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Cook, james
Farming
Mountains
New zealand, history of
Pacific oceanThe islaNd NaTioN of New Zealand is
a fascinating mixture of cultures and peoples.
Maori people were the original inhabitants of the
country, which they call aotearoa; and they still
live there, together with the descendants of the
early British settlers and immigrants from other
european and asian countries. only 4.4 million
people live in New Zealand, and there are few
large towns. The people are young—about
half of them are less than 35 years old—
and the number of births per 1,000
of population is among the highest of all
developed nations. a former British colony,
New Zealand became fully independent
in 1947. it is a leading Pacific
nation and has strong links with
many of the small islands in
the region, such as Niue.
The landscape of New
Zealand is varied. There
are towering mountains,
glaciers, volcanoes, lakes,
hot springs, sandy
beaches, rolling hills,
and plains.FarMiNg
New Zealand has a warm, moist climate which is
ideal for many types of farming. sheep and
cattle ranching are the biggest businesses.
There are two cattle and seven sheep for every
human in New Zealand. The country exports
more dairy products and lamb than any other
nation and is the second largest exporter of
wool. over the past 15 years, production of
other crops, such as kiwifruit, oranges, and
lemons, has increased. Newly built
fishing boats have helped New
Zealand’s fleet increase its catch,
and today the country is a
major seafood exporter.souTh islaNd
although the south island is the
largest New Zealand island, it has
fewer inhabitants than the North
island. The western side of the
island is covered by the southern
alps, a region of mountains and
glaciers, parts of which have not been
explored. The rest of the island consists
of farmland, grazing land for sheep and
cattle, and a few ports and coastal cities.WelliNgToN
The capital of New Zealand is Wellington, which
stands at the southern tip of the North island.
The city lies around a large natural harbor and is
a busy port. older wooden buildings stand close
to recent structures built in a more modern style.KiWi
New Zealand lies far from other
land masses, and as a result its
wildlife has developed in an
unusual way. The kiwi, which
cannot fly, is the most famous of
all New Zealand creatures. There
are several other species
of flightless birds.New Zealand 375-
Maori CulTure
The Maori, a Polynesian
people, arrived in New
Zealand around 950 ce from
islands in the Pacific. Today,
their descendants keep alive
the rich culture of wood
carving, weaving, and music
and dance, which they
brought with them.Sheep shearers
work very quickly:
some can clip a
lamb in under
a minute.New Zealand lies in the Pacific ocean, east
of australia. There are two large islands—
the North island and the south island—
and many smaller ones, making a total
area of 103,363 sq miles (267,710 sq km).US_375_New_Zealand_1.indd 375 22/01/16 4:44 pm