One could say that New Zealand offers the whole world in a single country. Here you will find everything from snow-capped mountains to tropical rainforests, so for many, this country is equal to the dream of the perfect holiday. For Swedes, of course, there is a catch, because New Zealand is very far away from Europe and the rest of the world. The country is a group of islands located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and was discovered by the Dutch Abel Tasman in 1642. When he first saw the country’s snow-capped mountains, he described it as a country that rises high up.
Since 1907, New Zealand has been a British property with autonomy. The country exercises parliamentary democracy that works with the same model as that used in England. New Zealand consists of several islands and two larger land masses called the North Island and the South Island. The distance from Australia across the Tasman Sea is about 1,500 km and the country is about 1,000 km south of New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga and the Pacific Islands. The capital is Wellington but the largest city is Auckland. In New Zealand, most of the descendants are from the British who once settled on the islands, but here there are several minority groups who are descendants of other peoples. The official languages are English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language.
Geography and climate
New Zealand has a mild coastal climate and before people came to settle on the islands, they were largely covered by forest. As the area lies between two tectonic plates, the Pacific plate and the Indo-Australian plate, there are plenty of mountain peaks that have a sharp profile. The total land area for the country is 268,680 square kilometers and if you measure the length of the two main islands, the country is longer than 1,600 km. The two main islands are separated by Cook Strait and the other five inhabited islands are called Stewart Island, Chatham Islands, Great Barrier Island, d’Urville Island and Waiheke Island. Just like in Norway, you meet in this country of high peaks and deep valleys as well as fjords. The northern main island has fewer mountains but offers active volcanoes.
According to BRIDGAT, the climate is mild and temperatures are between 10 ° C in the south to 16 ° C in the north. The southern parts of the southern main island have a cooler climate with more cloudiness. The snow season on the southern island is between June and October. On the northern island, snowfall is not as common.
Economy
New Zealand does a lot of exporting and the most important partner was once the United Kingdom. This co-operation began to falter in 1973 when the United Kingdom joined the EU. This led to New Zealand looking for other markets to export to. New collaborations were initiated with countries such as Japan, Australia and the USA. It mainly exports wool, lamb, beef, cheese, fish and chemicals.