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新西兰 New Zealand (Aotearoa)   首都:惠灵顿  国家代码: nz   
  朝代
新西兰
新西兰
新西兰
  新西兰(New Zealand)。在中国台湾和香港地区称为纽西兰。毛利语为Aotearoa,即“长白云之乡”。
  
  国旗
  新西兰国旗为长方形,长宽之比为2:1。旗地为深蓝色,左上方为英国国旗,右边有四颗镶白边的红色五角星,四颗星排列均不对称。新西兰是英联邦成员国,“米”字图案表明同英国的传统关系;四颗星表示南十字星座,表明该国位于南半球,同时还象征独立和希望。
  
  国徽
  新西兰国徽的中心图案为盾徽。盾面上有五组图案;四颗五角星代表南十字星座,象征新西兰;麦捆代表农业;羊代表该国发达的畜牧业;交叉的斧头象征该国的工业和矿业;三只扬帆的船表示该国海上贸易的重要性。盾徽右侧为手持武器的毛利人,左侧是持有国旗的欧洲移民妇女;上方有一顶英国伊丽莎白女王二世加冕典礼时用的王冠,象征英国女王也是新西兰的国家元首;下方为新西兰蕨类植物,绶带上用英文写着“新西兰”。
  
  国歌
  新西兰有两首地位等同的国歌:《天佑新西兰》(God Defend New Zealand) 与《天佑女王》(God Save The Queen)。如在位的是男性君主,国歌改为《天佑国王》(God Save The King)。《天佑女王》是英国的国歌及英联邦的皇室颂歌。《天佑女王》一般不作为国歌演奏,而作为皇室颂歌使用。有关新西兰国歌的应用,由新西兰文化及传统部负责管理。
  
  首都
  惠灵顿市(Wellington)。惠灵顿是世界上处于最南端的首都。城市面积266.25平方千米,惠灵顿区人口379,000(2007年),市区人口189,700。
  
  最大城市
  奥克兰市(Auckland)。面积580平方千米,人口1,318,700(2006年3月),市区人口1,079,304。始建于1840年,1841至1865年间曾为新西兰首都。奥克兰区是新西兰人口最多的地区。
  
  主要城市
  基督城(Christchurch)、达尼丁(Dunedin)、哈密尔顿(Hamilton)、北帕默斯顿(Palmerston North)、旺加努伊(Wanganui)、新普利茅斯(New Plymouth)、因弗卡吉尔(Invercargill)、罗托鲁阿(Rotorua)、尼尔森(Nelson)、布兰尼姆(Blenheim)、纳皮尔(Napier)、吉斯伯恩(Gisborne)、陶朗加(Tauranga)、皮克顿(Picton)、旺格雷(Whangarei)、陶波(Taupo)、格雷茅斯(Greymouth)、皇后镇(Queenstown)等。
  
  语言
  官方语言为英语(English,98%人口使用)、毛利语(Māori,4.2%人口使用)、新西兰手语(New Zealand Sign Language,0.6%人口使用)。
  
  国家政要
  国家元首伊丽莎白二世(HM Queen Elizabeth II);总督阿南德·萨蒂亚南德(Anand Satyanand),2006年8月就任,他是新西兰历史上首位亚裔总督;总理海伦·伊丽莎白·克拉克(Helen Elizabeth Clark),1999年12月任职。2005年9月第三次当选连任。
  
  独立日
  怀唐伊日(Waitangi Day) 1840年2月6日
  每年的2月6日,是新西兰的怀唐伊日,这一天曾在1974年一度被定为新西兰的国庆日,1976年又被取消国庆日这一名称。每年的这一天新西兰全国放假一天。1907年9月26日新西兰从英国独立,获得主权。
  
  国土面积
  268,680平方公里(世界第75名)。专属经济区120万平方公里,水域面积占2.1%,国土长1,600公里,东西最宽处宽450公里。两座主要岛屿(南岛与北岛)面积约为266,200平方公里。大小约和日本、美国加利福尼亚州相同,比英国略大。
  
  人口
  4,252,000(2007年估计,世界第122名)。人口密度15.229人/平方公里(世界第193名)。北岛的总人口为3,102,500,占新西兰总人口的75%,南岛人口为1,013,800。其中,欧洲移民后裔占78.8%,毛利人占14.5%,亚裔占6.7%。奥克兰区的人口占全国总人口30.7%。首都惠灵顿区的人口约占全国总人口的11%。奥克兰、惠灵顿、基督城是人口最多的三个城市。毛利族是人口最多的少数民族。新西兰70%的居民信奉基督新教和天主教,是世界上人口都市化最高的国家之一。
  
  国内生产总值
  1038.73亿美元(2006年,世界第53名)。人均GDP 29,698美元(世界第27名)。
  
  人类发展指数
  0.943(高,世界第19名)
  
  货币
  新西兰元(New Zealand dollar,NZD)。简称“纽元”。新西兰元由新西兰储备银行(中央银行)负责印制和发行。
  
  时间
  新西兰标准时间(NZST)。新西兰标准时间比格林威治国际标准时间早12小时(UTC+12),比北京时间早4小时。夏时制为UTC+13(9月至4月)。新西兰的查塔姆群岛比新西兰标准时间早45分钟。新西兰很接近国际日期变更线,是全世界最早进入新的一天的国家之一,查塔姆群岛和吉斯伯恩市是全世界最先迎接新一天到来的地方。
  
  行政区划
  全国共分为12个大区:北部地区(Northland)、奥克兰区(Auckland)、怀卡托(Waikato)、丰盛湾(Bay of Plenty)、霍克斯湾(Hawkes Bay)、塔拉纳基(Taranaki)、马纳瓦图-旺加努伊(Manawatu-Wanganui)、惠灵顿区(Wellington)、西海岸(West Coast)、坎特伯雷(Canterbury) 、奥塔哥(Otago)、南部地区(Southland)。设有74个地区行政机构,其中包括15个市政厅、58个区议会和查塔姆群岛(Chatham Islands)议会。
  
  节日
  元旦(New Year's Day) 1月1日
  元旦次日(Day after New Years Day) 1月2日
  怀唐伊日(Waitangi Day) 2月6日
  受难节(Good Friday) 3月21日(2008年)
  复活节后星期一(Easter Monday) 3月24日(2008年)
  澳新军团日(ANZAC Day) 4月25日
  女王诞辰日(Queen's Birthday) 6月的第一个星期一
  劳动节(Labour Day) 10月的第四个星期一
  圣诞节(Christmas Day) 12月25日
  节礼日(Boxing Day) 12月26日
  每个地区还有不同的周年庆, 比如惠灵顿周年纪念日(Wellington Anniversary Day) 距1月22日最近的一个星期一。
  
  婚姻
  新西兰的法定结婚年龄是16周岁,但是18周岁之前需要父母同意并监护。2004年12月9日,新西兰国会以过半数通过同性恋者及同居人士的公民结合可以享有与合法夫妇等同的法律地位。相关法律于2005年4月26日正式生效。
  
  国花
  银蕨(koru)
  在毛利传说之中,银蕨原本是在海洋里居住的,其后被邀请来到新西兰的森林里生活,就是为着指引毛利族的人民,作用和意义都非常重大。从前的毛利猎人和战士都是靠银蕨的银闪闪的树叶背面来认路回家的。因为,只要将其叶子翻过来,银色的一面便会反射星月的光辉,照亮穿越森林的路径。新西兰人认为银蕨能够体现新西兰的民族精神,故此这种植物便成为了新西兰的独特标志和荣誉代表。现在,举国上下都可找到银蕨的图样。
  
  国树
  四翅槐(Fourwings Sophora)
  
  国鸟
  几维鸟(kiwi bird)
  几维鸟又名奇异鸟,学名为鹬鸵。新西兰最早的居民毛利人将这种叫声为“kiwi!kiwi!kiwi!”的鸟命名为奇异鸟。这种不会飞的鸟大小有如母鸡,有一个细长的喙和细如毛发的羽毛。新西兰人将这种喜欢夜间活动、不会飞的可爱鸟儿做为国家的象征。几维鸟属于《华盛顿公约》附录中的一级保护动物。
  
  国石
  绿石,又称绿玉。
  
  新闻出版
  全国共有报纸140种,其中日报29种,杂志4700多种。独立报业有限公司和威尔逊-霍顿有限公司为第一和第二大报业集团,占全国日报发行量的90%。主要报刊有:《新西兰先驱报》——新西兰发行量最大的日报;《晚邮报》;《奥克兰明星报》;《新闻报》;《自治领报》;《电视指南》(周刊);《新西兰妇女周刊》、《听众杂志》等。新西兰报联社由新西兰所有日报组成的合作新闻机构,创建于1880年,总部设在惠灵顿。每天24小时不间断地向新各家日报和周报传送国内和国际新闻。新西兰电台成立于1925年。有1个国家台、30个商业台、1个音乐台和1个声音档案馆。1995年,商业台脱离新西兰电台,成为单独的新西兰商业电台公司,并于1996年7月出售给私人。国家台重点播发时事和国内政治新闻,覆盖96%国土。新西兰电台用有限的短波向南太平洋转播国家台节目。新西兰电视台1962年正式播放节目,下设电视一台和电视二台以及五个地区电视台。新西兰电视台的信号覆盖全国,收视率达70%。电视三台是新西兰唯一的一家私人电视台,由加拿大公司控股。1989年11月开播,覆盖面为全国人口的85%。另外在新西兰还可以收看付费的有线电视SKY TV。
  
  国际域名缩写
  .nz
  新西兰海外领地有各自的国际域名:.nu(纽埃岛)、.ck(库克群岛),.tk(托克劳群岛)。
  
  长途电话代码
  +64
  
  一、历史
  [编辑本段]
  新西兰于1856年成为英国的自治殖民地,1907年成为自治区,到了1947年完全独立。 
  
  新西兰5000万年来一直无人居住,直至公元十世纪,才有来自库克群岛和塔希蒂的波利尼西亚航海家乘坐独木舟来到新西兰。到公元十二世纪,全国受青睐的地区已分布了许多定居点;1642年,荷兰航海家阿贝尔·扬松·塔斯曼在一次远洋冒险中于1642年发现新西兰的西海岸区,但在企图登陆时遭到毛利人的攻击而迅速离去,但他以荷兰一个地区的名字命名这块土地为(Nieuw Zeeland),他绘制了部分西海岸地区的地图,但并未在此登陆;1769年,英国海军舰长詹姆斯·库克及其船员成为首先踏足新西兰土地的欧洲人,随后,捕捞海豹和鲸鱼的人们也来到这里,传教士也很快接踵而来,定居点开始逐渐建立起来了。
  
  到1840年,新西兰估计毛利人口为10万人,大约2000名欧洲定居者(毛利人称其为 Pakeha,白人)分布在沿海地区,新西兰那时没有全国政府或全国领导人,毛利人和白人团体请求英国提供某些保护以及法律和秩序;1840年2月6日,毛利人和英国王室在岛屿湾的怀唐伊镇签署了《怀唐伊条约》,该条约使新西兰成为王室属的一个殖民地,这个条约被认为是新西兰的建国文件,该条约使早期开拓者有权在新西兰定居并允诺毛利人按其意愿继续拥有他们的土地、森林和渔业,该条约说明毛利人将对土地及生活方式自己做出决定,并答应建立一个政府,使全体人民过上和平法制的生活,该条约亦确立了新西兰人享有英国公民的权利,该条约目前仍然是“现行文”,并且是新西兰涉及民族关系方面很具争议的话题。 此条约签属后,更多的人开始来到新西兰并在这里定居,多数人去南部岛定居,因为那里的土地适合耕作,在奥塔哥和西海岸地区还发现了金矿。
  
  自本世纪以来,来北岛居住的人还是多于南部,到1890年代,全国人口增加到五十万,并开始建设铁路和公路,定居者建立了农场已经成为新西兰经济的支柱,1893年,新西兰成为第一个赋予妇女选举权的国家,当时,英国仍然是新西兰文化的重要组成部分并经常被喻为“家乡”,成千上万的新西兰人代表英国参加第一次世界大战,到1918年,有一半的参战者死于战争或在战争中负伤。1935年,新西兰选出工党政府,该政府进行了一系列的社会改革,其中包括每周40小时工作制以及国家拨款的卫生和福利制度,第二次世界大战开始后,新西兰再次派出军队,大约全国人口的百分只十出过作战,战争结束后,对新西兰的农产品的需求增加,1950年代,全面就业迅速增长,工业空前繁荣。
  
  由于对进口(特别是石油)和对肉类、奶制品和羊毛出口的长期依赖,新西兰的经济在1970年代和1980年带开始恶化,1970年代初期,英国加入欧洲共同体以后,新西兰失去其传统的出口市场,随后即出现失业和社会问题;1980年代中后期,工党政府开始进行新的货币政策、工业解除限制、取消津贴以及将许多政府部门私有化等大范围的改革,自此经济开始逐渐好转,失业人数开始下降。从90年代后期开始新西兰经历了持续的经济增长,失业率到3.5%的历史新低。
  
  二、政治
  [编辑本段]
  英国女王是新西兰的国家元首,女王任命的总督作为其代表行使管理权。总督与内阁组成的行政会议是法定的最高行政机构。内阁掌握实权,由议会多数党组成。议会只设众议院(共120席),由普选产生,任期3年。无成文宪法,其宪法是由英国议会和新西兰议会先后通过的一系列法律和修正案以及英国枢密院的某些决定所构成。
  
  新西兰民主政府以混合式多议席选区比例代表制(Mixed Member Proportional)国会运作,有一百二十个席位。新西兰法律规定毛利人至少有六个保障席位,而政党的选举过程也要有额外的毛利代表。目前国会中有十七位毛利议员。新西兰政府为联合执政,由工党(Labour Party)与进步联盟(Progressive Coalition),加上两个少数政党——绿党(Green Party)与联合未来党(United Future Party)的援助所组成。现在的新西兰总理为海伦·克拉克(Helen Clark)。
  
  司法机构
  新西兰有最高法院、上诉法院、高等法院、若干地方法院和受理就业、家庭、生产、毛利人事务、环境等特殊问题的专门法院。上诉法院由首席大法官、院长和另外六名高等法院法官组成。英国枢密院司法委员会为终审法院。2003年10月14日,新议会通过《最高法院法案》,2004年7月1日成立最高法院,新与英国枢密院间的联系彻底终止。
  
  政党
  1、新西兰工党(Labour Party)。现执政党。1916年成立。工会组织和毛利人是工党的传统支持者。曾多次执政。1999年12月与联盟党联合执政。2002年8月和进步联盟党联合执政。领袖海伦·伊丽莎白·克拉克(Helen Elizabeth Clark)。主席迈克·威廉姆斯(Mike Williams),高级督导戴维·本森。
  
  2、进步联盟党(Progressive Party)。现执政党。由新西兰联盟党前领袖安德顿于2002年4月组建,在议会中占2席,其中选区议员1席,非选区议员1席。
  
  3、新西兰国家党(National Party)。现主要反对党。1936年由统一党和改良党合并而成。曾多次执政。2002年7月大选中遭受重挫,仅获得27个席位,比上届议会减少12个席位。2003年10月,国家党财政事务发言人唐·布拉什取代英格利希,成为该党领袖。
  
  4、新西兰第一党(NZ First Party)。1993年7月成立。主要支持者是老年人、中小企业主和低收入选民及毛利人等。1996年12月与国家党联合执政。1998年8月,与国家党的联盟破裂,成为反对党。领袖温斯顿·彼得斯(Winston Peters)。2002年8月大选中,议会席位从上届的5席增至13席。
  
  5、新西兰行动党(ACT New Zealand)。前身是前工党政府财长道格拉斯创立的消费者及纳税人协会,1994年11月改为现名,简称行动党(ACT Party)。支持者主要是大财团及富商。领袖罗德尼·海德(Rodney Hide)。
  
  6、绿党(Green Party)。前身为价值党(Values Party),于1972年5月成立。1990年5月,价值党和绿色组织合并,改称现名。1991年加入联盟党。1997年11月,绿党宣布不再作为联盟党成员参加大选。珍妮特·菲茨西蒙斯(Jeanette Fitzsimons)任领袖。
  
  7、新西兰联合未来党(United Future NZ Party)。前身联合党(United NZ Party)于1995年6月成立。2000年11月,与未来党(Future NZ Party)等政党合并,改为现名。2002年大选中,该党议席从1席增至9席。领袖彼得·邓恩(Peter Dunne)。
  
  8、其他政党有:太平洋精神党(Mauri Pacific)、保守党(Conservative Party)、民主党(Democratic Party)、基督教遗产党(Christian Heritage)等。
  三、地理
  [编辑本段]
  新西兰位于太平洋南部,澳大利亚东南方约1,600公里处,介于南极洲和赤道之间,西隔塔斯曼海与澳大利亚相望,北邻新喀里多尼亚、汤加、斐济,在南纬34度至47度之间。新西兰由北岛、南岛、斯图尔特岛及其附近一些小岛组成,面积27万多平方公里,专属经济区120万平方公里。海岸线长6900公里。新西兰素以“绿色”著称。虽然境内多山,山地和丘陵占其总面积75%以上,但这里属温带海洋性气候,四季温差不大,植物生长十分茂盛,森林覆盖率达29%,天然牧场或农场占国土面积的一半。广袤的森林和牧场使新西兰成为名副其实的绿色王国。新西兰水力资源丰富,全国80%的电力为水力发电。森林面积约占全国土地面积的29%,生态环境非常好。北岛多火山和温泉,南岛多冰河与湖泊。北岛第一峰鲁阿佩胡火山高2797米,火山上有新西兰最大的湖泊陶波湖,面积616平方公里。南岛横跨南纬40°~47°,岛上有全国第一峰库克山。阿尔卑斯山中的弗朗茨·约瑟夫冰川和福克斯冰川,是世界上海拔最低的冰川。山外有一系列冰川湖,其中特阿脑湖面积342平方公里,是新西兰第二大湖。苏瑟兰瀑布,落差580米,居世界前列。
  
  气候
  新西兰属温带海洋性气候,季节与北半球相反。新西兰的12月至2月为夏天,6月至8月为冬天。夏季平均气温25摄氏度,冬季10摄氏度,全年温差一般不超过15度。各地年平均降雨量为400~1200毫米。
  
  环境
  新西兰约于一亿年前与大陆分离,从而使许多原始的动植物得以在孤立的环境中存活和演化。除了独特的植物和动物之外,这里还有地形多变的壮丽自然景观。新西兰从冈瓦纳古陆(Gondwanaland)分离之后,这些原始的物种便在这块独立的土地上演化和繁衍,著名的自然学家大卫·贝拉米(David Bellamy)称这里是“摩亚方舟”(Moa's Ark),此名称来自新西兰所特有的巨大步行鸟“摩亚”(moa,又名恐鸟),但现在已绝种。自从人类开始在新西兰定居以来,短短1000多年的时间已经使许多原生物种消失,但近年来新西兰政府加大了自然保护的力度,情况已经有很大的改善。保护措施包括消灭野生动物保护区的有害生物、建立了13座国家公园、3座海洋公园、数百座自然保护区和生态区、1个海洋与湿地保护网络,以及保护特别的河流与湖泊。新西兰总计约有30%的国土为保护区。另外,像kakapo鹦鹉、垂耳鸦、几维鸟和大蜥蜴等珍稀与濒危物种的研究和管理计划也开始执行。
  
  植物
  虽然经过人类1000多年的砍伐,新西兰仍有四分之一的国土仍是茂密的森林――大部份位于高原地区。这些地区大都属于国家公园和森林公园,禁止开发,您可以尽情享受其中的野趣。新西兰森林的特点是温和、常绿的雨林,其中有巨大的树蕨、藤类和附生植物――看起来很符合一般丛林的模样。巨大的贝壳杉是世界上最大的植物之一,目前生长在相对较小的北岛凹地与科罗曼德尔半岛。
  
  动物
  新西兰是罕见鸟类的天堂。最著名的是不会飞的奇异鸟,新西兰的非正式国家标志。其它不会飞的鸟还有威卡秧鸡(weka)及濒临灭绝的kakapo鹦鹉,这是全世界最大的鹦鹉,它只能爬到低矮的灌木或较小的树上。另一种奇特的鸟类是好奇心很重的啄羊鹦鹉(原生高地鹦鹉),这种鹦鹉会飞,以不怕人类和大胆的个性而闻名。
  
  国家公园
  北岛
  艾格蒙特国家公园 Egmont National Park
  乌雷威拉国家公园 Te Urewera National Park
  东加里罗国家公园 Tongariro National Park
  旺加努伊国家公园 Whanganui National Park
  
  南岛
  阿贝尔·塔斯曼国家公园 Abel Tasman National Park
  亚瑟隘口国家公园 Arthur’s Pass National Park
  库克山国家公园 Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
  峡湾国家公园 Fiordland National Park
  卡胡朗吉国家公园 Kahurangi National Park
  阿斯派灵山国家公园 Mt. Aspiring National Park
  尼尔森湖国家公园 Nelson Lakes National Park
  帕帕罗瓦国家公园 Paparoa National Park
  西区国家公园 Westland/Tai Poutini National Park
  
  斯图尔特岛
  雷奇欧拉国家公园 Rakiura National Park
  
  四、经济
  [编辑本段]
  新西兰是一个现代、繁荣的发达国家。2006年国内生产总值为1038.73亿美元(2006年,世界第53名);人均29,698美元(世界第27名);人类发展指数为0.943(高,世界第19名,有所上升)。
  
  畜牧业是新西兰经济的基础,新西兰农牧产品出口量占其出口总量的50%,羊肉、奶制品和粗羊毛的出口量均居世界第一位。新西兰还是世界上最大的鹿茸生产国和出口国,生产量占世界总产量的30%。矿藏主要有煤、金、铁矿、天然气,还有银、锰、钨、磷酸盐、石油等,但储量不大。石油储量3000万吨,天然气储量为1700亿立方米。森林资源丰富,森林面积810万公顷,占全国土地面积的30%,其中630万公顷为天然林,180万公顷为人造林,主要产品有原木、圆木、木浆、纸及木板等。渔产丰富。工业以农林牧产品加工为主,主要有奶制品、毛毯、食品、酿酒、皮革、烟草、造纸和木材加工等轻工业,产品主要供出口。农业高度机械化。主要农作物有小麦、大麦、燕麦、水果等。粮食不能自给,需从澳大利亚进口。畜牧业发达,是新西兰经济的基础。畜牧业用地为1352万公顷,占国土面积的一半。乳制品与肉类是新最重要的出口产品。粗羊毛出口量居世界第一位,占世界总产量的25%。新西兰渔产丰富,是世界第四大专属经济区,200海里专属经济区内捕鱼潜力每年约50万吨。除了主要产业食物加工业(肉类与乳品)与工业之外,新西兰的食物加工技术、电讯、塑料、纺织、林木制品、电子、登山用品与服饰等方面的竞争力也越来越来强。近年来,特殊生活风格用品的业者,如帆船,也在急速增长。新西兰的股票指数NZX上各式各样的公司,正反映了这些产业。
  
  五、文化
  [编辑本段]
  毛利文化
  新西兰400万人口中约15%是毛利后裔,或是属于某个部落。毛利人藉由华卡帕帕(whakapapa,系谱图)可追溯到乘着瓦卡(waka,独木舟)横渡辽阔的太平洋而来的祖先。
    
  毛利人有着丰富又活泼的文化,保留了他们长久以来与精神和自然世界的连结。他们以自己特别的“米希”(mihi,问候)方式透过来传承自己的家世。毛利人在米希中说出他们的“芒加”(maunga,山)、“阿瓦”(awa,河)、“玛雷”(marae,会堂)、“瓦卡”、“尹维”(iwi,部落)和“提布那”(tipuna,重要的祖先)的名字。
    
  新西兰约四分之一的毛利人使用“蒂雷欧毛利语”(Te reo Maori)。使用这种语言的人大约有一半不到二十五岁。这是种玻里尼西亚语言(类似其它大洋洲语,如夏威夷语和大溪地语),有一种独特的诗感和音乐性。毛利语是新西兰的官方语言之一。
  
  kiwi
  kiwi除了用来称呼奇异鸟,这个词还用来称呼新西兰人,最早可追溯至第一次世界大战,这是当年新西兰士兵的绰号。在国际货币市场上,新西兰的基本货币单位——新西兰元,也常被称为“奇异”,因为钱币一面上头的有只奇异鸟。而最著名的“奇异”可能是美味的奇异果。奇异果原产于中国,移植到新西兰时被称为“中国醋栗”。但是新西兰果农在大量出口这种水果时,为它取名为奇异果,现在已闻名全世界。
  
  葡萄酒  
  新西兰的主要葡萄栽种地是在干燥、阳光普照的东部地区,其中包括吉斯伯恩(Gisborne)、霍克湾(Hawke’s Bay)和马尔堡(Marlborough)三个主要地区。其它主要地区还有奥克兰(Auckland)、马丁堡(Martinborough)、尼尔森(Nelson)和中奥塔哥(Central Otago)。这些地区位于纬度36至45度之间,纵长1600公里。类似于北半球从波尔多(纬度在44至46度之间)到南边的西班牙。在这样一个气候与土质都十分合适的地区栽种葡萄,结果就发展出种种不同的风格。新西兰的品酒观光越来越受重视,业者常鼓励游客沿着“经典新西兰美酒公路”(Classic New Zealand Wine Trail)探访酒庄,参与活动。几个主要产酒区每年都会举办美酒与美食节,而且大多数酒庄开放游客品酒。不少大型酒庄还兼经营餐厅与咖啡馆,并提供零售和网上销售。
  
  艺术
  新西兰的艺术与文化得自于各个种族,产生了结合毛利人、欧洲人、亚洲人和大洋洲人的特质。新西兰的艺术圈反映了这种融合。新西兰最有价值的绘画中,有些是由查尔斯·高第(Charles Goldie)于十九世纪所画的毛利人画像。画家柯林·麦卡宏(Colin McCahon)的作品使用了文字、基督教肖像与毛利语言以及神话,他被许多人认为是新西兰最伟大的艺术家。许多艺廊除了展出这些作品,还有其它艺术家的作品,如雷尔夫·哈特雷(Ralph Hotere)和葛雷姆·希尼(Grahame Sydney)。
    
  文学
  有许多新西兰作家将毛利文化与传说写进英文文学作品中。凯莉·胡姆(Keri Hulme)以极具创意的小说《The Bone People》而获得权威的布克文学奖的肯定。也有作家结了两种文化,创造出别具特色的新西兰文学,其中包括派翠西亚·葛雷丝(Patricia Grace)、维提·伊希玛埃拉(Witi Ihimaera)和洪内·图华雷(Hone Tuwhare)。艾伦·杜夫(Alan Duff)以著作《战士奇兵》(Once Were Warriors)而闻名,并由导演李·塔玛胡里(Lee Tamahori,007电影《谁与争锋》的导演)于2002年搬上大银幕。
    
  影视
  好莱坞有史以来的最大制作,《魔戒》是由彼得·杰克逊(Peter Jackson)在新西兰拍摄,新西兰的地方电影工业随着这部巨片的成功而持续成长中。这个三部曲的头两部共得到六座奥斯卡奖,而第三部《王者归来》也已于2003年12月上映。新西兰的风景出现在这系列电影中,而许多取景地位于新西兰的国家公园与保护区内。
    
  根据维提·伊希玛埃拉原著小说改编,由妮基·卡罗(Niki Caro)执导的电影《鲸骑士》(Whale Rider)在2002年的多伦多国际影展里令观众大为惊艳,并得到观众票选最佳电影。这部片描绘了一个小毛利村落的生活,并加入了梅塔回提(Mai Tawhiti)的表演,他们是一个卡帕哈卡(kapa haka,表演艺术)团体。《鲸骑士》拍摄地点在东部地区吉斯伯恩的一个小村庄,这里也是全世界最早看到一天日出的地方。
    
  《鲸骑士》是凯萨·卡斯特-休伊斯(Keisha Castle-Hughes)的处女作,但是因为她在这部电影的精彩演出,她获得了奥斯卡最佳女主角提名,并成为历史上获得该奖项提名最年轻的演员。
    
  新西兰影坛最近的大制作有彼得·杰克逊重拍的巨片《金刚》,该片于2005年12月上映。出生于新西兰的安德鲁·亚当森以动画片《史瑞克》而闻名,他导演拍摄了《纳尼亚传奇》(The Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe),根据利维斯(C. S. Levis)奇幻小说《纳尼亚故事集》(Narnia)改编而成,这部电影也在2005年12月上映。该片在新西兰著很多名的地点选景,包括了奥克兰的伍德山森林(Woodhill Forest),坎特伯雷的羊群山车站(Flock Hill Station)和邓特伦(Duntroon)附近的大象岩石区(Elephant Rocks)。
    
  音乐
  新西兰的音乐也吸引了全世界的注意。几个乐团如达桑氏(The Datsuns)、The D4、大洋洲人(Pacifier)和阿尼卡摩瓦(Anika Moa),都与国际唱片公司签了约。默瓦娜·玛妮亚波脱(Moana Maniapoto)和她的部族乐团(The Tribe)以毛利原音赢得国外的赞誉。除了流行乐团“拥挤之屋”(Crowed House)的团长尼尔·芬(Neil Finn)之外,新西兰歌剧歌手丹·奇里·蒂·卡那瓦(Dame Kiri Te Kanawa)和丹·玛维那·梅杰(Dame Malvina Major)都在国外演出。少女歌手海莉(Hayley Westenra)的专辑《纯净》(Pure),发行第一周就登上英国古典排行榜第一名,卖得比著名男高音帕华洛帝和波伽利的专辑还好。
  
  六、教育
  [编辑本段]
  新西兰的教育体制被视为世界上最好的教育体制之一,他们通过学校、大学、技工学院和其它教育机构提供高质量教育,新西兰的教育体系源于英国的传统教育体制,全国实行统一的教育体系,教育经费开支占政府开支第三位。
  
  早期幼儿教育
  不是义务教育,而是在婴幼儿上学前的照顾,早期幼儿教育服务包括幼儿园、托儿所、游乐中心、家庭日托、儿童看护中心及社区游乐园。幼儿园(每周)5.00 - 10.00 新元。
  
  中小学教育
  在新西兰,6至16岁的孩子都必须接受小学、中学和高中义务教育,全国有66万中小学生就读与2,800多所国立中小学,政府每年对中小学教育的投入达20亿新西兰元,新西兰的大多数孩子5岁开始上学,19岁以前在公立学校(政府拨款)上学为免费教育,接受特殊教育的学生(有残疾、学习和行为障碍)年龄延长到二十一岁,公立学校由新西兰政府提供经费并且遍布新西兰各地。
  
  高等教育
  上完中学的学生可以继续接受高等教育和培训,这可以在理工学院、教育学院、大学和私立培训机构进行,学生需要为他们的高等教育缴纳学费。大约800多家私立培训机构提供范围广泛的学习计划,其中的某些课程可获得全国学历认可。
  
  新西兰各大学名称及所在地
  奥克兰大学 The University of Auckland - 奥克兰
  奥克兰理工大学 Auckland University of Technology - 奥克兰
  惠灵顿维多利亚大学 Victoria University of Wellington - 惠灵顿
  梅西大学 Massey University - 北帕莫斯顿、奥克兰、惠灵顿
  坎特伯雷大学 University of Canterbury - 基督城
  林肯大学 Lincoln University - 基督城
  奥塔哥大学 University of Otago - 达尼丁
  怀卡托大学 The University of Waikato - 哈密尔顿
  
  生活及住宿费因所在城市及居住环境不同而异,一般每年约为9000至11000新元。课程学习研究生以攻读课程为主,积累一定学分后即可获得研究生文凭或硕士学位,只要有良好的大学毕业背景(中国正规大学毕业亦可)和良好英文水平,则不难报读硕士研究生课程,这种课程的另一个突出优点是可以跨学科选读,例如原来是理工或文科大学毕业的,也可以改读商科,而以课题研究为主的研究生必须从事大量研究并递交高水平的论文后才可获得硕士学位或博士学位,文凭课程一般为一年到一年半,硕士课程一般为一年半到两年,博士课程需要二年到三年时间。为帮助经济条件较差的学生完成学业,政府制订了免息学生贷款政策,该政策使得学生可以从政府获得足以支付学杂费的贷款和用于支付日常生活的学生津贴,当然,申请人必须是新西兰公民或者有新西兰的永居签证,其中,学生津贴不需要归还,学生贷款待学生毕业找到工作后,根据收入的多少逐步偿还给政府。
  
  七、外交
  [编辑本段]
  新西兰外交政策的根本目的是维护世界,特别是太平洋地区的和平,以保障新西兰的主权与安全;促进新西兰经济繁荣及与其他国家的经济贸易关系。
  
  与中国关系
  1972年12月22日,新西兰与中国建交以来,两国友好合作关系不断发展。1999年9月,中国国家主席江泽民对新西兰进行国事访问,这是中国国家元首首次访问新西兰。2000年11月,总督博伊斯访问中国。2001年4月,新西兰总理克拉克访华。2003年10月,胡锦涛主席对新西兰进行国事访问。2005年5月,吴邦国委员长对新西兰进行友好访问。2005年5月,新西兰总理克拉克对中国进行工作访问。2006年4月,温家宝总理对新西兰进行正式访问,两国签署了一系列合作协议和文件。近年来,双边经贸关系发展迅速。中国目前是新西兰最重要的贸易伙伴之一。2005年,中新双边贸易额达26.8亿美元。新西兰是第一个承认中国市场经济地位的发达国家,也是第一个与中国开展双边自由贸易协定谈判的发达国家。2004年12月,中国——新西兰自由贸易区谈判正式启动。
  
  八、其它
  [编辑本段]
  旅游
  新西兰旅游业的历史十分久远。新西兰旅游局是全世界最早成立观光机构的国家,它刚于2001年欢渡一百周年庆。新西兰政府于1901年2月1日成立全球第一个致力于旅游业的政府部门,这是明智的投资。成立之初只有五千名国外观光客,如今每年有230多万名来自海外的游客拜访新西兰,旅游业也成为新西兰最大的外汇来源之一。旅游业每年为新西兰带来超过六十六亿纽币的收入,这个数字仍在快速成长中。澳洲是新西兰旅游的最大市场,每年约有87.5万游客来自澳大利亚。至2005年10月为止,新西兰过去十二个月内的到访人数比去年同期成长3%。
  
  澳大利亚 884,056;加拿大 44,277;中国大陆 100,844;德国 58,807;香港特别行政区 24,256;;印度 20,210;日本 141,291;韩国 109,244;马来西亚 21,258;荷兰 26,798;北欧地区 29,343;新加坡 29,300;中国台湾 28,585;泰国 17,998;英国 289,324;美国 224,285;总计 2,049,876。
  
  *所有数据统计期限自2005年10月到2006年9月,来源:Statistics New Zealand
  
  住宿
  新西兰可以为您提供多种不同档次的住宿选择,从豪华宾馆到别致的乡村度假别墅,再到温馨的背包旅馆,应有尽有。特别是在新西兰夏天的旅游旺季:12月至次年2月,最好提前预定最初两晚的住宿。请到当地游客信息中心,安排以后的旅行。
  Qualmark住宿评估系统:
  Qualmark是新西兰的住宿质量评估系统。带有Qualmark标志的旅馆每年都要经过专业评估员的评估。
  1星级:可以接受。能符合住客的最低需要。属基本满足住宿要求的整洁和舒适的住宿环境。
  2星级:不错。有些服务及设施超出住客基本需要。
  3星级:很好。设施与服务完备,达到好至非常好的服务标准。
  4星级:优异。设施与服务完备,一贯保持高水平服务。
  5星级:顶级。属新西兰最高水准。
  applied for:表明某个旅馆尚未经过评估和/或尚未评定级别。
  
  着装
  新西兰北部为亚热带气候,南部为温带气候。最温暖的月份为12月、1月和2月;最冷的月份为6月、7月和8月。在夏季,平均最高气温在摄氏20度至30度之间;冬季为摄氏10度至15度之间。大多数场合中,可着随意的休闲服装。大多数餐厅和宵夜场所都接纳着便装的客人。男士一般无需穿西装、打领带,只有大城市中的少数顶级正式餐厅和酒吧例外。夏天时应带一件轻便的外套或厚运动衫,以防天气转凉或是登上海拔较高的地区时气温降低。这里有时会下雨,所以请携带轻便的防水外套或夹克。如果是在5月至9月期间到访,请带保暖的冬衣,并多穿几件衣服。
  
  饮食
  新西兰的“环太平洋”料理风格是受到欧洲、泰国、马来西亚、印度尼西亚、玻利尼西亚、日本和越南所影响。全国各地的咖啡馆和餐厅都提供这种结合各地特色的料理,令人垂涎三尺。如果想品尝地道的新西兰风格,可点羊肉、猪肉、鹿肉、鲑鱼、小龙虾、布拉夫牡蛎、鲍鱼、贻贝、扇贝、甘薯、奇异果和树番茄(tamarillo)等烹制的菜品,还有最具代表性的新西兰甜点“帕洛娃”(pavlova),这是以白奶油和新鲜水果或浆果铺在蛋白霜上制成的。除了大城市里少数高级豪华餐厅之外,现代潮流走向更轻松的咖啡――酒吧式餐饮风格。异国料理包括日式、印度式、清真式、意式、墨西哥式、中式、马来西亚式和泰式。全新西兰共有900多家亚洲料理餐厅。到了新西兰,千万别忘了多尝尝新西兰的葡萄酒。
  
  休闲
  新西兰有十四家渡假庄园名列“小而美旅馆世界排名”(Small Luxury Hotels of the World)之中。此外,还有其它许多遍布新西兰精致旅馆提供高品质的住宿,通常位于人烟罕至的地区。现在越来越多住宿地点提供Spa。
    
  由于新西兰地处环太平洋火线(Pacific Rim of Fire)上,因此到处都有地热温泉。数百年来,这些温泉地是当地毛利人的最爱,而当欧洲人开始注重矿泉的养身功效之后,也开始流行来这里。罗托鲁阿以间歇泉和沸泥塘而闻名,是新西兰最著名的温泉乡。罗托鲁阿许多旅馆和汽车旅馆拥有自己的天然温泉池,在玻里尼西亚温泉(Polynesian Spa),您还可以从数座池中,挑选不同温度和矿物成分的池。位于基督城北方的汉默温泉(Hammer Springs)是新西兰的主要高原温泉渡假区。汉泉汉泉提供温泉池、Spa和各种冒险与休闲活动。
  
  演出
  大部份城市都有一流的音乐会与演出。剧院、管弦乐、芭蕾舞、摇滚与爵士乐都可欣赏到。
  
  航班
  新西兰航空公司已于2006年11月开通了奥克兰至中国上海的直飞航线,并计划在2008年7月18日开通奥克兰和北京之间的直飞航线,每周两个航班。
  但现在如果从北京等地方走,需要转机,北方一般从首尔或者东京转机,乘坐大韩,韩亚,或者日航。南方可以从香港,上海或者新加坡转机,乘坐国泰,纽航或者新航。
  
  飞行时间:
  上海:约11.45小时;
  北京:约14小时。
  
  国际机场
  新西兰的国际机场位于奥克兰、惠灵顿和基督城。某些从澳洲来的航班也会降落在哈密尔顿、北帕默斯顿、皇后镇和达尼丁。
  
  货币
  携入或携出新西兰的外国货币金额并无限制。不过携入或携出超过10,000新西兰元的现金必需填交“携带现金报告表”(Border Cash Report)。 外国货币可轻易在银行、部份旅馆、国际机场和大城市中设的兑换处兑换为新西兰货币。所有主要信用卡都可以在新西兰使用。旅馆、银行和部分商店可接受旅行支票。
  
  银行
  新西兰的银行营业时间为周一至周五早上9:30至下午4:30。许多地方设有自动柜员机(ATM),如银行、主要购物街和购物商场。只要您有国际信用卡和自动柜员机卡的四位数密码,就可以用来提款。请在您所在国银行申请。
  
  货物与服务税
  所有商品与服务的标价中均含12.5%的货物与服务税(GST)。游客不可要求退税,但如果商家将高额货品邮寄到购买者所在国,则可以免税(GST)。
  
  小费与服务费
  新西兰人一般服务不收小费――即便在餐厅或酒吧也不用。不过,如果游客享受额外的特殊服务或为了表示谢意,可以自行决定是否要付额外的小费。新西兰的旅馆与餐馆的帐单不另收服务费。
  
  旅行支票
  新西兰元的旅行支票没有销售。想要来新西兰旅游的国际游客携带旅行支票,在未来要携带是主要货币类型的旅游支票。来到新西兰地区旅游,可以购买到澳币的旅行支票。
  
  游客信息中心
  在新西兰自己开车旅游,会有多种旅游方式与景点的选择。为协助游客,新西兰游客信息中心(VIN)应运而生。所有中心都有醒目的标志和绿色的“i”。游客信息中心是官方认可的机构,提供准确的新西兰旅游信息,分布于新西兰的94个地点。中心工作人员的知识丰富,可提供客观和准确的旅游信息。服务内容包括:住宿、交通(航空、公路、铁路及轮渡)、景点和活动的信息,并代办预订:行程计划与建议,礼品、纪念品、邮票和电话卡,餐厅信息,各地活动与娱乐,地图与游览手册。
  
  新西兰旅游奖
  “新西兰旅游奖”(New Zealand Tourism Awards)表明该奖项的获得者可以提供最独特、高品质的旅游体验。请注意旅游奖的银蕨(koru)标志。看到这个标志,意味着您可以得到新西兰最好的旅游产品、体验和服务。


  New Zealand is an island nation in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island) and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, which is commonly translated into English as The Land of the Long White Cloud. The Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue, which are self-governing but in free association; Tokelau; and the Ross Dependency (New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica).
  
  New Zealand is notable for its geographic isolation, situated about 2000 km (1250 miles) southeast of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and its closest neighbours to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga. During its long isolation New Zealand developed a distinctive fauna dominated by birds, many of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and the mammals they introduced.
  
  The population is mostly of European descent, with the indigenous Māori being the largest minority. Asians and non-Maori Polynesians are also significant minorities, especially in the cities. Elizabeth II, as the Queen of New Zealand, is the Head of State and, in her absence, is represented by a non-partisan Governor-General. The Queen 'reigns but does not rule.' She has no real political influence, and her position is essentially symbolic. Political power is held by the democratically elected Parliament of New Zealand under the leadership of the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government.
  
  It is unknown whether Māori had a name for New Zealand as a whole before the arrival of Europeans, although they referred to the North Island as Te Ika a Māui (the fish of Māui) and the South Island as Te Wai Pounamu (the waters of greenstone) or Te Waka o Aoraki (the canoe of Aoraki). Until the early 20th century, the North Island was also referred to as Aotearoa (colloquially translated "land of the long white cloud"); in modern Māori usage, this name refers to the whole country. Aotearoa is also commonly used in this sense in New Zealand English.
  
  The first European name for New Zealand was Staten Landt, the name given to it by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who in 1642 became the first European to see the islands. Tasman assumed it was part of a southern continent connected with land discovered in 1615 off the southern tip of South America by Jacob Le Maire. The name New Zealand originated with Dutch cartographers, who called the islands Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland. No-one is certain exactly who first coined the term, but it first appeared in 1645 and may have been the choice of cartographer Johan Blaeu. British explorer James Cook subsequently anglicised the name to New Zealand. There is no connection to the Danish Zealand.
  
  History
  
  New Zealand is one of the most recently settled major land masses. The first settlers of New Zealand were Eastern Polynesians who came to New Zealand, probably in a series of migrations, sometime between around AD 800 and 1300. Over the next few centuries these settlers developed into a distinct culture now known as Māori. The population was divided into Iwi (tribes) and hapū (subtribes) which would co-operate, compete and sometimes fight with each other. At some point a group of Māori migrated to the Chatham Islands where they developed their own distinct Moriori culture.
  
  The first Europeans known to have reached New Zealand were Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman and his crew in 1642. Several of the crew were killed by Māori and no Europeans returned to New Zealand until British explorer James Cook's voyage of 1768–71. Cook reached New Zealand in 1769 and mapped almost all of the coastline. Following Cook, New Zealand was visited by numerous European and North American whaling, sealing and trading ships. They traded European food and goods, especially metal tools and weapons, for Māori timber, food, artefacts and water. On occasion, Europeans traded goods for sex. Māori agriculture and warfare were transformed by the potato and the musket, although the resulting Musket Wars died out once the tribal imbalance of arms had been rectified. From the early nineteenth century, Christian missionaries began to settle New Zealand, eventually converting most of the Māori population, who had become disillusioned with their indigenous faith by the introduction of Western culture.
  
  Signing of the Treaty of WaitangiBecoming aware of the lawless nature of European settlement and increasing interest in the territory by the French, the British government sent William Hobson to New Zealand to claim sovereignty and negotiate a treaty with Māori.[i] The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed in the Bay of Islands on 6 February 1840. The drafting was done hastily and confusion and disagreement continues to surround the translation. The Treaty is regarded as New Zealand's foundation as a nation and is revered by Māori as a guarantee of their rights. Hobson initially selected Okiato as the capital in 1840, before moving the seat of government to Auckland in 1841.
  
  Under British rule, the islands of New Zealand had been part of the colony of New South Wales. In 1840 New Zealand became its own dominion, which signalled increasing numbers of European settlers particularly from the British Isles. At first, Māori were eager to trade with the 'Pakeha', as they called them, and many iwi (tribes) became wealthy. As settler numbers increased, conflicts over land led to the New Zealand Land Wars of the 1860s and 1870s, resulting in the loss of much Māori land. The detail of European settlement and the acquisition of land from Māori remain controversial.
  
  Gustavus von Tempsky is shot during the land warsRepresentative government for the colony was provided for by the passing of the 1852 New Zealand Constitution Act by the United Kingdom. The 1st New Zealand Parliament met for the first time in 1854. In 1856 the colony became effectively self-governing with the grant of responsible government over all domestic matters other than native policy. Power in this respect would be transferred to the colonial administration in the 1860s. In 1863 Premier Alfred Domett moved a resolution that the capital transfer to a locality in Cook Strait, apparently due to concern the South Island could form a separate colony. Commissioners from Australia (chosen for their neutral status) advised Wellington as suitable because of its harbour and central location, and parliament officially sat there for the first time in 1865. In 1893, the country became the first nation in the world to grant women the right to vote. In 1907, New Zealand became an independent Dominion and a fully independent nation in 1947 when the Statute of Westminster (1931) was ratified, although in practice Britain had ceased to play any real role in the government of New Zealand much earlier than this. As New Zealand became more politically independent it became more dependent economically; in the 1890s, refrigerated shipping allowed New Zealand to base its entire economy on the export of meat and dairy products to Britain.
  
  New Zealand was an enthusiastic member of the British Empire, fighting in the Boer War, World War I and World War II and supporting Britain in the Suez Crisis. The country was very much a part of the world economy and suffered as others did in the Great Depression of the 1930s. The depression led to the election of the first Labour government, which established a comprehensive welfare state and a protectionist economy.
  
  Tino rangatiratanga (Māori sovereignty) flagNew Zealand experienced increasing prosperity following World War II. However, some social problems were developing; Māori had begun to move to the cities in search of work and excitement rather than the traditional rural way of life. A Māori protest movement would eventually form, criticising Eurocentrism and seeking more recognition of Māori culture and the Treaty of Waitangi, which they felt had not been fully honoured. In 1975 a Waitangi Tribunal was set up to investigate alleged breaches of the Treaty and in 1985 it was enabled to investigate historic grievances. In common with all other developed countries, social developments accelerated in the 1970s and social and political mores changed. By the 1970s, the traditional trade with Britain was threatened because of Britain's membership of the European Economic Community. Great economic and social changes took place in the 1980s under the 4th Labour government largely led by Finance Minister Roger Douglas, and commonly referred to as "Rogernomics."
  
  Politics
  
  Government
  
  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand
  
  Anand Satyanand,
  Governor-General
  
  Helen Clark,
  Prime Minister
  New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. Although it has no codified constitution, the Constitution Act 1986 is the principal formal statement of New Zealand's constitutional structure. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state and is titled Queen of New Zealand under the Royal Titles Act 1974. She is represented by the Governor-General, whom she appoints on the exclusive advice of the Prime Minister. The current Governor-General is Anand Satyanand.
  
  The Governor-General exercises the Crown's prerogative powers, such as the power to appoint and dismiss ministers and to dissolve Parliament, and in rare situations, the reserve powers. The Governor-General also chairs the Executive Council, which is a formal committee consisting of all ministers of the Crown. Members of the Executive Council are required to be Members of Parliament, and most are also in Cabinet. Cabinet is the most senior policy-making body and is led by the Prime Minister, who is also, by convention, the Parliamentary leader of the governing party or coalition. The current Prime Minister is Helen Clark, the leader of the Labour Party.
  
  The New Zealand Parliament has only one chamber, the House of Representatives, which usually seats 120 Members of Parliament. Parliamentary general elections are held every three years under a form of proportional representation called Mixed Member Proportional. The 2005 General Election created an 'overhang' of one extra seat, occupied by the Māori Party, due to that party winning more seats in electorates than the number of seats its proportion of the party vote would have given it.
  
  New Zealand government "Beehive" and the Parliament Buildings, in Wellington.Since 17 October 2005, Labour has been in formal coalition with Jim Anderton, the Progressive Party's only MP. In addition to the parties in formal coalition, New Zealand First and United Future provide confidence and supply in return for their leaders being ministers outside cabinet. A further arrangement has been made with the Green Party, which has given a commitment not to vote against the government on confidence and supply. Since early 2007, Labour has also had the proxy vote of Taito Phillip Field, a former Labour MP. These arrangements assure the government of a majority of seven MPs on confidence votes.
  
  The Leader of the Opposition is National Party leader John Key. The ACT party and the Māori Party are also in opposition. The Greens, New Zealand First and United Future each vote against the government on some legislation.
  
  The highest court in New Zealand is the Supreme Court of New Zealand, which was established in 2004 following the passage of the Supreme Court Act 2003. The act also abolished the option to appeal to the Privy Council in London. The current Chief Justice is Dame Sian Elias. New Zealand's judiciary also includes the Court of Appeal; the High Court, which deals with serious criminal offences and civil matters at the trial level and with appeals from lower courts and tribunals; and subordinate courts.
  
  New Zealand is the only country in the world in which all the highest offices in the land have been occupied simultaneously by women: Queen Elizabeth II, Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright, Prime Minister Helen Clark, Speaker of the House of Representatives Margaret Wilson and Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias were all in office between March 2005 and August 2006 (also of note New Zealand's largest listed company: Telecom New Zealand had a woman - Theresa Gattung as its CEO at the time).
  
  Foreign relations and the military
  
  New Zealand maintains a strong profile on environmental protection, human rights and free trade, particularly in agriculture.
  
  New Zealand is a member of the following geopolitical organisations: APEC, East Asia Summit, Commonwealth of Nations, OECD and the United Nations. New Zealand has signed up to a number of free trade agreements, of which the most important are the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement & Closer Economic Relations with Australia.
  
  For its first hundred years, New Zealand followed the United Kingdom's lead on foreign policy. In declaring war on Germany on 3 September 1939, Prime Minister Michael Savage proclaimed, "Where she goes, we go; where she stands, we stand". After the war, however, the United States exerted an increased influence on culture and the New Zealand people gained a clearer sense of national identity. New Zealand joined with Australia and the United States in the ANZUS security treaty in 1951, and later fought alongside the United States in both the Korean and the Vietnam Wars. In contrast, the United Kingdom became increasingly focused on its European interests following the Suez Crisis, and New Zealand was forced to develop new markets after the UK joined the EEC in 1973.
  
  New Zealand House, High Commission of New Zealand in LondonNew Zealand has traditionally worked closely with Australia, whose foreign policy followed a similar historical trend. In turn, many Pacific Islands such as Western Samoa have looked to New Zealand's lead. The American influence on New Zealand was weakened by the disappointment with the Vietnam War, the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior by France, and by disagreements over environmental and agricultural trade issues and New Zealand's nuclear-free policy.
  
  While the ANZUS treaty was once fully mutual between Australia, New Zealand and the United States, this is no longer the case. In February 1985, New Zealand refused nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships access to its ports. New Zealand became a Nuclear-free zone in June 1987, the first Western-allied state to do so. In 1986 the United States announced that it was suspending its treaty security obligations to New Zealand pending the restoration of port access. The New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987 prohibits the stationing of nuclear weapons on the territory of New Zealand and the entry into New Zealand waters of nuclear armed or propelled ships. This legislation remains a source of contention and the basis for the United States' continued suspension of treaty obligations to New Zealand.
  
  Within New Zealand, there have been various wars between iwi, and between the British settlers and iwi. New Zealand has fought in the Second Boer War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency (and committed troops, fighters and bombers to the subsequent confrontation with Indonesia), the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the Afghanistan War. It has also sent a unit of army engineers to help rebuild Iraqi infrastructure for one year during the Iraq War. As of 2008, New Zealand forces are still active in Afghanistan.
  
  HMNZS Canterbury is a multi-role vessel (MRV) of the Royal New Zealand Navy.The New Zealand Defence Force has three branches: the New Zealand Army, the Royal New Zealand Navy, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. New Zealand considers its own national defence needs to be modest; it dismantled its air combat capability in 2001. New Zealand has contributed forces to recent regional and global peacekeeping missions, including those in Cyprus, Somalia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Sinai, Angola, Cambodia, the Iran/Iraq border, Bougainville, East Timor, and the Solomon Islands.
  
  Local government and external territories
  
  Major cities and towns in New ZealandThe early European settlers divided New Zealand into provinces. These were abolished in 1876 so that government could be centralised, for financial reasons. As a result, New Zealand has no separately represented subnational entities such as provinces, states or territories, apart from its local government. The spirit of the provinces, however, still lives on, and there is fierce rivalry exhibited in sporting and cultural events. Since 1876, local government has administered the various regions of New Zealand. In 1989, the government completely reorganised local government, implementing the current two-tier structure of regional councils and territorial authorities which are constituted under the revised Local Government Act 2002 (New Zealand). In 1991, the Resource Management Act 1991 replaced the Town and Country Planning Act as the main planning legislation for local government.
  
  Today, New Zealand has twelve regional councils for the administration of regional environmental and transport matters and seventy-three territorial authorities that administer roading, sewerage, building consents, and other local matters. The territorial authorities are sixteen city councils, fifty-seven district councils, and the Chatham Islands County Council. Four of the territorial councils (one city and three districts) and the Chatham Islands County Council also perform the functions of a regional council and thus are known as unitary authorities. Territorial authority districts are not subdivisions of regional council districts, and a few of them straddle regional council boundaries.
  
  Realm of New ZealandThe regions are (asterisks denote unitary authorities): Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne*, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Manawatu-Wanganui, Wellington, Marlborough*, Nelson*, Tasman*, West Coast, Canterbury, Otago, Southland, Chatham Islands*.
  
  As a major South Pacific nation, New Zealand has a close working relationship with many Pacific Island nations, and continues a political association with the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. New Zealand operates Scott Base in its Antarctic territory, the Ross Dependency. Other countries also use Christchurch to support their Antarctic bases and the city is sometimes known as the "Gateway to Antarctica".
  
  Administrative divisions of New Zealand
  Supranational level Realm of New Zealand
  National level New Zealand Tokelau Cook Islands Niue Ross Dependency
  Regions 12 non-unitary regions 4 unitary regions Chatham Islands Kermadec Islands sub-Antarctic islands
  Territorial authorities 16 cities and 57 districts
  Notes Some districts lie in more than one region These combine the regional and the territorial authority levels in one Special territorial authority Areas outside regional authority; these, plus the Chatham Islands and the Solander Islands, form the New Zealand Outlying Islands State administered by New Zealand States in free association with New Zealand Claimed by New Zealand, but claim frozen by the Antarctic Treaty
  
  Geography and environment
  
  Topography of New ZealandNew Zealand comprises two main islands (called the North and South Islands in English, Te Ika a Maui and Te Wai Pounamu in Māori) and a number of smaller islands located near the centre of the water hemisphere. The North and South Islands are separated by the Cook Strait, which is 20km wide at its narrowest point. The total land area, 268,680 square kilometres (103,738 sq mi), is a little less than that of Italy and Japan, and a little more than the United Kingdom. The country extends more than 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) along its main, north-north-east axis, with approximately 15,134 km (9,404 mi) of coastline. The most significant of the smaller inhabited islands include Stewart Island/Rakiura; Waiheke Island, in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf; Great Barrier Island, east of the Hauraki Gulf; and the Chatham Islands, named Rēkohu by Moriori. The country has extensive marine resources, with the seventh-largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world, covering over four million square kilometres (1.5 million sq mi), more than 15 times its land area.
  
  Aoraki/Mount Cook is the tallest mountain in New ZealandThe South Island is the largest land mass of New Zealand, and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps, the highest peak of which is Aoraki/Mount Cook at 3754 metres (12,320 ft). There are 18 peaks over 3,000 metres (10,000 ft) in the South Island. The North Island is less mountainous than the South, but is marked by volcanism. The highest North Island mountain, Mount Ruapehu (2,797 m / 9,177 ft), is an active cone volcano. The dramatic and varied landscape of New Zealand has made it a popular location for the production of television programmes and films, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the The Last Samurai.
  
  The country owes its varied topography, and perhaps even its emergence above the waves, to the dynamic boundary it straddles between the Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates. New Zealand is part of Zealandia, a continent nearly half the size of Australia that is otherwise almost completely submerged. About 25 million years ago, a shift in plate tectonic movements began to pull Zealandia apart forcefully, with this now being most evident along the Alpine Fault and in the highly active Taupo volcanic zone.
  
  New Zealand from space. The snow-capped Southern Alps dominate the South Island, while the North Island's Northland Peninsula stretches towards the subtropicsNew Zealand is culturally and linguistically part of Polynesia, and constitutes the south-western anchor of the Polynesian Triangle.
  
  The latitude of New Zealand (ranging from approximately 34 to 47°S) corresponds closely to that of Italy in the Northern Hemisphere. However, its isolation from continental influences and exposure to cold southerly winds and ocean currents gives the climate a much milder character. The climate throughout the country is mild and temperate, mainly maritime, with temperatures rarely falling below 0 °C (32 °F) or rising above 30 °C (86 °F) in populated areas. Temperature maxima and minima throughout the historical record are 42.4 °C (108.3 °F) in Rangiora, Canterbury and -21.6 °C (-6.9 °F) in Ophir, Otago. Conditions vary sharply across regions from extremely wet on the West Coast of the South Island to semi-arid (Köppen BSh) in the Mackenzie Basin of inland Canterbury and subtropical in Northland. Of the main cities, Christchurch is the driest, receiving only 640 mm (25 in) of rain per year; Auckland, the wettest, receives almost twice that amount. Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch all receive a yearly average in excess of 2000 hours of sunshine per annum. The southern and south-western parts of South Island have a cooler and cloudier climate, with around 1400–1600 sunshine hours per annum; whilst the northern and north-eastern parts of the South Island are the sunniest areas of the country and receive approximately 2400–2500 sunshine hours per annum.
  
  Biodiversity
  
  Pōhutukawa treesBecause of its long isolation from the rest of the world and its island biogeography, New Zealand has extraordinary flora and fauna, descended from Gondwanan wildlife or since arriving by flying, swimming or being carried across the sea . About 80% of New Zealand's flora is endemic, including 65 endemic genera. The two main types of forest are those dominated by podocarps and/or the giant kauri, and in cooler climates the southern beech. The remaining vegetation types in New Zealand are grasslands of tussock and other grasses, usually in sub-alpine areas, and the low shrublands between grasslands and forests.
  
  The endemic flightless kiwi is a national iconUntil the arrival of humans, 80% of the land was forested. Until 2006, it was thought, barring three species of bat (one now extinct), there were no non-marine native mammals. However, in 2006, scientists discovered bones that belonged to a long-extinct, unique, mouse-sized land animal in the Otago region of the South Island.. New Zealand's forests were inhabited by a diverse range of megafauna, including the flightless moas (now extinct), four species of kiwi, the kakapo and the takahē, all endangered by human actions. Unique birds capable of flight included the Haast's eagle, which was the world's largest bird of prey (now extinct), and the large kākā and kea parrots. Reptiles present in New Zealand include skinks, geckos and living fossil tuatara. There are four endemic species of primitive frogs. There are no snakes and there is only one venomous spider, the katipo, which is rare and restricted to coastal regions. However, there are many endemic species of insects, including the weta, one species of which may grow as large as a house mouse and is the heaviest insect in the world.
  
  New Zealand has suffered a high rate of extinctions, including the moa species, the huia, laughing owl and flightless wrens (which formerly occupied the roles elsewhere occupied by mice). This is due to human activities such as hunting and pressure from introduced feral animals, such as weasels, stoats, cats, goats, deer and brushtailed possums. Five indigenous vascular plant species are now believed to be extinct, including Adam's mistletoe and a species of forget-me-not.
  
  However, New Zealand has led the world in island restoration projects where offshore islands are cleared of introduced mammalian pests and native species are reintroduced. Several islands located near to the three main islands are wildlife reserves where common pests such as possums and rodents have been eradicated to allow the reintroduction of endangered species to the islands. A more recent development is the mainland ecological island.
  
  Economy
  
  Auckland, the economic centre of the country, with the Sky Tower in the backgroundNew Zealand has a modern, prosperous, developed economy with an estimated nominal Gross domestic product (GDP) of US$128.1 billion (as of 2008). The country has a relatively high standard of living with an estimated GDP per capita of US$30,234 in 2008 which is comparable to Southern Europe; e.g. Spain US$33,385, but lower than the United States at US$46,820. Since 2000 New Zealand has made substantial gains in median household income. New Zealand, along with Australia, largely escaped the early 2000s recession that impacted upon most other advanced countries.
  
  New Zealanders have a high level of life satisfaction as measured by international surveys; this is despite lower GDP per-head levels than many other OECD countries. The country was ranked 20th on the 2006 Human Development Index and 15th in The Economist's 2005 world-wide quality-of-life index. The country was further ranked 1st in life satisfaction and 5th in overall prosperity in the 2007 Legatum Institute prosperity index. In addition, the 2007 Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranked Auckland 5th place and Wellington 12th place in the world on its list.
  
  The tertiary sector is the largest sector in the economy (68.8% of GDP), followed by the secondary sector (26.9% of GDP) and the primary sector (4.3% of GDP).
  
  New Zealand is a country heavily dependent on trade, particularly in agricultural products. Exports account for around 24% of its output, which is a relatively high figure (it is around 50% for many smaller European countries).[ii] This makes New Zealand particularly vulnerable to international commodity prices and global economic slowdowns. Its principal export industries are agriculture, horticulture, fishing and forestry. These make up about half of the country's exports. Its major export partners are Australia 20.5%, US 13.1%, Japan 10.3%, China 5.4%, UK 4.9% (2006).
  
  Tourism plays a significant role in New Zealand's economy. Tourism contributes $12.8 billion (or 8.9%) to New Zealand’s total GDP and supports nearly 200,000 full-time equivalent jobs (9.9% of the total workforce in New Zealand). Tourists to New Zealand are expected to increase at a rate of 4% annually up to 2013.
  
  Recent trends
  
  Milford Sound, New Zealand's most famous tourist destinationHistorically New Zealand enjoyed a high standard of living which relied on its strong relationship with the United Kingdom, and the resulting stable market for its commodity exports. New Zealand's economy was also built upon on a narrow range of primary products, such as wool, meat and dairy products. High demand for these products - such as the New Zealand wool boom of 1951 created sustained periods of economic prosperity. However, in 1973 the United Kingdom joined the European Community which effectively ended this particularly close economic relationship between the two countries. During the 1970s other factors such as the oil crises undermined the viability of the New Zealand economy; which for periods before 1973 had achieved levels of living standards exceeding both Australia and Western Europe. But these events led to a protracted and very severe economic crisis, during which living standards in New Zealand fell behind those of Australia and Western Europe, and by 1982 New Zealand was the lowest in per-capita income of all the developed nations surveyed by the World Bank.
  
  Since 1984, successive governments have engaged in major macroeconomic restructuring, transforming New Zealand from a highly protectionist and regulated economy to a liberalised free-trade economy. These changes are commonly known as Rogernomics and Ruthanasia after Finance Ministers Roger Douglas and Ruth Richardson. A recession began after the 1987 share market crash and caused unemployment to reach 10% in the early 1990s. However the economy recovered and New Zealand’s unemployment rate is now the second lowest of the twenty-seven OECD nations with comparable data (3.7%).
  
  The current government's economic objectives are centred on pursuing free-trade agreements and building a "knowledge economy". On April 7th 2008, New Zealand and China signed the New Zealand China Free Trade Agreement, the first such agreement China has signed with a developed country. Ongoing economic challenges for New Zealand include a current account deficit of 7.9% of GDP, slow development of non-commodity exports and tepid growth of labour productivity. New Zealand has experienced a series of "brain drains" since the 1970s, as well educated youth leaving permanently for Australia, Britain or the United States. "Kiwi lifestyle" and family/whanau factors motivates some of the expatriates to return, while career, culture, and economic factors tend to be predominantly 'push' components, keeping these people overseas. In recent years, however, a brain gain brought in educated professionals from poor countries, as well as Europe, as permanent settlers.
  
  Agriculture
  
  A Romney ewe with her two lambs.Agriculture has been and continues to be the main export industry in New Zealand. In the year to June 2007, dairy products accounted for 21% ($7.5 billion) of total merchandise exports, and the largest company of the country, Fonterra, a dairy cooperative, controls almost one-third of the international dairy trade. Other agricultural items were meat 13.2%, wood 6.3%, fruit 3.5% and fishing 3.3%. New Zealand also has a thriving wine industry.
  
  Livestock are rarely housed, but feeding of small quantities of supplements such as hay and silage can occur, particularly in winter. Grass growth is seasonal, largely dependent on location and climatic fluctuations but normally occurs for between 8-12 months of the year. Stock are grazed in paddocks, often with moveable electric fencing around the farm. Lambing and calving are carefully managed to take full advantage of spring grass growth.
  
  Demography
  
  New Zealand's historical population (black) and projected growth (red).New Zealand has a population of about 4.2 million,[iv] of which approximately 78% identify with European ethnic groups. New Zealanders of European descent are collectively known as Pākehā; this term generally refers to New Zealanders of European descent but some Māori use it to refer to all non-Māori New Zealanders. Most European New Zealanders are of British and Irish ancestry, although there has been significant Dutch, Dalmatian, Italian, and German immigration together with indirect European immigration through Australia, North America, South America and South Africa. According to the 2001 census projections, by 2021 European children will make up 63% of all New Zealand children, compared with 74% in 2001. The birthrate is very high for a developed country. The birthrate as of February 2008 was 2.2 per woman, compared to approximately 2 for the previous 30 years, with the total number of births higher than at any point since 1961. The life expectancy of a child born in 2008 was 81.9 years for a girl, and 77.9 years for a boy.
  
  Indigenous Māori people are the largest non-European ethnic group, accounting for 14.6% of the population in the 2006 census. While people could select more than one ethnic group, slightly more than half (53%) of all Māori residents identified solely as Māori. People identifying with Asian ethnic groups account for 9.2% of the population, increasing from 6.6% in the 2001 census, while 6.9% of people are of Pacific Island origin.
  
  While the demonym is New Zealander, New Zealanders informally call themselves Kiwi or Kiwis.
  
  New Zealand is also a predominantly urban country, with 72.2% of the population living in 16 main urban areas and more than half living in the four largest cities of Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.
  
  New Zealand immigration policy is relatively open; its government is committed to increasing its population by about 1% annually. In 2004–05, a target of 45,000 was set by the New Zealand immigration Service. Twenty three percent of the population was born overseas, one of the highest rates anywhere in the world. At present, immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland constitute the largest single group, accounting for 29% of those born overseas but immigrants are drawn from many nations, and increasingly from East Asia (mostly China, but with substantial numbers also from Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong).
  
  New Zealand religious beliefs
  
  Christianity   56%
  No religion   35%
  Others   5%
  
  According to the 2006 census, Christianity is the predominant religion in New Zealand, held by 55.6% of the population, a decrease from 60.6% at the 2001 census. Another 34.7% indicated that they had no religion, up from 29.6% in 2001, and 5% affiliated with other religions. The main Christian denominations are Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism, Presbyterianism and Methodism. There are also significant numbers who identify themselves with Pentecostal and Baptist churches and with the LDS (Mormon) church. The New Zealand-based Ratana church has adherents among Māori. According to census figures, other significant minority religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.
  
  Until 1987, English was New Zealand's only official language, and remains predominant in most settings; Māori became an official language under the 1987 Māori Language Act and New Zealand Sign Language under the 2006 New Zealand Sign Language Act. The two official languages are the most widely spoken; English by 98% of the population and Māori by 4.1%. Samoan is the most widely spoken non-official language (2.3%),[v] and French, Hindi, Yue and Northern Chinese are also widely spoken.
  
  New Zealand has an adult literacy rate of 99%, and 14.2% of the adult population has a bachelor's degree or higher. For 30.4% of the population, some form of secondary qualification is their highest, while 22.4% of New Zealanders have no formal qualification.
  
  Culture
  
  Overview
  Much of contemporary New Zealand culture is derived from British roots. It also includes significant influences from American, Australian and Māori cultures, along with those of other European cultures and – more recently – non-Māori Polynesian and Asian cultures. Large festivals in celebration of Diwali and Chinese New Year are held in several of the larger centres. The world's largest Polynesian festival, Pasifika, is an annual event in Auckland. Cultural links between New Zealand and the United Kingdom and Ireland are maintained by a common language, sustained migration from the United Kingdom and Ireland, and many young New Zealanders spending time in the United Kingdom/Ireland on their "overseas experience" (OE). The music and cuisine of New Zealand are similar to that of Britain and the United States, although both have some distinct New Zealand and Pacific qualities.
  
  Māori culture has undergone considerable change since the arrival of Europeans; in particular the introduction of Christianity in the early 19th century brought about fundamental change in everyday life. Nonetheless the perception that most Māori now live similar lifestyles to their Pākehā neighbours is a superficial one. In fact, Māori culture has significant differences, for instance the important role which the marae and the extended family continues to play in communal and family life. As in traditional times, karakia are habitually performed by Māori today to ensure the favorable outcome of important undertakings, but today the prayers used are generally Christian. Māori still regard their allegiance to tribal groups as a vital part of personal identity, and Māori kinship roles resemble those of other Polynesian peoples. As part of the resurgence of Māori culture that came to the fore in the late 20th century, the tradition-based arts of kapa haka (song and dance), carving and weaving are now more widely practiced, and the architecture of the marae maintains strong links to traditional forms. Māori also value their connections to Polynesia, as attested by the increasing popularity of waka ama (outrigger canoe racing), which is now an international sport involving teams from all over the Pacific.
  
  Te Reo Māori
  Use of the Māori language (Te Reo Māori) as a living, community language remained only in a few remote areas in the post-war years, but is currently undergoing a renaissance, thanks in part to Māori language immersion schools and two Māori Television channels. This is the only nationwide television channel to have the majority of its prime-time content delivered in Māori, primarily because only 4% of the population speak Te Reo Maori. However, partly in recognition of the importance of Māori culture to New Zealand, the language was declared one of New Zealand's official languages in 1987.
  
  Movies
  
  Although films have been made in New Zealand since the 1920s, it was only from the 1970s that New Zealand films began to be produced in significant numbers. Films such as Sleeping Dogs and Goodbye Pork Pie achieved local success and launched the careers of actors and directors including Sam Neill, Geoff Murphy and Roger Donaldson. In the early 1990s, New Zealand films such as Jane Campion's Academy Award-winning film The Piano, Lee Tamahori's Once Were Warriors and Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures began to garner international acclaim. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Jackson filmed The Lord of the Rings film trilogy in New Zealand, using a mostly New Zealand crew and many New Zealand actors in minor parts. Whale Rider, originally a novel by Witi Ihimaera, was produced in 2002 and received recognition from various festivals and awards. Many non-New Zealand productions, primarily from Hollywood but also from Bollywood, have been made in New Zealand.
  
  Media
  The New Zealand media industry is dominated by a small number of companies, most of which are foreign-owned.[iii] The Broadcasting Standards Authority and the New Zealand Press Council can investigate allegations of bias and inaccuracy in the broadcast and print media. This combined with New Zealand's libel laws means that the New Zealand news media is fairly tame by international standards, but also reasonably fair and impartial. New Zealand television is dominated by American and British programming, with a small number of Australian and New Zealand shows.
  
  Sports
  
  The All Blacks perform a haka before a match against France in 2006Sport has a major role in New Zealand's culture, with the unofficial national sport of rugby union being particularly influential. Other popular participatory sports include cricket, bowls, netball, soccer, golf , swimming and tennis. New Zealand has strong international teams in several sports including rugby union, netball, cricket, rugby league, and softball. New Zealand also does traditionally well in the sports of rowing, yachting and cycling. The country is internationally recognised for performing well on a medals-to-population ratio at Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games.
  
  Rugby union, which is commonly referred to as simply rugby in New Zealand, is closely linked to the country's national identity. The national rugby team, the All Blacks, have the best win to loss record of any national team, and are well known for the haka (a traditional Māori challenge) that they perform before the start of international matches. New Zealand is also well known for its extreme sports and adventure tourism. Its reputation in extreme sports extends from the establishment of the world's first commercial bungee jumping site at Queenstown in the South Island of New Zealand in November 1988; its roots in adventure tourism can be traced all the way back to Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
 

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