New Zealand.

New Zealand is a country of islands located in the Pacific Ocean. The North Island and the South Island are the main ones and there are numerous smaller islands. The country’s nearest neighbor is Australia.

It is never very hot or very cold in New Zealand because it is surrounded by water. The coldest month is July, and the warmest is January.

New Zealand has another name, Goteroa, which means “the land of the long white cloud” in the Maori language. The first Maori settled in New Zealand about a thousand years ago. They came from Polynesia and were excellent sailors and warriors. It was the famous Dutch explorer Abel Tasman who came to New Zealand in 1642 and gave the country its present name. Zeeland means “Sea Land” in Dutch. But the Dutch never settled there. In 1769 the English explorer James Cook claimed New Zealand for Britain.

New Zealand has got it all – show-capped mountains, fast-flowing rivers, green forests and peaceful lakes with crystal clear water. You can spend a whole day by some lake or river and be the only person there. There are places in this beautiful land that have never felt a human foot-step. In fact, New Zealand is one of the least populated countries in the world. A little more than 4 million people live there. Over 80% of the population are of European (mainly British) origin. About 9 % are Maoris. The two official languages in the country are English and Maori.

New Zealand is a land of volcanoes. Most of them are sleeping, but some are active and you can see steam and smoke coming from them. There are many lakes and rivers here too, and it is a very popular place for sport – skiing in winter, and water sports in summer.

The famous Tolkien’s trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings”, was filmed in New Zealand. Hobbiton, the village where some of the Hobbits lived, was created on a picturesque private sheep farm in the North Island. You can still see Hobbit holes and some structures from the film there. As for the sheep, there are lots and lots of them in New Zealand: for every person living in the country there are twenty sheep.

In the south-west of New Zealand, where land and sea meet, there is one of the most beautiful places in the world – Milford Sound. No wonder people call it “the eighth wonder of the world”. This is a place of breath-taking views, hundreds of waterfalls and fairy-tale wildlife. It is also a place where seals, dolphins and penguins are frequent guests.

The isolation of New Zealand from other lands allowed the survival of animals and plants from the time of the dinosaurs. Ancient trees and plants still grow in the forests.

The kiwi is the country’s national bird and symbol. It’s an unusual bird and it can’t fly. New Zealanders also like to call themselves kiwis.

Imagine a place where the stars above your head are different from those that you have ever seen, and where the cold of winter comes when summer arrives in Russia. Imagine a place where there are volcanoes, rivers of ice and hot lakes of extraordinary colours, and where forests are full of strange trees. This land is a place of earthquakes and living dinosaurs, where the people were once brave warriors. This place is not from a fairy tale – it is New Zealand.

New Zealand is a self-governing country, a member of the Commonwealth. It was the first country in the world to let women vote in 1893. Today it is the only country in the world in which all the highest office positions are occupied by women. The current Prime Minister is also a woman, Helen Clark.

The New Zealand flag has the British flag in the top left-hand corner. New Zealand is still a monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II of Britain is also Queen of New Zealand. But now the country is an independent state. Wellington is the capital of the country and the centre of shipping. Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand. It has a population of just under a million people. This seaport is an important centre for business and industry. It is also the most dynamic and multicultural city in New Zealand. It was the first capital of the country. Later, the capital moved to Wellington, because it was more central.

Other urban centers are Christchurch, a wheat and grain centre; Hamilton, a centre for dairy farming, and Dunedin, a wool and gold centre.

Legislature of New Zealand consists only of one house, the House of Representatives, also called Parliament. A parliamentary election must be held at least every three years. All citizens over 18 years old may vote. The leader of the political party that wins the most seats in the elections becomes the prime minister. The prime minister appoints a Cabinet. The prime minister and the Cabinet form the Government. The main political parties in New Zealand are the Labor party and the National Party. There is no clear division between the policies of the two parties.

New Zealand offers a free education to all students up to attend school. After completing the elementary or intermediate school most students go on the secondary school. Secondary school students may receive special training in agriculture, home economics, technical subjects and a wide range of other subjects. New Zealand has six separate universities and a university college of agriculture.

The people of New Zealand have a high standard of living. About 70 % of New Zealand families own their homes and almost every family has a car. New Zealanders are very warm-hearted and hospitable. They are relaxed people who love the outdoor life. It is not surprising that New Zealand is successful at many sports. Its national sport is rugby and its team, “The All Blacks”, is often the best in the world. With its mild climate and a lot of rivers, lakes and mountains New Zealand is a great place for surfing, diving, rafting, mountain biking, yachting, swimming and fishing.

The economy of New Zealand has long depended on farming and foreign trade. The sale of butter, cheese, meat and wool to other countries provides much of the nation’s income. New Zealand is the world’s largest producer of kiwi fruits, citrus fruits, avocados, grapes and many other subtropical fruits. But manufacturing has been rapidly increasing. Manufactured items include aluminium, chemicals, iron and steel, machinery, metal products, paper, textiles and wood products. Tourism is also an important source of income.

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Ex. 11. Answer the following questions.	\|	Early Voyagers

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