New Zealand, also known as New Zealand, covers an area of 270,000 square kilometers and is dominated by white Europeans. Among the residents, 74% are descendants of British immigrants, and 15% are Maori. In recent years, Asian immigrants to New Zealand have been increasing, including people from China, Viet Nam and Japan. The Anglican Church is a sect in New Zealand, with believers accounting for 35% of the total population, followed by Presbyterian Church, accounting for 22%, and about 65,438+06% people believe in Roman Catholicism.
The official language of New Zealand is English, and Maori is also popular in some areas. The monetary unit of New Zealand is NZ $,and KIWI is the national bird of New Zealand, symbolizing the hospitable nature of New Zealanders. Wellington, the second largest city, is the capital of New Zealand. Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, and Hamilton, Christchurch and Dunedin are the larger cities.
geographical position
New Zealand is located in the South Pacific Ocean, facing Australia across tasman sea in the west, 0/600 km from Australia/KLOC-in the west, and adjacent to Tonga and Fiji in the east, with a coastline of 6,900 km. New Zealand is mainly composed of South Island and North Island, separated by Cook Strait. There are many smaller islands in New Zealand, and the country is mountainous, accounting for 50% of the country's area. The majestic southern Alps straddle the western part of the South Island. Cook Peak is 3764 meters above sea level, which is the highest peak in China. There are many glaciers and lakes in mountainous areas; There are hills in the west and plateaus in the southwest. The eastern part of the North Island is relatively high, with many volcanoes and many lakes in the middle. The lake is surrounded by a plain, and the Ruapehu volcano on the plain is 2797 meters high, which is the highest point in the North Island.
climate
New Zealand is surrounded by the sea and the mountains are rolling. The whole territory belongs to the marine temperate broad-leaved forest climate. Due to the influence of the west wind, the average annual precipitation on the west coast is 1000-3000mm, and the southwest coast of South Island can reach more than 5000mm; The east coast is only 500 mm, and there is no large land nearby that affects climate change, so the temperature difference between winter and summer is very small, only about 10 degrees. The annual average temperature in North Island is about 15℃, and that in South Island is about 10℃. The climate characteristics in different regions are also different. Generally speaking, the farther north, the higher the temperature. North Island has a mild climate and lush vegetation all year round. South Island has a low temperature and four distinct seasons. The average annual rainfall in New Zealand is between one thousand and two thousand millimeters. New Zealand is located in the southern hemisphere, and the seasonal changes are just the opposite of those in China. September to November is spring, December to February is summer, March to May is autumn, and June to August is winter.
history
Maori came to New Zealand 1000 years ago and became the first indigenous people. A year or two later, the Dutch explorer abel tasman discovered New Zealand. 1769, British explorer james cook came here and occupied New Zealand in the name of King George III. 1840, Maori and the British royal family signed the Treaty of Waitangi in Waitangi, New Zealand. The treaty laid a cooperative relationship between Maori and new immigrants, provided a foundation for Maori and non-Maori to live together in this country, and laid a foundation for New Zealand's British political system. New Zealand became a dominion of Britain from 65438 to 0907 and a sovereign country from 65438 to 0947.
educational system
New Zealand's education system is considered to be one of the education systems in the world. New Zealanders begin to receive education at a very young age and can continue to learn throughout their lives. The main characteristics of education in New Zealand are that most children start school on their fifth birthday, and public schools do not charge, but parents need to pay for school uniforms and provide lunch for their children. Schools can get some funds from the government and charge tuition and other extra fees at the same time. Encourage adults to study. They can attend secondary schools, universities or special skills training courses. Some schools provide English tutoring to help students whose mother tongue is not English. The New Zealand government stipulates that children between the ages of six and sixteen must go to school, including primary and secondary schools. There are 660,000 primary and secondary school students studying in more than 2,800 primary and secondary schools nationwide. Among them, 8% of primary and secondary school students have no English background. The government spends more than NZ $2 billion on primary and secondary education every year.
The Ministry of Education is responsible for advising the government on education policies. The Ministry of Education administers educational institutions throughout the country. Among them, the New Zealand Qualification Certification Authority is responsible for the certification of degrees and academic standards. Overseas academic qualifications and degrees can be certified by the New Zealand Academic Assessment Agency. In order to help students with poor economic conditions complete their studies, the government has formulated a student loan policy. This policy enables students to obtain enough loans from the government to pay tuition and fees and students' daily living allowance. Of course, the applicant must be a New Zealand citizen or have a New Zealand permanent resident visa. Among them, the student allowance does not need to be returned, and the student loan is gradually repaid to the government according to the amount of income after the student graduates and finds a job.
Educational institutions in New Zealand are divided into higher education institutions, including universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. Middle school; Primary schools and private training institutions. In addition, there are some English language colleges and private English schools.
There are nine universities in New Zealand: Auckland University of Technology (formerly Auckland University of Technology).
UOA
Canterbury University
Lincoln University
Massey University, Massey University
Massey University of Wellington (formerly Wellington Institute of Technology)
University of Otago
Victoria University of Wellington
University of Waikato
There are 23 comprehensive technical colleges (or polytechnics).
Life culture
New Zealanders come from many different cultural backgrounds, and New Zealand society advocates freedom of speech, freedom of religion and equality for all.
Most New Zealanders' houses are one-story or two-story structures with courtyards, and the housing density is relatively low. Most of the houses are made of wood, with an area of over 150 square meters, and the style is mainly English. In recent years, the style of new houses has an international trend. New Zealand has a well-developed road transport system, with expressways running through the whole territory. Almost all New Zealand families have one or more cars. Sightseeing trains provide sightseeing tours between major towns. New Zealand loves sports, and nearly half of New Zealanders participate in at least one sport or health club. The most popular sports in New Zealand are rugby, golf, women's football, track and field, cricket, boating, tennis, football, skiing and swimming. Shops in New Zealand are generally open from 9: 00 am to 5: 30 pm on weekdays, plus every Monday night (until 9: 00 pm or later, usually Thursday or Friday).