Cross-cultural feature of New Zealand

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Introduction

New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. New Zealand belongs to a large island group called Polynesia. The country geographically comprises two main islands ? the North Island, and the South Island, and numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometers east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometers south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long isolation, New Zealand developed a distinctive biodiversity of animal, fungal and plant life; most notable are the large number of unique bird species.

Polynesians settled New Zealand in 1250-1300 CE and developed a distinctive Mвori culture. The first non-Mвori contact with New Zealand happened when Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sighted the island in 1642 CE. In 1840 the British and Mвori signed a treaty making New Zealand a colony of the British Empire. After World War II, New Zealand joined Australia and the United States in the ANZUS security treaty, although the United States later suspended the treaty. New Zealanders enjoyed one of the highest standards of living in the world in the 1950s, but the 1970s saw a deep recession, worsened by oil shocks and the United Kingdom's entry into the European Economic Community. The country underwent major economic changes during the 1980s, which transformed it from a protectionist to a liberalized free trade economy; once-dominant exports of wool have been overtaken by dairy products, meat, and wine.

New Zealand is sometimes called “The World's Biggest Farm” because of its famous products: butter, cheese and meat.

The majority of New Zealand's population is of European descent; the indigenous Mвori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and non-Mвori Polynesians. Much of New Zealand's culture is derived from Mвori and early British settlers. Early European art was dominated by landscapes and to a lesser extent portraits of Mвori. A recent resurgence of Mвori culture has seen their traditional arts of carving, weaving and tattooing become more mainstream. The country's culture has also been broadened by globalization and increased immigration from the Pacific Islands and Asia. New Zealand's diverse landscape provides many opportunities for outdoor pursuits and has provided the backdrop for a number of big budget movies.

New Zealand is organized into 11 regional councils and 67 territorial authorities for local government purposes; these have less autonomy than the country's long defunct provinces did. Nationally, executive political power is exercised by the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister. Queen Elizabeth II is the country's head of state and is represented by a Governor-General. The Queen's Realm of New Zealand also includes Tokelau (a dependent territory); the Cook Islands and Niue (self-governing but in free association); and the Ross Dependency, which is New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica. New Zealand is a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Commonwealth of Nations, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Pacific Islands Forum, and the United Nations.

1. Geography

New Zealand is made up of two main islands and a number of smaller islands, located near the centre of the water hemisphere. The two main islands (the North Island and the South Island) are separated by the Cook Strait, 22 kilometers wide at its narrowest point. Besides the North and South Islands, the largest inhabited islands are Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, Great Barrier Island (in the Hauraki Gulf) and others.

New Zealand is long and narrow with approximately 15,000 km of coastline and a total land area of 268,000 square kilometers. Because of its far-flung outlying islands and long coastline, the country has extensive marine resources. Its Exclusive Economic Zone, one of the largest in the world, covers more than 15 times its land area.

The South Island is the largest land mass of New Zealand, and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps. There are 18 peaks over 3,000 meters, the highest of which is Mount Cook (or Aoraki) at 3,754 meters. The North Island is less mountainous but is marked by volcanism. The highly active Taupo Volcanic Zone has formed a large volcanic plateau, punctuated by the North Island's highest mountain, Mount Ruapehu (2,797 meters). The plateau also hosts the country's largest lake, Lake Taupo.

The longest river in New Zealand is the Waikato River with a length of 425 kilometers. The largest river by volume is the Clutha River with a mean discharge of 533 cubic meters per second.

Some of the rivers, especially those with wide flood plains and stop banks, have long road bridges spanning them. The Rakaia River is crossed by the longest bridge in New Zealand at 1,757 meters. The third longest bridge is the Whirokino Trestle Bridge on State Highway 1 crossing the Manawatu River.

There are 3,820 lakes in New Zealand with a surface area larger than one hectare. The lakes are of varying types and origins. Many of the lakes in the central North Island area are volcanic crater lakes, while the majority of the lakes near the Southern Alps were carved by glaciers. The largest lake of New Zealand is the Lake Taupo (7002616000000000000616 km2) and the deepest lake is the Lake Hauroko (462 m).

2. Climate

New Zealand has a mild and temperate maritime climate with mean annual temperatures ranging from 10 °C in the south to 16 °C in the north. Historical maxima and minima are 42.4 °C in Rangiora, Canterbury and ?25.6 °C in Ranfurly, Otago. Conditions vary sharply across regions from extremely wet on the West Coast of the South Island to almost semi-arid in Central Otago and the Mackenzie Basin of inland Canterbury and subtropical in Northland. Of the seven largest cities, Christchurch is the driest, receiving on average only 640 millimeters of rain per year and Auckland the wettest, receiving almost twice that amount. The southern and south-western parts of the South Island have a cooler and cloudier climate; the northern and north-eastern parts of the South Island are the sunniest areas of the country. The general snow season is about early June until early October in the South Island. It is less common on the North Island, although it does occur.

3. Biodiversity

New Zealand's geographic isolation for 80 million years and island biogeography is responsible for the country's unique species of animals, fungi and plants. About 82 percent of New Zealand's indigenous vascular plants are endemic. The two main types of forest are those dominated by broadleaf trees with emergent podocarps, or by southern beech in cooler climates. The remaining vegetation types consist of grasslands, the majority of which are tussock.

Before the arrival of humans an estimated 80 percent of the land was covered in forest, with only high alpine, wet, infertile and volcanic areas without trees. Massive deforestation occurred after humans arrived. Much of the remaining forest fell after European settlement, being logged or cleared to make room for pastoral farming, leaving forest occupying only 23 percent of the land.

The forests were dominated by birds. The arrival of humans, associated changes to habitat, and the introduction of rats, ferrets and other mammals led to the extinction of many bird species, including large birds like the moa and Haast's Eagle.

Other indigenous animals are represented by reptiles (tuataras, skinks and geckos), frogs, spiders (katipo), insects (weta) and snails. Some, such as the wrens and tuatara, are so unique that they have been called living fossils. Marine mammals however are abundant, with almost half the world's cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) and large numbers of fur seals reported in New Zealand waters. Many seabirds breed in New Zealand, a third of them unique to the country. More penguin species are found in New Zealand than in any other country.

4. Government

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy, although its constitution is not codified. Elizabeth II is the Queen of New Zealand and the head of state. The Queen is represented by the Governor-General, whom she appoints on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Governor-General can exercise the Crown's prerogative powers, such as reviewing cases of injustice and making appointments of ministers, ambassadors and other key public officials, and in rare situations, the reserve powers (e.g. the power to dissolve Parliament or refuse the Royal Assent of a bill into law). The powers of the Queen and the Governor-General are limited by constitutional constraints and they cannot normally be exercised without the advice of Cabinet.

The New Zealand Parliament holds legislative power and consists of the Queen and the House of Representatives. It also included an upper house, the Legislative Council, until this was abolished in 1950. The supremacy of Parliament, over the Crown and other government institutions, was established in England by the Bill of Rights 1689 and has been ratified as law in New Zealand. The House of Representatives is democratically elected and a Government is formed from the party or coalition with the majority of seats. If no majority is formed a minority government can be formed if support from other parties during confidence and supply votes is assured. The Governor-General appoints ministers under advice from the Prime Minister, who is by convention the Parliamentary leader of the governing party or coalition. Cabinet, formed by ministers and led by the Prime Minister, is the highest policy-making body in government and responsible for deciding significant government actions. By convention, members of cabinet are bound by collective responsibility to decisions made by cabinet.

Judges and judicial officers are appointed non-politically and under strict rules regarding tenure to help maintain constitutional independence from the government. This theoretically allows the judiciary to interpret the law based solely on the legislation enacted by Parliament without other influences on their decisions. The Privy Council in London was the country's final court of appeal until 2004, when it was replaced with the newly established Supreme Court of New Zealand. The judiciary, headed by the Chief Justice, includes the Court of Appeal, the High Court, and subordinate courts.

New Zealand is identified as one of the world's most stable and well-governed nations. As of 2011, the country was ranked 5th in the strength of its democratic institutions and 1st in government transparency and lack of corruption.

5. Language

English, Mвori and New Zealand Sign Language are the official languages. English is the predominant language in New Zealand, spoken by 98 percent of the population. But English spoken in New Zealand is often called Kiwi English. The English language was established in New Zealand by colonists during the 19th century. The most distinctive influences on New Zealand English have come from Australian English, English in southern England, Irish English, Scottish English and Mвori. New Zealand English is similar to Australian English in pronunciation, with some key differences. One of the most prominent differences is the realization of /?/: in New Zealand English, as in some Scots and South African varieties, this is pronounced as /?/.

After the Second World War, Mвori were discouraged from speaking their own language in schools and workplaces and it existed as a community language only in a few remote areas. It has recently undergone a process of revitalization, being declared one of New Zealand's official languages in 1987, and is spoken by 4.1 percent of the population. There are now Mвori language immersion schools and two Mвori Television channels, the only nationwide television channels to have the majority of their prime-time content delivered in Mвori. Many places have officially been given dual Maori and English names in recent years. Samoan is one of the most widely spoken languages in New Zealand (2.3 percent), followed by French, Hindi and Northern Chinese. New Zealand Sign Language is used by approximately 28,000 people and was declared one of New Zealand's official languages in 2006.

6. Education

Primary and secondary schooling is compulsory for children aged 6 to 16, with the majority attending from the age of 5. There are 13 school years and attending state (public) schools is free to New Zealand citizens and permanent residents from a person's 5th birthday to the end of the calendar year following their 19th birthday. New Zealand has an adult literacy rate of 99 percent, and over half of the population aged 15 to 29 hold a tertiary qualification.

There are five types of government-owned tertiary institutions: universities, colleges of education, polytechnics, specialist colleges, and wвnanga, in addition to private training establishments. In the adult population 14.2 percent have a bachelor's degree or higher, 30.4 percent have some form of secondary qualification as their highest qualification and 22.4 percent have no formal qualification. The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment ranks New Zealand's education system as the 7th best in the world, with students performing exceptionally well in reading, mathematics and science.

7. Religion

Christianity is the predominant religion in New Zealand, although its society is among the most secular in the world. In the 2006 Census, 55.6 percent of the population identified themselves as Christians, while another 34.7 percent indicated that they had no religion (up from 29.6 percent in 2001) and around 4 percent affiliated with other religions. The main Christian denominations are Anglicanism 14.8 percent, Roman Catholicism 13.6 percent, Presbyterianism 10.7 percent and Methodism 5 percent. There are also significant numbers of Christians who identify themselves with Pentecostal, Baptist, and Latter-day Saint churches. According to census figures, other significant minority religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.

8. The Capital of the Country

Wellington is the capital city and second most populous urban area of New Zealand. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. The urban area is home to 395,600 residents. The city council area has 202,200 people.

The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island, and is the seat of the Wellington Region - which in addition to the urban area covers the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa. The urban area includes four cities: Wellington, on the peninsula between Cook Strait and Wellington Harbour, contains the central business district and about half of Wellington's population; Porirua on Porirua Harbour to the north is notable for its large Mвori and Pacific Island communities; Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt are largely suburban areas to the northeast, together known as the Hutt Valley. Wellington also holds the distinction of being the world's southernmost capital city.

You can see a variety of architectural styles in Wellington. The oldest building in Wellington is the 1858 Colonial Cottage in Mount Cook. The tallest building in the city is the Majestic Centre on Willis Street at 116 meters high, the second tallest being the structural expressionist State Insurance Building at 103 meters.

Old St Paul's is an example of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture adapted to colonial conditions and materials. The Museum of Wellington City & Sea building, the Bond Store, is in the Second French Empire style, and the Wellington Harbour Board Wharf Office Building is in a late English Classical style. There are several restored theatre buildings: the St. James Theatre, the Opera House and the Embassy Theatre.

As it is the capital city, there are many notable government buildings in Wellington. The circular-conical Executive Wing of New Zealand Parliament Buildings, on the corner of Lambton Quay and Molesworth Street, was constructed between 1969 and 1981 and is commonly referred to as the Beehive. Across the road from the Beehive is the largest wooden building in the Southern Hemisphere, part of the old Government Buildings which now houses part of Victoria University of Wellington's Law Faculty.

There are a lot of museums in Wellington. It is home to Te Papa (the Museum of New Zealand), the National Library of New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, the Museum of Wellington City & Sea, the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace Museum, Colonial Cottage, the New Zealand Cricket Museum, the Cable Car Museum, Old St Paul's, and the Wellington City Art Gallery.

Wellington has become home to high-profile events and cultural celebrations, including the biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival, biennial Wellington Jazz Festival and biennial Capital E National Arts Festival for Children The annual children's Artsplash Festival brings together hundreds of students from across the Wellington region. The week-long festival includes music and dance performances and the presentation of visual arts.

Wellington has a large number of independent cinemas, including The Embassy, Paramount, Penthouse, the Roxy and Light House, which participate in film festivals throughout the year. Wellington also has one of the country's highest turn-outs for the annual New Zealand International Film Festival.

9. Other cities

geographical zealand climatic political

The Auckland metropolitan area in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country. Auckland has an urban population of 1,397,300 and a metropolitan population of 1,507,700, which respectively constitute 32 and 34 percent of the country's population. Auckland has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world.

Auckland lies between the Hauraki Gulf of the Pacific Ocean to the east, the low Hunua Ranges to the south-east, the Manukau Harbour to the south-west, and the Waitakere Ranges and smaller ranges to the west and north-west. The central part of the urban area occupies a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea and the Waitemata Harbour on the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the few cities in the world to have harbours on two separate major bodies of water.

Auckland is home to many cultures. The majority of inhabitants claim European - predominantly British and/or Irish - descent, but substantial Mвori, Pacific Islander and Asian communities exist as well. Auckland has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world and a higher proportion of people of Asian origin than the rest of New Zealand. Ethnic groups from all corners of the world have a presence in Auckland, making it by far the country's most cosmopolitan city.

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's third-most populous urban area. The population of the city at the 5th March 2013 census was 341,469.

The city was named by the Canterbury Association, which settled the surrounding province of Canterbury. The name of Christchurch was agreed on at the first meeting of the association on 27 March 1848. It was suggested by John Robert Godley, who had attended Christ Church, Oxford. Some early writers called the town Christ Church, but it was recorded as Christchurch in the minutes of the management committee of the association. Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter on 31 July 1856, making it officially the oldest established city in New Zealand.

At the city's centre is Cathedral Square, surrounding the now-earthquake-damaged - landmark Anglican cathedral, Christ Church. The area around this square and within the 'four avenues' of Christchurch (Bealey Avenue, Fitzgerald Avenue, Moorhouse Avenue and Deans Avenue) was considered the central business district of the city. The central city also had a number of residential areas, including Inner City East, Inner City West, Avon Loop, Moa Neighborhood and Victoria. Cathedral Square is located at the crossing of two major central streets, Colombo Street and Worcester Street, both of which are currently cordoned off at the approaches to the square.

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