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New Zealand
A
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island that lies off the eastern coast of Australia．It is made up of two large islands：North Island and South Island．New Zealand is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean to the north and east，and the Tasman Sea to the south and west．It is about the same size as Japan．Wellington，the capital city，lies on the North
Island．Other important cities are Auckland in the north，Christchurch on the South Island and Queenstown，further to the south．
New Zealand has a mild sea climate, while the north is subtropical．It rains quite a lot．The warmest months are December to February．The coldest months are June to August．
The ocean and seas surrounding the islands are deep blue and many of New Zealand’s cities lie on a bay and have a natural deep harbour．The sand beaches in New Zealand are also very clean．New Zealand has a very beautiful natural landscape with green hills and mountains．Some of the mountains are dead volcanoes．The North Island is famous for an area of hot springs，some of which throw hot water high into the air．Some of this heat near the earth’s surface is used to make electricity．There are many plants and animals that only live in New Zealand．The most famous animal is a little bird that cannot fly．It is called a kiwi and it is New Zealand’s national bird．
The Maori were the earliest people to come to New Zealand．When they discovered it about 1,000 years ago，they called it Aotearoa，which means“Land of the long white cloud”．The Maori came from the islands of Polynesia in the Pacific．It is some 3，500 kilometres from Polynesia to New Zealand, which they travelled in narrow boats．They brought dogs，rats and plants with them and settled mainly on the North Island where the weather was warmer．Around 1421，Chinese sailors discovered the islands on one of their voyages around the world．The Dutchman Abel Tasman named the islands New Zealand in 1642．More than 120 years later，Captain James Cook took possession of the islands in 1769 and from that time British people started to settle in New Zealand．By 1840 about 2,000 Europeans，mainly British，had come to settle in New Zealand and the Maori signed an agreement with these settlers．That day is still celebrated as a national holiday．It is every year on the sixth of February．Today there are still many people in New Zealand who call England “the home country”, although it is a place where most of them have never been．
B
Life In New Zealand
New Zealand has a population of about 3.8 million people，of which about fourteen percent are Maori．Since the mid-1980s growing numbers of Asians have settled in New Zealand，and they make up about six percent of the total population．The majority of the people speak English．However，Maori，which is the native language of the Maori people，is also an official language．All street signs，names of cities and places must be written in both languages．They also have Maori newspapers，radio and TV programmes．
The common meeting place for Maori is on the marae，an area of land with a meeting house，where all important events take place．Maori children are taught at an early age what to do when they come to the marae．Special days for the Maori are called huis．A hui may be a wedding，burial or conference．The happier events are marked with speeches，singing and dancing．
When someone dies，all the relations，old and young．come to the marae for the Maori burial service．Maori people believe that the spirit stays with the body for three days, so during this time someone always stays with the dead person．Many people will sleep and eat on the marae during these three days and share their memories of the dead person．
New Zealand is an important agricultural country, with cattle farming on the North Island, while the hilly South Island has more sheep farms．The main exports of the country are wool，lamb，beef, butter，forest products，fruit and vegetables．Some farmers have turned to keeping deer，and there are now about 4,500 deer farms in the country．The deer are farmed for their meat and fur．Which are then shipped to many other countries．New Zealand wine is of high quality and is sold all over the world．Living in a country with plenty of space and a good climate，New Zealanders love all kinds of sport and outdoor activities．In summer，people like to go sailing，swimming，horse-riding and rock-climbing in the mountains．The main school holidays are from mid-December till early February when the days are long and warm．Many families spend this time at a cottage by the seaside or go camping in the hills or on the coast．New Zealand，with its natural beauty，mountains，rivers and national parks，also attracts tourists from all over the world．
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