Zealand is imported from overseas, particularly from Britain and the United States. Because of this and New Zealand's small population, most New Zealand artists, performers and writers struggle to make a living from their art. The New Zealand Historic Places Trust and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage are national bodies that assist with heritage preservation. Most towns and cities have museums and often art galleries, and the national museum and art gallery is Te Papa ('Our Place'), in Wellington.

New Zealand music takes most of the same forms as that of other 'Western' countries, with hip-hop being particularly popular amongst young Māori and Pacific Islanders. Classical music has less popular support, but New Zealand has produced several successful composers and an internationally famous opera singer (Kiri Te Kanawa).

Māori culture is traditionally oral rather than literate, but in recent years Māori novelists such as Duff, Witi Ihimaera and Keri Hulme and poets such as Hone Tuwhare have shown their mastery of European-originated forms. New Zealand's most successful early writers were expatriates such as Katherine Mansfield. From the 1950s, Frank Sargeson, Janet Frame and others had (non lucrative) writing careers while still living in New Zealand. New Zealand cartoonist David Low became famous during World War II for his political satire. Gordon Minhinnick and Les Gibbard were also witty political observers.

New Zealand marks two national days of remembrance, Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day, and also celebrates holidays during or close to the anniversaries of the founding dates of each province. The national anthem, "God Defend New Zealand" is often sung with alternating Māori and English verses. Many citizens prefer to minimise ethnic divisions, simply calling themselves New Zealanders or Kiwis.

Environment.New Zealand has been separated from other landmasses for over 100 million years enabling many ancient plants and animals to survive and evolve in isolation. Animals and plants that exist nowhere else in the world can be seen here. Native species of flower such as the bright red Pohutukawa, the yellow kowhai and the delicate Mount Cook “lily” can be seen in numerous parts of the country. New Zealand is a land of unique birds. In the wildlife of New Zealand one can find many creatures which are not found anywhere else in the world, the most peculiar of which is perhaps a roundish, flightless bird known as the kiwi. It is New Zealand's national bird as well as its symbol.

New Zealand’s long coastline makes in an ideal home for numerous species of sea bird including the majestic royal albatross, gannets and many varieties of penguin. The waters off the coastline teem with fish and plant life and are also the home to whales, seals and dolphins. Virtually all of New Zealand’s native insects and reptiles are not found anywhere else in the world.

Mass media.Like Australia and Canada, ownership of the New Zealand mass media is concentrated in a few groups. Unlike the larger markets, ownership in New Zealand is mostly offshore. Some of the major companies in New Zealand are:

APN – Australasia's largest operator in regional newspapers, radio broadcasting and outdoor advertising, controlling New Zealand's Wilson & Horton

Asper and CanWest Global – the Canada-based newspaper and broadcasting group with major NZ television and radio interests

TVNZ& RNZ– New Zealand public broadcasters for TV and radio

Fairfax – now New Zealand's largest newspaper publisher through acquisition of Murdoch's Independent News Ltd NZ papers in 2003

Granada – broadcast, film and multimedia group

Time Warner – books, music, theme parks, magazines, cable TV