New Zealand

OVERVIEW OF NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand is a land of great contrasts and diversity. Spectacular caves, deep glacier lakes, active volcanoes, lush valleys, stunning fjords, long sandy beaches, and the spectacular snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps, etc., all contribute to New Zealand’s scenic beauty. New Zealand also has a unique array of vegetation and animal life, much of which developed during the country’s prolonged isolation.

With a collaged history of Māori, European, Pacific Island and Asian cultures, New Zealand has become a melting-pot population – but one with some uniting features that makes it unique in the world.

New Zealand is about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) long (north-south) and about 280 miles (450 km) across at its widest point.
The population of New Zealand is counted 4,915,166 as of Friday, November 18, 2022, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.
Of all the New Zealanders (informally known as Kiwis), approximately 70% are of European descent, 15% are indigenous Māori, 9% Asian and 6% non-Māori Pacific Islanders.
Geographically, over three-quarters of the population live in the North Island, with one-third of the total population living in Auckland. The other main cities of Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton are where the majority of the remaining Kiwis dwell.

Climate & weather

New Zealand has a temperate climate with moderately high rainfall and many hours of sunshine. While the far north has subtropical weather during summer, and inland alpine areas of the South Island can be as cold as -10°C (14°F) in winter, most of the country lies close to the coast, which means mild temperatures.

Economy

New Zealand has a market economy that is greatly dependent on international trade, mainly with Australia, the European Union, the United States, China, South Korea and Japan. It has only small manufacturing and high-tech sectors, being strongly focused on tourism and primary industries such as agriculture.