In relative isolation from the rest of the world, New Zealand can be found in the south-western region of the Pacific Ocean. Made up of two major land masses, the North and South Islands, and a plethora of smaller one, New Zealand is one of the last places on Earth to be settled by humans. New Zealand's largest neighbour is Australia, which lies 900 miles west across the Tasman Sea. It's only other neighbours are the tiny Pacific island nations of Tonga, Fiji and new Caledonia, located around 600 miles north. New Zealand was first colonized by the Maori, who called it Aotearoa in their native tongue, meaning land of the long white cloud. Renowned for its diverse landscape and stunning natural beauty, New Zealand has seen an explosion in tourism in recent years. Every year millions of foreign visitors flock to the island nation to take part in the many New Zealand tourist attractions that are available.
New Zealand's unique ecosystem is the result of its remoteness from other land masses. This geographic isolation is responsible for the country's unique species of flora and fauna, the most notable being the distinctive indigenous bird species not found anywhere else in the world. A lot of these species, unfortunately, have become extinct after the human settlement of New Zealand. The majority of the population are of European descent with the largest minority groups being Maori followed by Asians and non-Maori Pacific Islanders. English is the national language and is spoken by nearly all New Zealanders. Maori and New Zealand Sign Language are also official languages. Once separated into provinces, the political structure in New Zealand today divided into 67 territorial authorities and eleven regional councils - although these have limited autonomy compared to the old provincial system. Executive political power is held by the Cabinet and led by the Prime Minister. As with all Commonwealth countries the symbolic head of state is Queen Elizabeth II whose interests in the country are represented by the Governor General. The Queen also heads the Realm of New Zealand which includes New Zealand itself, the Cook Islands and Niue, the Ross Dependency in Antarctica and the dependant territory of Tokelau. New Zealand is a member in good standing of various regional and international bodies such as the Commonwealth of Nations, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Pacific Islands Forum, United Nations and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
New Zealand is actively involved in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum and Pacific Islands Forum. The government takes a strong interest in its Pacific Island neighbours, spending a great deal of foreign aid on these nations and even allowing for huge numbers of Pacific Islanders to work and settle in New Zealand. The 2002 Pacific Access Category and 1970 Samoan Quota Scheme allows up to 1100 Samoan nationals and 750 other Pacific Islanders to migrate and become permanent New Zealand residents each year. A seasonal workers scheme for temporary migration was implemented in 2007. As of 2009 about 8000 Pacific Islanders found employment in New Zealand under this program.
Sports are popular in New Zealand, and the country boasts globally competitive teams in netball, rugby union, rugby league, softball and cricket. New Zealanders are also highly competitive in rowing, triathlons, cycling and yachting events. New Zealand consistently performs well at global sporting events like the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games and boasts an impressive medals-to-population ratio each time round. Rugby in all its forms is huge in New Zealand; the national rugby union team is considered the best in the world. New Zealand teams currently reigning champions in both rugby union and rugby league.
The tourism industry has taken off in a big way in New Zealand in recent years, thanks mainly to the rise in extreme adventure tourism. Millions of people come to New Zealand each year to take part in adrenaline pumping activities or to pursue more traditional outdoor activities like mountaineering or hiking. Popular outdoor pursuits include fishing, cycling, running, swimming, canoeing, tramping, snow sports, surfing and hunting. The Polynesian sport of waka ama racing is also becoming increasingly popular and is now an international sporting event with teams participating from all over Pacific.
New Zealand's unique ecosystem is the result of its remoteness from other land masses. This geographic isolation is responsible for the country's unique species of flora and fauna, the most notable being the distinctive indigenous bird species not found anywhere else in the world. A lot of these species, unfortunately, have become extinct after the human settlement of New Zealand. The majority of the population are of European descent with the largest minority groups being Maori followed by Asians and non-Maori Pacific Islanders. English is the national language and is spoken by nearly all New Zealanders. Maori and New Zealand Sign Language are also official languages. Once separated into provinces, the political structure in New Zealand today divided into 67 territorial authorities and eleven regional councils - although these have limited autonomy compared to the old provincial system. Executive political power is held by the Cabinet and led by the Prime Minister. As with all Commonwealth countries the symbolic head of state is Queen Elizabeth II whose interests in the country are represented by the Governor General. The Queen also heads the Realm of New Zealand which includes New Zealand itself, the Cook Islands and Niue, the Ross Dependency in Antarctica and the dependant territory of Tokelau. New Zealand is a member in good standing of various regional and international bodies such as the Commonwealth of Nations, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Pacific Islands Forum, United Nations and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
New Zealand is actively involved in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum and Pacific Islands Forum. The government takes a strong interest in its Pacific Island neighbours, spending a great deal of foreign aid on these nations and even allowing for huge numbers of Pacific Islanders to work and settle in New Zealand. The 2002 Pacific Access Category and 1970 Samoan Quota Scheme allows up to 1100 Samoan nationals and 750 other Pacific Islanders to migrate and become permanent New Zealand residents each year. A seasonal workers scheme for temporary migration was implemented in 2007. As of 2009 about 8000 Pacific Islanders found employment in New Zealand under this program.
Sports are popular in New Zealand, and the country boasts globally competitive teams in netball, rugby union, rugby league, softball and cricket. New Zealanders are also highly competitive in rowing, triathlons, cycling and yachting events. New Zealand consistently performs well at global sporting events like the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games and boasts an impressive medals-to-population ratio each time round. Rugby in all its forms is huge in New Zealand; the national rugby union team is considered the best in the world. New Zealand teams currently reigning champions in both rugby union and rugby league.
The tourism industry has taken off in a big way in New Zealand in recent years, thanks mainly to the rise in extreme adventure tourism. Millions of people come to New Zealand each year to take part in adrenaline pumping activities or to pursue more traditional outdoor activities like mountaineering or hiking. Popular outdoor pursuits include fishing, cycling, running, swimming, canoeing, tramping, snow sports, surfing and hunting. The Polynesian sport of waka ama racing is also becoming increasingly popular and is now an international sporting event with teams participating from all over Pacific.
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What better way to see New Zealand than on a a trip with Active New Zealand New Zealand bike tours. Active's New Zealand cycle tours offer a variety of trips to suit your needs. With there knowledgeable and friendly staff you will get looked after in true kiwi fashion.
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