Flags of the World > New Zealand Flag
Brief History.At least 1,200 years ago, Maori from Polynesia came to New Zealand. Europeans first saw New Zealand in 1642 when the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman named it, although he did not claim the land for his country. In 1841, it was made a full colony of Britain. Though promises were made to the Maoris that they would retain possession of their lands, they were instead displaced by British newcomers and their growing settlements. The Maori population dwindled to such an alarming extent that by the 1890s, there were reportedly less than 50,000 of them left in the country. In 1907, the country became an independent member of the British Commonwealth.
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Country Information
Local name: New Zealand Capital: Wellington Population: 4,076,140 Government: parliamentary democracy Currency: New Zealand dollar (NZD) Land size: 268,680 sq km Topography: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains Typical foods: pavlova Major exports: dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery |
Information on the People
Official language: English, Maori Other languages spoken: Religions: Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% Literacy rate: 99% Male/Female Ratio: 0.99 male(s) to every 1 female Life expectancy: 78.81 years Ethnic groups: European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% Internet users: 3.2 million Famous people: Peter Jackson, Keith Urban |
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