New Zealand
New Zealand(in English, New Zealand; in Maori, Aotearoa, "land of the great white cloud") is a country in Oceania, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and constituted as a parliamentary monarchy. It is made up of two large islands: the North Island and the South Island, along with a large number of smaller islands, including Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands. The Kingdom of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue (self-governing states in free association), the Tokelau archipelago and the Ross Antarctic Dependency. The capital of New Zealand is the city of Wellington, located on the North Island.
Notable for its geographic isolation, New Zealand lies about 2,000 kilometers southeast of Australia in the Tasman Sea, and its closest neighbors to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Due to this long isolation, an endemic fauna dominated by birds developed in the country, many of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and the mammals they introduced without any control. The majority of the New Zealand population is of European descent; indigenous Maori are the largest minority. Asians and Polynesians are also significant minorities, especially in urban areas. Although it has three official languages, the most widely spoken, by far, is English.
Charles III, as King of New Zealand, is the country's head of state and is represented by a Governor-General, while executive power is exercised by the Cabinet and the Prime Minister. Its cities are among those with the best quality of life in the world. New Zealand is a developed country that ranks high in international rankings on many issues, including the absence of corruption, the level of education and also stands out in its human development index, which ranks it in thirteenth place in the world. world in 2016, and its democracy indices, which place it in the vast majority of important publications and studies as one of the freest countries and with the greatest respect for civil rights in the world.
Etymology
Māori refer to the North Island as Te Ika-a-Māui (the fish of Maui) and to the South Island as Te wai pounamu (the waters of green stone) or Te Waka o Aoraki (Aoraki's canoe). Until the early 20th century, the North Island was also known as Aotearoa (colloquially translated as 'land of the great white cloud'); in modern Maori, this name refers to the entire country. Aotearoa is also used in this sense in New Zealand English, where it can be used on its own or combined with the English name, Aotearoa New Zealand.
The first European name for New Zealand was Staaten Land, given by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who, in 1642, became the first European to see the islands. Tasman assumed that it was part of the "southern continent" discovered by Jacob Le Maire in 1615, off the southern tip of South America. This had also been named Staten Landt, meaning "land of the (Dutch) States-General".
The name New Zealand originated with Dutch cartographers, who called these islands Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland.). It is unclear exactly who coined the term "New Zealand", but it first appeared in 1645 and may have been chosen by cartographer Joan Blaeu. In Spanish, the names "Nueva Zelanda" (used in Spain and Mexico) and "New Zealand" (most used in most of Latin America) have the same validity.
History
Polynesian Settlements
New Zealand was one of the latest populated territories. The earliest known settlers were Polynesians who, according to most researchers, arrived by canoe between 1250 and 1300. Some researchers suggest that in AD 150. C. there was another wave of immigrants; years later these inhabitants died or left the islands. Over the following centuries, Polynesian immigrants created a distinct culture, now known as Maori. The population was divided into iwi (tribes) and hapu (sub-tribes) who cooperated, competed, and sometimes fought among themselves. At some point, a group of Maori migrated to the Chatham Islands, where they developed a distinct culture, the Moriori.
European Explorers
It is possible that the Spanish sailor Francisco de Hoces, aboard the Spanish caravel San Lesmes, reached the New Zealand coast in 1526, although there is no conclusive evidence of the fact. Another supposed sighting of New Zealand corresponds to the trip commanded by Juan Fernández and, probably, Juan Jufré in 1576, whose ships, leaving from Peru, arrived at a mountainous land located at 40°S. Later, it would be stepped on by the Dutchman Abel Tasman and his crew in 1642. Māori killed four of the crew, and no Europeans returned to New Zealand until the first voyage of the English explorer James Cook. In 1769, Cook reached New Zealand and explored most of the coastline. After Cook, the New Zealand territory was visited by numerous hunters of whales and seals and commercial ships from Europe and the United States. There they traded European food and goods, especially metals, tools, and weapons, for Maori wood, food, artifacts, water, and sometimes sex.
The introduction of the potato and the musket transformed agriculture and battles, beginning in the north and spreading south. The potato was especially well suited to the country's cold climate and high altitude, providing a reliable food source, allowing for longer durations of increasingly aggressive military campaigns. As a result, the Musket Wars spanned more than 600 battles between 1801 and 1840, killing between 30,000 and 40,000 Maori. However, diseases introduced by colonizers played an even greater role in the decline of the Maori population, which fell by nearly 40% over the XIX. From the beginning of the same century, Christian missionaries began to arrive in New Zealand, eventually converting most of the Maori population, although their initial advances were mainly among the more disaffected members of society.
Treaty of Waitangi
Due to the lawless nature of European settlement and growing French interest in the territory, in 1832 the British government sent James Busby as British representative to New Zealand. Busby was unable to bring law and order to the colony European Union, but he was able to oversee the introduction of the first national flag on March 20, 1834. In October 1835, following an announcement preventing French sovereignty, the short-lived nation of the United Tribes of New Zealand sent the Declaration of independence of New Zealand to King William IV of the United Kingdom, asking for his protection.
Continuing riots and legal action over the Declaration of Independence led the Colonial Office to send Captain William Hobson to New Zealand to claim sovereignty from the British Crown and negotiate a treaty with the Maori. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in the Bay of Islands on February 6, 1840. Although the wording was hasty, and confusion and disagreement still surround its translation, the treaty is generally recognized as one of the founding documents of the country. and is regarded by Maori as a guarantee of their rights. In response to the New Zealand Company's attempt to establish an independent settlement in Wellington and the "purchase" of land in Akaroa by French settlers, Hobson stated British sovereignty over the whole of New Zealand on 21 May 1840, although some copies of the Treaty were still in circulation. With the signing of the Treaty and the declaration of sovereignty, the number of immigrants, especially those from the Kingdom Kingdom, began to increase.
First governments
Under the British Mandate, New Zealand was originally part of the colony of New South Wales, but in 1841 it became a separate colony. In 1840, Hobson selected Okiato as the capital, but a year later he had to move the seat of government to Auckland. Initially, the Maori were eager to trade with the colonists and many iwi became wealthy. In the 1860s and 1870s, increasing numbers of immigrants and conflicts over land led to the New Zealand Land War, which ended in the loss and confiscation of much Maori property.
In 1852, a representative government was created for the colony, after the United Kingdom passed the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852. In 1854, New Zealand's first parliament met, and by 1856 the colony was it became effectively autonomous with the creation of a government responsible for all national affairs other than local law. Control over native policy passed to the colonial government until the mid-1860s.
In 1863, Alfred Domett made a proposal to move the capital to a town on Cook Strait, apparently out of fear that the South Island might form a separate colony. Several commissioners from Australia (elected because of its neutral status) felt that Wellington was the right city because of its port and central location, and in 1865, parliament officially met for the first time there. In 1893, the The country became the first nation in the world to grant all women the right to vote.
20th and 21st centuries
In 1907, New Zealand declared itself a dominion within the British Empire, and in 1947, it adopted the Westminster Charter, which made it a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, although in practice, the The UK had long since ceased to play an important role in New Zealand's government. As the country became more politically independent, its economic dependence grew; in the 1890s, refrigerated shipping enabled the export of meat and dairy products to the United Kingdom, a trade that provided the basis for New Zealand's economic growth.
When it was a member of the British Empire, New Zealand soldiers fought alongside it in the Boer War, World War I and World War II. The country largely followed the trends of the world economy and suffered as others in the Great Depression of the 1930s. The economic crisis led to the election of a government led by the Labor Party, which established an extensive welfare state and a protectionist economy.
In this way, the economy experienced increasing prosperity after World War II. However, some social problems were developing, most notably the fact that the Maori began to leave their typical rural life to move to the cities in looking for work. A Maori protest movement developed, which criticized Eurocentrism and worked for greater recognition of Maori culture and the Treaty of Waitangi, which they felt had not been fully complied with. In 1975, a Waitangi Tribunal to investigate claims of Treaty violations, and in 1985 was still active to investigate various historical grievances. As in other developed countries, social evolution accelerated in the 1970s and social and political mores changed.
The United Kingdom's accession to the European Economic Community in 1973 drastically reduced New Zealand's exports to what was once its largest market. This and the 1973 oil crisis brought about major economic and social changes during the 1980s, all this under the fourth term of the Labor government, led by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Roger Douglas. He introduced a series of measures to transform the economy, commonly called Rogernomics, which began in 1984.
The new economic policies led to the liberalization of the New Zealand economy, which averted an economic crisis and led the country to maintain diplomatic relations with more states, notably Australia and the United States, as well as participating in several armed conflicts around the world. At the beginning of the XXI century, it remains one of the countries with the best quality of life, according to the UN; although immigration, social inequality and other phenomena such as brain drain, are some of the problems that still prevail in the country.
Government and politics
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New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. King Charles III is the current head of state and holds the title of King of New Zealand under the Royal Titles Act 1974. The functions and The king's powers are limited by the constitution. Although New Zealand lacks a written constitution, the Constitution Act 1986 is the main formal statement of New Zealand's "constitutional" structure. The monarch is represented by the governor General, who is appointed by him on the sole advice of the Prime Minister. The current Governor General is Cindy Kiro.
The Governor-General may exercise royal prerogative powers (for example, review cases of "injustice" and make appointments of cabinet ministers, ambassadors, and other key public officials) and, on rare occasions, the powers of the reserve (the power to remove a prime minister, dissolve parliament, or refuse royal assent to a bill). The Governor-General also chairs, but is not a member of, the Executive Council, an official commission made up of all Crown ministers who advise the Governor-General. The king and the governor-general cannot normally exercise any power without the advice of the cabinet, except in circumstances where there is no cabinet or the cabinet has lost the confidence of parliament.
New Zealand's Parliament is the representative of the legislative branch and consists of the Sovereign (represented by the Governor-General) and the House of Representatives. Since 1950, Parliament has had a single chamber; previously there was also an Upper House, known as the Legislative Council. The supremacy of the House of Representatives over the sovereign was established in England by the Bill of Rights of 1689, which was ratified as law in New Zealand. Representatives is democratically elected and this forms a government of the party or coalition that holds the majority of the seats. If there is no majority, a minority government can be formed if the support of other parties is obtained through votes of confidence. The Governor-General appoints the Crown Ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister who is, by convention, the leader of the ruling party or coalition, i.e. with the majority in parliament. The Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister, it is the highest policy-making body and consists of a majority of the Crown ministers.
Almost all general parliamentary elections between 1853 and 1996 were held by direct suffrage. The only non-direct election was in 1908, when a run-off system was used. Since 1930, elections have been dominated by two political parties, the National Party and the Labor Party. Criticism of the direct suffrage system began in the 1950s and intensified after the Labor Party lost the 1978 and 1981 elections, despite having more votes than the National Party. In 1992, a consultative referendum was held to change the voting system, which led to a binding referendum during the 1993 elections. A form of proportional representation, called mixed proportional representation, was chosen and continues to till the date. Under this system, each person is entitled to two votes, one to decide the 65 electoral seats (including seven reserved for Maori) through direct suffrage, and the other to choose a political party. The remaining 55 seats are allocated for representation in parliament to reflect the results of the second vote. A party has to win 5% of the total vote to be eligible to hold one of the 120 seats in parliament.
Once New Zealand became a crown colony, it was no longer under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, whose authority in the country ended on 22 December 1841. The first justice of the New Zealand judiciary was appointed three weeks later. The judiciary is made up of judges and judicial officials who are appointed under strict rules regarding their exercise and not politically, in order to maintain the constitutional independence of the government. This theoretically allows interpreting the law based on the policies approved by Parliament with no further influence over its decision. Until 2004, the UK Privy Council in London was the final court of appeal, but it was abolished and replaced by the New Zealand Supreme Court, which is now the highest court in the country. The judiciary also includes the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the lower courts. The head of the judiciary is the Chief Justice, currently held by Sian Elias. Between March 2005 and August 2006, 112 years later After becoming the first country to grant women the right to vote, New Zealand was the only country in the world in which all the highest government offices were held simultaneously by women: Elizabeth II (Queen), Silvia Cartwright (Governor General), Helen Clark (Prime Minister), Margaret Wilson (Speaker of the House of Representatives) and Sian Elias (Chief Justice).
Foreign Relations
During colonial times, the British government was allowed to determine foreign trade policies and other foreign policy matters. At the Imperial Conferences of 1923 and 1926, New Zealand was given the freedom to negotiate its own international treaties, the first being with Japan in 1928. Despite this independence, New Zealand quickly followed the United Kingdom in declaring war on Germany on September 3, 1939. In this declaration, Prime Minister Michael Savage proclaimed, "where she goes, we go; where she is, we are."
New Zealanders fought and died in both world wars, with notable performances in the battles of Gallipoli, Crete, El Alamein, and Monte Cassino. In Gallipoli, 2,721 New Zealanders lost their lives in more than nine months of fighting. The campaign played an important role in fostering a national identity and strengthened the ANZAC tradition between New Zealand and Australia. The New Zealand Army also played a key role in the Battle of the River Plate and the Battle of Britain. During the Pacific War of World War II, the United States had over 400,000 military personnel stationed in New Zealand..
In 1951, New Zealand joined Australia and the United States in the ANZUS Security Treaty, and later fought alongside the US military in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. By contrast, the United Kingdom became increasingly focused on its European interests after the Suez Crisis, and New Zealand was forced to expand into new markets after the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community in 1973. However, also the influence of the United States in the country weakened, after protests during the Vietnam War, the failure of the United States to reprimand France after the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, disagreements over environmental policies and agricultural trade, and the adoption of an anti-nuclear policy.
In February 1985, the country denied entry to the U.S. Buchanan to its waters, due to the implementation of a new policy against nuclear energy and the prohibition of access to its ports to ships with nuclear weapons. In response, the United States announced that it would suspend its contractual obligations to unless port access is restored. However, New Zealand strengthened its anti-nuclear stance by passing the New Zealand Nuclear Power Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act 1987, becoming the first Western state to enact such a law. In 2010, both countries they began a new strategic partnership with the signing of the Wellington Declaration. According to the prime minister, the declaration was not a return to a security treaty like ANZUS, despite reports of an increase in military cooperation since 2007.
New Zealand works closely with Australia, whose foreign policy has followed a similar historical trend. These ties stem from their geographic proximity, relative isolation from the rest of the world, and strong cultural similarities. The Gallipoli campaign cemented this relationship, creating the so-called "ANZAC spirit". The two maintain close political contact and the Closer Economic Relations trade treaty allows for free trade between the two. The Trans-Tasman Travel Agreement of 1973, provides citizens with the freedom to visit, live, and work in both countries without restrictions. Currently more than 500,000 New Zealanders live in Australia, while 65,000 Australians live in New Zealand. Despite the fact that the United States no longer recognizes its obligations under ANZUS, the treaty is still in force between Australia and New Zealand. In 2009, there were plans to create "domestic flights" between New Zealand and Australia, but these have been discontinued. since the change of power in the Australian government.
New Zealand has a strong presence among the Pacific island countries. Much of New Zealand's international aid goes to the islands, so many New Zealanders migrate to New Zealand in search of employment. The nation participates in the Pacific Islands Forum, the Forum for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Pacific and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (including the East Asia Summit). New Zealand is also a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Economic Development and signed the Five Power Defense Agreement. New Zealand also has a number of free trade agreements, one of the most important being with China (the first developed country free trade agreement with China).
Armed Forces
The New Zealand Defense Force is made up of three branches: the New Zealand Army, the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The government currently considers its national defense needs to be modest, and in 2001 they dismantled their air combat facilities. Aside from both world wars, the Vietnam and Korean wars, the New Zealand defense forces fought in the Second Boer War, the Malayan Emergency, the Gulf and the Afghan War. In addition, in recent times it has also contributed to other peacekeeping missions, such as those in Cyprus, Somalia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sinai, Angola, Cambodia, the Iran/Iraq border, Bougainville, East Timor, and the Solomon Islands. It also sent a unit of army engineers to help rebuild the Iraqi infrastructure for a year. New Zealand forces are still active in Afghanistan.
Territorial organization
The first European settlers divided the territory into provinces, which had a certain degree of autonomy. These were abolished in 1876 and the government was centralized. Many provinces were under financial pressure, due to problems over land ownership and an inefficient system of tax collection, as well as the central government wanting to consolidate railways, education, and other divergent policies. As a result, New Zealand was not made up of subnational entities, such as provinces, states or territories. However, the legacy of provincial division continues in the competitive rivalries displayed at sporting and cultural events. From 1876, New Zealand's various regions were administered by municipal government.
In 1989, local government was decentralized to give it the current two-tier structure: regional councils and territorial authorities. The Resource Management Law of 1991 replaced the City and Country Planning Law as the main legislation planning for municipal governments. The role of regional councils is to regulate "the natural environment with special attention to resource management". Territorial authorities are responsible for sewage, drinking water, local roads, building permits and other local affairs. Most of its revenue comes from property taxes and represents less than 2% of the national gross domestic product (GDP).
The 249 municipalities that existed in 1975 were reorganized into 73 territorial authorities within 11 regional councils. Five of the territorial authorities (two cities and three districts) are unitary authorities, which also act as regional councils. Territorial authorities consist of 16 local councils, 57 district councils and the Chatham Islands council. While officially the Chatham Islands Council is not a unitary authority, it is responsible for many of the functions characteristic of this type of division. Auckland Region has by far the largest population, estimated at 1,459,700, and since 2001, it is the region with the fastest demographic growth.
Being part of a monarchy makes New Zealand a "kingdom", being one of 16 kingdoms that exist within the Commonwealth of Nations. The Kingdom of New Zealand consists of New Zealand, Tokelau, Ross Dependency, the Cook Islands and Niue. The Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing states in free association with New Zealand. The New Zealand parliament cannot enact laws effective for the entire kingdom, but with the consent of the other constituent countries, it can act on their behalf in foreign and defense affairs. Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory that uses the New Zealand anthem and flag, but is administered by a council of three elders (one for each atoll-country). New Zealand operates Scott Base on the Antarctic territory it claims, the Ross Unit.
| Regional Council | Capital | Area (km2) | Population(2) | ISO Code |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northland | Whangarei | 13 941 | 152 700 | NZ-NTL | |
| 2 | Auckland | Auckland | 6059 | 1 371 000 | NZ-AUK | |
| 3 | Waikato | Hamilton | 25 598 | 395 100 | NZ-WKO | |
| 4 | Bay of Plenty | Tauranga | 12 447 | 265 300 | NZ-BOP | |
| 5 | Gisborne (East Cape) (1) | Gisborne | 8351 | 46 000 | NZ-GIS | |
| 6 | Hawke's Bay | Napier | 14 164 | 152 100 | NZ-HKB | |
| 7 | Taranaki | New Plymouth | 7273 | 107 300 | NZ-TKI | |
| 8 | Manawatu-Wanganui | Palmerston North | 22 215 | 229 400 | NZ-MWT | |
| 9 | Wellington | Wellington | 8124 | 466 300 | NZ-WGN | |
| 10 | Tasman (1) | Richmond | 9786 | 45 800 | NZ-TAS | |
| 11 | Nelson (1) | Nelson | 445 | 44.300 | NZ-NSN | |
| 12 | Marlborough (1) | Blenheim | 12 484 | 43 600 | NZ-MBH | |
| 13 | West Coast | Greymouth | 23 000 | 32 100 | NZ-WTC | |
| 14 | Canterbury | Christchurch | 45 845 | 540 000 | NZ-CAN | |
| 15 | Otago | Dunedin | 31 476 | 199 800 | NZ-OTA | |
| 16 | Southland | Invercargill | 30 753 | 93 200 | NZ-STL | |
(1) These regions are “unitary authorities”. | ||||||
Geography
New Zealand is made up of two main islands, the North and South Islands (Te Ika un Maui and Te wai pounamu in Maori and respectively), as well as a number of smaller islands. The islands lie between latitudes 29° and 53° S and longitudes 165° and 176° E. The two main islands are separated by the Cook Strait, which is 22 km wide at its narrowest point. The area The country's total area is 268,838 km², it is slightly smaller than Italy or Japan and slightly larger than the United Kingdom.
The country is long (more than 1,600 km on its north-northeast axis) and narrow (with a maximum width of 400 km), with 15,134 km of coastline. After the North and South Islands, the The five largest inhabited islands are Stewart Island, the Chatham (Rekohu) Islands, Great Barrier Island (in the Hauraki Gulf), D'Urville Island (in the Marlborough Strait) and Waiheke Island (the largest populated out of five). The country has extensive marine resources, with the seventh largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering more than 4,000,000 km², which translates to more than fifteen times its land area.
The South Island is New Zealand's largest landmass and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps. Within this range are 18 peaks over 3,000 m a.s.l. no. m., the highest of which is Mount Cook, with 3754 m s. no. m. The higher parts of the South Island are covered by forests, protected by several national parks such as Abel Tasman and Kahurangi. Fiordland, in the southwest corner of the South Island, is an area of high mountains cut by steep fjords. The North Island is less mountainous, but marked by volcanism. The Taupo Volcanic Zone, a large volcanic plateau, is still very active. The highest mountain in the North Island, Mount Ruapehu (2,797 m asl), and the country's largest lake, Lake Taupo, lie on this plateau. The north of the island is an area flatter, which before the arrival of the Europeans was covered by kauri trees.
The country owes its varied topography, and perhaps its appearance above the waves, to the dynamic boundary between the Pacific and Indo-Australian plates. New Zealand is part of Zealandia, a continent nearly half the size of the the size of Australia, which gradually submerged after breaking away from the supercontinent Gondwana. Approximately 25 million years ago, a change in tectonic plate movements began a process of uplifting and compressing the land. Now this process is most evident in the Southern Alps, formed by compression of the Earth's crust right next to the Alpine fault. Elsewhere, plate boundaries involve subduction of one plate under another, creating several trenches, including the Puysegur Trench to the south, the Hikurangi Trench to the east, and the Kermadec and Tonga Trenches further north..
Climate
New Zealand's latitude, between parallels 34° and 47° S, closely corresponds to that of Italy in the Northern Hemisphere. However, its isolation from continental influences and exposure to cold southerly winds and ocean currents give the climate a more temperate character. The climate throughout the country is temperate, mainly oceanic, with mean annual temperatures ranging from from 10 °C in the south, to 16 °C in the north. Record high and low temperatures are 42.4 °C in Canterbury and -21.6 °C in Ophir, Otago.
Climate conditions vary considerably between regions: from extremely humid on the West Coast, to nearly semi-arid in the Canterbury hinterland, and subtropical in the Northland. Of the seven major cities, Christchurch is the driest, receiving on average only 640 mm of rain per year; Auckland, the wettest, receives almost twice that amount. Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch receive an annual average of 2,000 hours of sunshine. The south and south-west of the South Island have a cooler climate, with around 1,400 to 1,600 hours of sunlight; the north and north-east of the South Island are the sunniest areas of the country, receiving approximately 2,400 to 2,500 hours of sunshine.
Flora and fauna
The 100-million-year-old geographic isolation and biogeography of the islands are responsible for the country's unique variety of plant and animal species, which either evolved from the Gondwanan wildlife or made their way to the islands. shorelines flying, swimming or washed by the ocean. About 82% of New Zealand's native vascular plants are endemic, encompassing 1,944 species in 65 genera of a single family. The two main forest types are those dominated by podocarps and /or kauris, with southern beeches being the most important in cooler climates. The remaining vegetation types consist of grasses, most of which are shrubs.
Before the arrival of humans, approximately 80% of the earth was covered by forests, as only high, barren, volcanic areas were treeless. Forests were dominated by birds and the absence of Mammalian predators caused some species such as the kiwi, kakapo, and takahe to evolve without the ability to fly. The arrival of humans and the introduction of rats, ferrets, and other mammals led to the extinction of several bird species, including large birds such as the moa and Haast's eagle.
Other native animals include various reptiles (skinks, geckos, and the living fossil tuatara), frogs, spiders (katipo), insects (such as the weta), and snails. The only record of native New Zealand terrestrial mammals were three species of bats (one extinct), until 2006, when the bones of an endemic mammal, the size of a mouse, were discovered. However, marine mammals are abundant, since in the country's waters there are specimens of almost the half of the species of cetaceans and sea lions.
Since the arrival of humans, an estimated fifty-one species of birds, three frogs, three lizards, one freshwater fish, four plants, one bat, and several invertebrate species have become extinct; many others are endangered or their habitat has been severely reduced. New Zealand pioneered the use of island ecological restoration as a means of protecting these endangered wildlife species, in addition to about 220 offshore islands. more than 5 hectares were designated as sanctuaries in 2009.
A government report published in 2019 indicates that nearly 4,000 species in New Zealand are threatened with extinction. According to the Forest and Bird environmental association, these catastrophic results are due to "decades of procrastination and denial."
Environment
Greenhouse gas emission patterns are similar to those in Scandinavian countries, thanks to proper land use and reforestation. Most of the 11.9 million hectares of agricultural land, representing about 44% of the country's total land area, were cleared. Early attempts to lessen the effects of deforestation, such as the Forestry Rights Registration Act of 1983, which created "forestry rights", they were only moderately successful. However, they created world-class standards in data collection and property rights, which led to the first amendment to the forest law of 1949, made in 1993, which would later serve as based on the climate change response law of 2002. Reforestation was seen as the main tool to meet the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol. Consequently, programs were implemented for the redu ction of emissions caused by deforestation and forest degradation and the use of carbon credits for emission rights trading was established. Because the government was the first to have access to carbon credits, when began to be managed, there was an increase in deforestation. When the private initiative had access to emission rights trading, the program finally began to reduce deforestation levels.
Economy
New Zealand has a modern, prosperous and developed market economy, with an estimated GDP (PPP) per capita between USD 27,420 and USD 29,352. The New Zealand dollar, known as the Kiwi dollar, is the national currency. It also circulates in the Cook Islands (along with the Cook Islands dollar), Niue, Tokelau and the Pitcairn Islands. New Zealand has a relatively high standard of living, comparable to Northern Europe. It ranked fourth in the 2011 Index of Economic Freedom published by The Heritage Foundation. In 2010, Auckland and Wellington ranked 4th and 12th on Mercer's list of cities with the best quality of life.
Historically, New Zealand's strong relationship with the United Kingdom and high demand for agricultural products helped people achieve better living standards than Australia or Western Europe in the 1950s and 1970s. In 1973, New Zealand's export market shrank when the United Kingdom joined the European Community, coupled with other factors, such as the 1973 oil crisis and the 1979 energy crisis, leading to a severe economic depression. Levels Quality of life in New Zealand fell behind that of Australia and Western Europe, and in 1982, New Zealand had the lowest per capita income of any developed nation described by the World Bank. Since 1984, governments committed to a major restructuring in the economy (known first as Rogernomics and then Ruthanasia), quickly transformed New Zealand from a highly protectionist economy to a free economy. beralized open to free trade.
After the 1987 stock market crash, unemployment (which had peaked at 10%) gradually declined until 2007, when it hit a record low of 3.4% (the fifth lowest among the 27 OECD nations). However, the ensuing global crisis had a major impact and for five consecutive quarters GDP contracted, leading to the longest recession in over thirty years. Since the 1970s, New Zealand has experienced a series of "brain drain" that continues today: almost a quarter of highly skilled workers live abroad, the majority in Australia and the UK, the highest percentage for a developed country. These New Zealanders chose to live and work abroad primarily because of career, cultural and economic factors, although some eventually return for family and lifestyle reasons. In recent years, efforts have been made to erzos to attract professionals from Europe and other less developed countries.
New Zealand relies heavily on free trade, especially in agricultural products. Exports represent a relatively high percentage of its production, which makes it vulnerable to international commodity prices and global recessions. Its main export products come from agriculture, horticulture, fishing and forestry, which make up about half of the country's exports. Its main trading partners are Australia, the United States, Japan, China, and the United Kingdom. On April 7, 2008, New Zealand and China signed a free trade agreement, the first agreement China has signed with a developed country. No However, the service sector is the most important sector in the economy, followed by industry, construction, agriculture and the extraction of raw materials. Tourism also plays an important role in the New Zealand economy; in 2010 it contributed 15,000 million dollars to the total GDP of the country, in addition to employing 9.6% of the active population. That same year, international tourists increased by 3.1%, and it is expected that the number will increase at a rate of 2.5% every year until 2015.
Farming and animal husbandry have been and continue to be the main economic activities in New Zealand. Wool was the country's main export product, accounting for more than a third of all export earnings; but since the 1960s, its price has steadily declined and wool is no longer a profitable commodity for many farmers. By contrast, sales of dairy products increased and the number of dairy cows doubled between 1990 and 2007, to become one of the most important sources of income for the country. In 2009, dairy products accounted for 21% (9.1 billion dollars) of total export products, and the largest company in the country, Fonterra controls almost a third of the international trade in dairy products. The same year, meat accounted for 13.2% of exports, wool 6.3%, fruit 3.5% and fishing the 3.3% Most farm animals are pasture-fed (hay and, in times of scarcity, silage), and cows and sheep are rarely kept indoors or fed large amounts of grain. Pigs are typically kept indoors in barns and stables. The New Zealand wine industry has followed a similar trend to dairy, with the number of vineyards doubling over the same period, outpacing wool exports briefly in 2007.
During the 1970s, the government offered a series of subsidies to help farmers and farmers, and by 1980 these subsidies were providing 40% of some farmers' income. In 1984, the Labor government ended all farm subsidies, and by 1990 farming became the least organized sector of the economy. To compete with the heavily subsidized European and American markets, farmers increased the efficiency of their operations.
Infrastructure
Transportation
New Zealand's transport network consists of 93,906 km of roads, including 199 km of motorways, with an estimated value of US$23 billion. Most major cities and towns are linked by bus services, although private automobiles are the predominant mode of transportation. In 1993, the railways were privatized, but eventually reverted to a state-owned enterprise. Railways run the length of the country, although most lines carry freight. instead of passengers.
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Most international visitors arrive by air, thanks to the seven international airports that exist. However, of these seven, only Auckland and Christchurch have direct flights to countries other than Australia or Fiji.
Telecommunications
Radio and television began broadcasting in 1922 and 1960, respectively. Deregulation in the 1980s saw a surge in the number of radio and television stations. New Zealand television broadcasts programming on its mostly of American and British origin, along with a large number of Australian and local entertainment programmes. New Zealand's media industry is dominated by a small number of companies, most of which are foreign, despite state ownership of some radio and television stations. Between 2003 and 2008, Reporters Without Borders placed New Zealand among the twenty nations with the greatest freedom of the press.
The New Zealand Post Office had a monopoly on telecommunications in the country until 1987, when Telecom New Zealand was created, initially as a state-owned company and then privatized in 1990. Chorus, which was spun off from Telecom (now Spark) in 2011, still owns most of the telecommunications infrastructure, but competition from other providers has increased. Large-scale deployment of gigabit-capable fiber optics, called ultra-fast broadband, began in 2009 with the goal of having it available to 87% of the population by 2022. In 2017, the United Nations International Telecommunication Union ranked New Zealand 13th in terms of information and communications infrastructure development.
Energy
In 2015, renewables generated 40.1% of New Zealand's gross energy supply. Most of the country's electricity supply is generated from hydroelectric power, with large projects on the Waikato Rivers, Waitaki and Clutha/Mata-Au, as well as in Manapouri. Geothermal energy is also a major generator of electricity, with several large power plants located in the Taupō volcanic area on the North Island. The top five companies in the generation and retail market are Contact Energy, Genesis Energy, Mercury Energy, Meridian Energy and TrustPower. State-owned Transpower manages the high-voltage transmission networks on the North and South islands, as well as the inter-island HVDC link that connects them.
Water supply and sanitation are generally of good quality. Regional authorities provide water collection, treatment and distribution infrastructure to most developed areas.
Demographics
Ethnicity and Immigration
The population of New Zealand is approximately 4.40 million. In the 2006 population census, 67.6% of respondents ethnically identified as European and 14.6% as Maori. Other Major ethnic groups include Asians (9.2%) and Pacific Peoples (6.9%), while 11.1% self-identified simply as "New Zealander" (or similar) and the remaining 1% identified with other ethnicities. This is in contrast to figures from 1961, when the census reported that New Zealand's population consisted of 92% European and only 7% Maori, with Asian and Pacific minorities sharing the spotlight. 1% surplus. Although the name for a New Zealand citizen is New Zealander, the informal term "kiwi" is commonly used by both foreigners and locals. The term "pakeha" often refers to New Zealanders of European ancestry, although some reject this designation of origin, ad In addition to the fact that some Maori use it to refer to all New Zealanders who are not descended from Maori or some other Polynesian people.
Most New Zealanders of European origin are of British and Irish ancestry, although there are significant populations of Dutch, Dalmatian, Italian, and German origin, along with European immigrants who traveled across North America, South America, Australia, and South Africa. New Zealand is a predominantly urban country, with 72% of the population living in one of the 16 major urban areas, and 53% living in one of the four largest cities: Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Hamilton. life expectancy of a person born in 2008 was 82.4 years for a girl and 78.4 years for a boy. Life expectancy is projected to increase to 85 years in 2050, and infant mortality is expected to decrease. Estimates indicate that for that same year, the population will reach 5.3 million, the average age will rise from 36 years to 43 years and the percentage of people older than 60 years will increase from 18% to 29%.
Maori were the first immigrants to arrive in New Zealand, followed by the first European settlers. The next settlers came largely from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, due to restrictive policies similar to those imposed in Australia. In the aftermath of the Great Depression and World War II, these policies were relaxed and immigration increased. Between 2008 and 2009, the New Zealand Immigration Service determined the fate of more than 45,000 migrants. 23% of New Zealanders were born abroad, the majority of whom live in the Auckland region. coming from the United Kingdom and Ireland (29%), immigration from East Asia (mostly from mainland China, but with significant numbers from South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong) is increasing more rapidly. The number of exchange students also increased considerably in the 1990s, and by 2002, there were more than 20,000 students from abroad in public higher education institutions.
Languages
Until 1987, English was the sole official language of New Zealand, although it remains the predominant language in most regions today; Maori became an official language under the Maori Language Act 1987, while New Zealand Sign Language became an official language under the New Zealand Sign Language Act of 2006. The two official languages spoken are also the most used; English is spoken by 95.9% of the population and Maori by 4.1%. Samoan is the most widely spoken non-official language (2.3%), followed by French, Hindi, Cantonese Chinese and Mandarin.
Education
Primary and secondary school is compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 16, although most attend from the age of five. There are 13 years of compulsory school and attendance at public schools is free. New Zealand has an adult literacy rate of 99%, and more than half of the population aged 15-29 are in some form of higher education. Schooling among the adult population is diverse: 14.2% have a bachelor's degree, 30.4% have a high school diploma, and 22.4% do not have a well-established schooling.
Religion
According to the 2007 census, Christianity is the predominant religion in New Zealand, practiced by 55.65% of the population; 34.7% of respondents said they did not practice any religion (up from 29.6% in 2001) and around 4% were associated with other religions. Major Christian denominations are Anglicanism, Catholicism, Presbyterianism and Methodism. There is also a significant number of adherents to the Pentecostal, Baptist and Mormon churches. The New Zealand-based Ratana church has a strong following among Maori. According to census figures, other religions that comprise a significant minority are Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
Main Cities
Culture
The early Maori developed their own distinctive culture, based on Polynesian culture. Social organization was largely communal with families (whanau), sub-tribes (hapu) and tribes (iwi) ruled by a chief (rangatira), whose position was subject to the approval of the communities. British and Irish immigrants brought aspects of their own culture to New Zealand and also influenced Maori culture, especially with the introduction of Christianity. However, Māori still regard their allegiance to tribal groups as a vital part of their identity, and kinship roles within Māori families are similar to those of other Polynesian peoples. the cultures of the United States, Australia, Asia and other European countries have exerted some influence in New Zealand.
In colonial times, largely rural life led to the stereotype of New Zealanders who were hardy, quick-witted ("Kiwi wit") and too modest in character. At the time, New Zealand was not known as a "country intellectual" and the phenomenon known as "high exposure syndrome", where high achievers are criticized more severely than their less successful peers, was very evident. In the 1960s, better access to higher education and the growth of cities began the dominance of urban culture. Despite the majority of the population already living in cities, much of New Zealand's art, literature, film and humor is themed. rural.
Maori culture was suppressed during the British attempt to assimilate Maori. After World War II, use of the Maori language (tereo Maori) was discouraged in schools and workplaces, reducing knowledge of the language to only a few communities in some remote areas. It has recently undergone a process of revitalization, and in 1987 it was granted official language status. There are now schools to learn the language and two Maori Television channels, the only ones nationwide to broadcast the majority of their prime time content in Maori.
Plastic arts
As part of the revival of Maori culture, traditional crafts such as woodcarving and weaving have spread, and Maori artists are increasing in number and influence. Early paintings and photographs of New Zealand were dominated by landscapes. The earliest forms of architecture consisted of carved wooden meeting houses (marae) decorated with symbolic carvings and engravings. These buildings were highly diverse and originally designed to constantly rebuild, change, and adapt to different forms and needs. Before the 21st century, New Zealand fashion had a reputation for being "casual, practical and mediocre". Since then, the fashion industry has grown significantly, with over fifty brands being established and exports doubling in just ten years, during which time, some brands gained international recognition.
Literature
Māori quickly embraced writing as a medium for the exchange of ideas, and many of their poems and oral traditions have been preserved in written form. Most New Zealand literature was very similar to that of the United Kingdom, and it was not until the 1950s, with the increasing number of bookstores and publishing houses, that New Zealand literature became widely known. Modern New Zealand music has been influenced by genres such as hip hop, rock and roll, country, blues and jazz, all of which have mixed with the folk music of New Zealand and Polynesia. Immigrants also brought their own folk music to the country, such as the Scottish pipe bands, one of early foreign musical influences. Today, there are some artists performing songs in Maori, which brought about a revival of the Maori tradition of hapa haka (song and dance).
Cinematography
Although film arrived in the country from the 1920s, it was not until fifty years later that the number of New Zealand films increased significantly. In 1978, the New Zealand Film Commission began supporting local filmmakers and many Some of his films have reached a worldwide audience, and some have received international recognition. The country's diverse natural settings, small size, and government incentives have meant that some big-budget movies have been filmed in New Zealand; the most representative of which is the film trilogy of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
Sports
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The first sports carried by the colonizers were of British origin, and among them cricket, bowling, field hockey, tennis and horse racing stand out. it became part of the traditional "rugby, racing and beer" culture.
The first rugby union game was played in 1870, and successful tours by the national team to Australia and England played an important role in shaping New Zealand's national identity. Changes in society reduced the importance of rugby in the development of national unity and individual identity, which was demonstrated by the protests during the 1981 tour of South Africa. Māori involvement in the sport was particularly evident in rugby, and before the start of international matches, players perform a haka (Maori: "challenge"). The national rugby union team (nicknamed the All Blacks) is the most successful sports team in the country.
New Zealand also has good international teams in sports such as netball, cricket, Rugby League and softball, and traditionally New Zealand athletes finish well in events such as triathlon, cycling, rowing and sailing. The country is internationally recognized for placing well in the medal tables of the Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games.
It is also renowned for its extreme sports and adventure tourism, whose reputation stretches back to the creation of the world's first goming site. Other outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting, and fishing are very popular. Polynesian canoeing (waka ama) has grown in popularity and is now an international sport involving teams from across the Pacific. The country also has a particular mountaineering tradition: New Zealander sir Edmund Hillary (accompanied by Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay) was the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest. motorcycle tourism in this country. Motorcyclists are often attracted by the low traffic on New Zealand's roads.
In football, New Zealand stands out at the continental level, the All Whites won five titles in the OFC Nations Cup in the 1973, 1998, 2002, 2008 editions and 2016, they also played two World Cups, in 1982 and 2010, achieving in the latter the record of being the only team that did not lose in the tournament, getting three draws. At the club level, the local league He is semi-professional and is not very popular, despite the fact that two teams from that championship, Waitakere United and Auckland City Football Club, were continental champions and repeatedly played in the FIFA Club World Cup. However, New Zealand is represented in professional football by the Wellington Phoenix Football Club who play in the Australian A-League.