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Culture Corner New Zealand Fact File Government New Zealand has its own government, but it is also part of the British Commonwealth,and therefore the official head of state is Elizabeth Ⅱ, the Queen of England, Scotland and Wales. New Zealand was the first country in the world to give the vote to women in 1893,to have old age pensions and the eight-hour working day. Geography New Zealand, in the South Pacific,consists of two large islands plus other smaller islands with an area of 270,000 sq km.North Island has a warm climate and there is quite a lot of volcanic activity.South Island is cooler and has a higher rainfall.In the South Island, there are the Southern Alps with Mount Cook (3,754 m), the highest mountain in New Zealand. Economy New Zealand has some industry but agriculture is more important - there are 55 million sheep, 8 million cows and 1 million goats in New Zealand! Wildlife New Zealand was cut off from the rest of the land on Earth for 80 million years and has some unique animals and plants.For example, the kiwi (the symbol of New Zealand) is a large bird which cannot fly. The People Over 80% of the 3.6 million people are of European (mainly British) origin.Around 9% of the population are Maoris who came to New Zealand from other Pacific islands in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.The two official languages in the country are English and Maori. Lifestyle New Zealanders, who are also known as "Kiwis", are relaxed people who love outdoor life.It's not surprising that New Zealand is successful at many sports.Its national sport is rugby and its team, "The All Blacks", are often the best in the world. Places to visit New Zealand has beautiful scenery.In North Island, the Bay of Islands has lovely old forests and beautiful beaches and the Coromandel is perfect for sailing and watersports. Rotorua is the centre of Maori culture and has wonderful hot springs.In South Island, the Southern Alps, the West Coast region and the national park of Fiordland all have beautiful scenery. 文化角 新西兰情况介绍 政府 新西兰有它自己的政府，但仍属于英联邦的一部分，所以其政府首领是伊丽莎白二世，英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士的女王。新西兰是世界上首个在1893年赋予女性选举权，并提供养老金，以及规定8小时工作制的国家。 地理 新西兰位于南太平洋，它包含了两个大岛和其它小岛，面积为270,000平方公里。北部的岛气候很温暖，火山活动频繁。南部的岛气候要凉爽些，降水量更大。在南部的岛，有南阿尔卑斯山和库克山（3,754米），这是新西兰最高的山。 经济 新西兰有一些工业，但是农业更重要—在新西兰有5,500万只绵羊，800万头牛，和100万只山羊！ 野生动植物 新西兰与世上其它地区隔绝了8,000万年，所以有一些独特的动植物。例如：几维鸟（新西兰的标志）是一种不能飞的大鸟。 人口 新西兰360万人口中，超过80%的人口是欧洲（主要是英国）血统。大约9%的人口是毛利人-13和14世纪来自太平洋的其它岛屿的人。新西兰的两种官方语言是英语和毛利语。 生活方式 新西兰人，也被认为是“几维”，是爱好户外运动的休闲人群。所以并不奇怪新西兰在很多运动上都很出色。新西兰的民族体育是橄榄球，它的球队“全黑队”是世界上最好的球队。 旅游景点 新西兰的景色优美。在北部的岛上，海湾处有有趣的古老森林，美丽的沙滩，柯罗曼德尔风景区非常适合航行和水上运动。罗托鲁亚是毛利文化的中心，它拥有奇妙的温泉。在南部，南阿尔卑斯山，西岸地区，以及新西兰国家公园都有美丽的景色。 |
