Interesting facts about new zealand in English. New zealand - interesting facts

New Zealand is located between Australia and Antarctica and is the most sparsely populated area, the country is the size of Japan and has a population of 4.5 million, and Japan has more vending machines than New Zealand has people.

"Kiwi" in New Zealand is a bird, not a fruit

Fact #1: In New Zealand, the word "kiwi" never refers to a fruit. Kiwi is called either a species of local flightless bird, or the inhabitants of the islands themselves. And by the way, calling a resident of New Zealand "kiwi" is not at all offensive! But the same fruit is called "kiwi fruit". Though kiwi and flightless bird, it is the logo of the New Zealand Air Force.

The Lord of the Rings filmed in New Zealand

Fact #2: As you know, The Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand, so the government of this country established the position of Minister for the Lord of the Rings Affairs in order to make as much money as possible on the theme of this movie saga.

New Zealand has the world's longest mountain name

Fact number 3: It is in New Zealand that there is a small mountain with the longest (82 letters) geographical name in the world - Thaumatauakatangiangakoauauotamateaturipukakaapikimaungahoronukupokanuenuakitanatahu. This name is in the Maori language - the indigenous people of New Zealand. The translation goes something like this: "The top of the hill where Tamatea, a man with big knees who rolled, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as an earth-eater, played his flute for his beloved."

The world's largest snail

Fact #4: Powelliphanta- This is a huge snail that lives only in New Zealand. By the way, she is carnivorous.

New Zealand does not have a single nuclear power plant.

Fact #5: New Zealand has been nuclear-free since the 1980s, and today there are no nuclear power plants on the islands.

New Zealand doesn't have snakes

Fact #6: There are no snakes in New Zealand.

There is the safest city in the world

Fact number 7: Auckland is called one of the most convenient and safe cities in the world.

Most of the penguins in the world live in New Zealand.

Fact #8: New Zealand has the most penguin species in the world.

Birds that eat rubber

Fact #9: Tourists have noticed that Kea birds in New Zealand often steal windshield wipers from cars and eat strips of rubber from windows.

The steepest street in the world

Fact #10: Dunedin's Baldwin Street is the steepest street in the world - it slopes 38%.

Nine sheep each

Fact #11: There are nine sheep for every person in New Zealand.

The clearest water in the world

Fact #12: The most clear water in the world- This is the water in the "Blue Lake", which is located in the Nelson Lakes National Park of New Zealand.

New Zealand is one of the most distant countries for us, at least according to the atlas of the world. What do we know about this place near Australia? Is it worth it to travel there? Who lives there? And why is this region called one of the most beautiful corners of the earth? A selection of interesting facts about New Zealand will introduce you to this country, and who knows, maybe you will decide to buy a tour and go on an unforgettable journey.

World of New Zealand

It is known that people inhabited these places very late. Scientists have discovered human footprints that date back to the 13th century. These were the Maori tribes, which to this day are part of the national composition of the state.

The level of corruption is extremely low, as is the level of crime in general. Could one come from the other?

What do you think is considered one of the national languages? The answer is not simple, it's sign language.

New Zealand was the first state to declare itself a non-nuclear power, this momentous event took place in 1987. In practical terms, there are no nuclear power plants on the territory and nuclear-powered ships cannot enter the water.

Wellington - the capital of the state is geographically the southernmost capital of the planet.

Many people know that the films "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" were filmed here. There is even a position in the state apparatus that is responsible for everything related to these films.

The official symbol is the kiwi bird. In addition to the fact that she does not have wings, she still lives only in these places. There has been talk for a long time about changing the national flag, where they want to place this bird.

Everest conquerors and dormant volcanoes

Obtaining rights is possible from the age of fifteen.

Nature is brisk here. For example, about four hundred earthquakes occur on average per year. The amplitude is not powerful, but still.

Baldwin Street in one of the New Zealand cities has a slope of 38 degrees.

Edmund Hillary is a well-known personality among travelers and climbers. Why, you ask? Edmund is the first person to climb Mount Everest. He comes from these places.

Although the volcanoes are now quiet, but the largest eruption that has happened in the last 70 thousand years, the creation of the local Taupo volcano, the lake of the same name is now in its crater.

No snakes, large predators, poisonous insects. And as a counterbalance, a great many penguins live here.

Almost everywhere there is a strict ban on fires. Almost a third of the entire territory of the country is protected areas. But even beyond them, it is better not to take risks, the simplest thing will be to get off with a fine.

The large city of Auckland is known for the largest skyscraper in the southern hemisphere of the planet.

New Zealand is a remote country with beautiful nature. However, the knowledge of many tourists and immigrants about this country is limited to the fact that The Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand. Meanwhile, in this country there are really a lot of interesting things. Here is a selection of interesting facts.

1. The Lord of the Rings was actually filmed in New Zealand, on the South Island. There is really beautiful nature there, because the island is sparsely populated. The North Island is much more urbanized.
2. Post in New Zealand works flawlessly. You can send a parcel even to the ends of the world in five minutes.
3. There are no orphanages in New Zealand. Childless families sometimes stand in line for adoption for years.
4. New Zealanders drink very little, smokers are also very few.
5. Doctors recommend all year round use sunscreen to reduce the risk of skin cancer.
6. The process of re-registration of a newly purchased used car takes five minutes at most.
7. In most nature parks, there are liquids at the entrance, which are recommended to be sprayed on the soles of shoes, so as not to bring germs into the park.
8. The driving culture is very developed, everyone drives carefully, there are very few accidents. Aggressive behavior on the road is a rarity.
9. The streets are almost always clean. If you notice rubbish somewhere or a wall painted with graffiti, inform the municipal service, and in a couple of days everything will be clean.
10. Public transport is not very developed and is expensive. At the same time, people rarely walk outside the central streets, preferring to travel by car. If you don't live in Auckland, it will be difficult without a car.
11. Internet in the country is slow and expensive. Mobile communications are also very expensive.
12. New Zealanders do not like to rush, the country has a very measured and unhurried pace of life. Apparently, this is due to the high stability of the local economy and politics.
13. New Zealand is a small business friendly country that is easy to start and run. But expanding your business to a more solid level is very expensive and difficult.
14. There is practically no corruption in the country. Bribes are neither taken nor offered.
15. Police in New Zealand do not carry firearms. The army in the country is generally purely nominal.
16. There are no mosquitoes in this country. A trifle, but nice.
17. There are no poisonous insects or reptiles, like snakes, in New Zealand, just as there are no predators dangerous to humans.
18. Almost everywhere throughout the country it is forbidden to burn fires.
19. The world's largest online auction site, E-Bay, is hardly used in New Zealand. Its place was taken by the popular local TradeMe project.
20. Representatives of the indigenous local population are not afraid of the cold, despite the fact that New Zealand is a warm country, and often wear shorts and T-shirts in near-zero temperatures.
21. Women rarely put on makeup, mostly only when they go to a club or to a party.
22. New Zealand is a calm and tolerant country with almost no religious, ethnic or cultural conflicts.
23. Snow usually does not fall outside the mountains, but frosts sometimes occur in winter, especially at night. Sometimes there will be frost.
24. The streets are clean, so many go barefoot. Yes, even in the city center.
25. New Zealand has three official languages ​​- English, Maori, the indigenous inhabitants of the islands, and sign language.
26. Many young New Zealanders neglect higher education, because even without it you can have a pleasant life and make good money, especially if a person was born and raised there, and did not come as an immigrant with empty pockets.
27. According to statistics, about one in ten New Zealanders live in Australia. There are higher salaries and a more active rhythm of life.
28. Most New Zealanders don't really like to travel. Some residents of the North Island may not even bother to visit the South Island in their entire lives. Perhaps this is a consequence of the geographical isolation of New Zealand from all other countries except Australia.
29. New Zealand is among the top ten countries with the largest number of atheists, with one in three New Zealanders listing themselves as one.
30. The country ranks second in the world in terms of the “peace index”. Iceland is in first place and Japan is third.
31. Earthquakes in New Zealand are common. Aftershocks up to magnitude 4 occur in the country about once a day.
32. There are about a dozen times more sheep in New Zealand than people.
33. Most popular view sport is rugby.
34. From New Zealand it is far and expensive to fly anywhere except Australia. An economy class ticket to Europe, the USA or Russia will cost about a couple of thousand dollars, and the flight will take about a day.
35. The two largest supervolcanoes in the world are located here in New Zealand. If they awaken, the entire North Island will perish, and the entire planet may lose sunlight for several years. In the entire observed history of human civilization, such eruptions have not yet occurred.
36. There are a lot of dormant volcanoes in New Zealand. There are about fifty of them under Auckland alone.
37. The coach of the national football team has a salary of about fifty thousand dollars a year, which is comparable to the salary of an ordinary accountant or office manager.
38. There are no nuclear power plants in New Zealand, and nuclear-powered ships are not allowed to enter New Zealand ports.
39. Located in Auckland, the Sky Tower skyscraper is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. What is characteristic, when there was a question about its construction, the majority of the population was against it at first.
40. New Zealand is annually recognized as one of the best countries in the world to live in.

Horse in a coat, Hobbits and more!

What do you think of when you hear "New Zealand"? For me, these are mountains, greenery, frankly the butt of the world and, perhaps, that's all. I haven't been there, but now I really want to. Below is a summary of interesting facts about the country.

1. "Cloudy" country

New Zealand (“Aoetaroa”) is translated from the Maori language as “the country of the long white cloud”. According to legend, long white clouds often form on the horizon, hence the metaphorical name.

Although I would call New Zealand the "Land of the Rising Sun", and not Japan. The locals are the first to meet the rising sun.

2. They are all kiwi

In New Zealand, kiwis are New Zealanders themselves first and foremost. They love being called that. "Hi, I'm Kiwi Lisa." It's cool!

Kiwi is also a flightless bird. It is very unusual: there are no wings and a tail, but there is a long narrow beak and feathers more like wool. I learned about kiwi a long time ago, when I went on the Internet very touching video about a bird that wants to fly. A strange fact: although the kiwi does not fly, it is the logo of the New Zealand Air Force.

And you, of course, remember about kiwi, which is sold even on our shelves. Initially, the fruit was called the Chinese gooseberry, as it arrived straight from the Middle Kingdom. However, the merchants decided that they couldn’t do business with such a name and nicknamed it after the bird.

3. Three languages

Kiwis have three official languages: Maori, English and New Zealand Sign Language.

The first two are clear. But sign language?! In the meantime, about 25,000 people communicate on it. Hmm, so even calling each other will not work.

4. It's the other way around

Winter lasts from June to August. Summer is from December to February.

And yet, for us, New Zealanders go upside down.

5. Changing geography and climate

New Zealand begins in the subtropics in the north and stretches to colder latitudes in the south. Kiwi country is the most variable in the world in terms of geography and climate.

So, volcanoes, deserts and tropical beaches on the North Island are replaced by plains, alpine peaks and glaciers on the South.

6. Cold is not a problem

Kiwis walk around in normal T-shirts and shorts at 0˚C.

Doctors say that the locals have been accustomed to getting a little cold since childhood, as there is no heating in their houses. For this reason, the population tolerates low temperatures more easily.

7. Healthy road

It seems that most of the population is for a healthy lifestyle and sports. And yet, according to 2012 data, New Zealand ranks third in the world for obesity. It is believed that this is due to the "come in large numbers" who are predisposed to fullness.

Sad fact: in New Zealand, it is obesity that can interfere with obtaining a residence permit.

8. Amazing fauna

The animal world here is unique. The most dangerous representative is a feral boar. There are no snakes, not even mosquitoes. Only here you can meet kiwi and kea birds, owl parrot kakapo, takahe, etc. There are also tuatara and ueta. By the way, the latter scares me even more than a wild boar. This huge insect, weighing more than a sparrow, resembles a huge cockroach. Fuuu!!! The carnivorous snail Powelliphanta, listed in the Red Book, is also found. She is able to devour worms that are not inferior to her in size.

Off the coast of New Zealand lives the smallest species of dolphins - Hector's Dolphin. An adult reaches 1.4 m in length, which is less than the average adult.

Unfortunately, after human intervention, some species became extinct, so today nature is heavily protected.

9. The most difficult place name

I used to think that the name of the Icelandic glacier and volcano Eyjafjallajökull is the most difficult to pronounce. Oh, how wrong I was.

In New Zealand, a small hill bears the longest name in the world, Thaumatauakatangiangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokanuenuakitanatahu. The translation is something like: "The top of the hill where Tamatea, a man with big knees who rolled, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as an earth-eater, played his flute for his beloved."

10 Dangerous Sun

If you want to sunbathe, then you definitely missed the country. Do you remember the history of the ozone hole from school textbooks? She is here.

It is not recommended to stay in direct sunlight anymore five minutes. To avoid negative consequences, you must always (!!!) apply sunscreen. Sometimes these tools can be used for free in public places. This is not a joke. People in New Zealand do get skin cancer a lot and look 10 years older.

Moreover, even horses are dressed in special clothing to protect from the sun. So a horse in a kiwi coat is commonplace.

11. Unreal nature

A third of the territory is occupied by national parks. They are under state protection. There are sprays in front of the entrance, which are recommended to treat shoes in order to kill all foreign microbes.

The most favorite place among tourists is Lake Taupo, located in the crater of an extinct volcano. Nelson Lakes National Park is home to Blue Lake, the clearest water in the world. Pukaki and Tekalo lakes, the "champagne pond" and the devil's pool are also advised.

There are two largest supervolcanoes in New Zealand. Their eruption is capable of depriving the planet of sunlight, filling the atmosphere with ash. This has never happened in the history of mankind. I hope it doesn't happen.

There are also pancake rocks piled up here, as if served for breakfast. The main thing is that there is enough time for all locations.

12. Steep street

New Zealand has a lot of cool natural attractions, and this one is located on one of the streets.

Dunedin is home to the steepest street in the world, Baldwin. It is notable for the fact that it descends at an angle of 38 degrees.

13. Keep calm and take your time

New Zealanders are not in a hurry. Nothing is urgent and it just needs to be accepted. It is normal for them if the Internet will be connected for three weeks.

However, people are not lazy, they think over a plan in advance, and then act according to it. Maybe that's why politics and the economy in the country are so stable?

14. No corruption

Kiwis laugh when they find out that in other countries they offer to "resolve the issue in an amicable way." There is no corruption in the country.

Try to bribe a policeman and he will immediately arrest you. Unless, of course, he understands what you mean at all.

According to the Corruption Perceptions Index, in 2016 New Zealand is tied for first place with Denmark among the most non-corrupt countries.

15. Marijuana is illegally legal

Weed is prohibited, but you can safely smoke it on the street, the police do not chase anyone. Once a year, marijuana lovers gather in downtown Auckland, smoke in public and thereby fight for the legalization of the drug.

Many locals have a rule: there should always be wine and grass in the house.

16. Weekends start earlier

Bars in New Zealand are as packed on Thursday as they were on the last day of the week. People are celebrating that tomorrow is Friday!!!

This is what I understand: Thanks God Tomorrow Is Friday instead of the well-known Thanks God It’s Friday (TGIF)!

17. What is not accepted

In the country of kiwis, they do not leave tips. At all. If you leave it for tea, then the waiter may regard such an act as an insult. In this they are similar to the Chinese.

On the other hand, New Zealanders worry when they travel abroad. They are afraid to forget to tip because they don't want to be seen as greedy.

18. Bungee jumping would not exist without New Zealanders

Of course, jumping upside down has been around for a long time. Residents of Vanuatu tied long vines to their feet and made fearless jumps. They believed that such a ritual is the key to a good harvest of sweet potatoes.

In the 80s Kiwis AJ Hackett and Chris Sigglekow created a special binding system for extreme "flights". On November 12, 1988, the world's first commercial bungee jumping opened in Queenstown. Today you can even jump here in Sochi, in a park named after the discoverer of an unusual "sport".

Exactly 371 years ago, the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman was the first European to discover New Zealand. In honor of this event, we invite you to learn some interesting facts about this country.

1. New Zealand is made up of two main islands.(North and South), as well as a number of small ones. The largest piece of land in New Zealand is the South Island, which is divided along the Southern Alps. This mountain range has 18 peaks over three thousand meters above sea level, and the highest of them is Mount Cook, or Aoraki (3754 meters).

View of the highest mountain peak of the Southern Alps - Aoraki. Photo credit: David Briody . There are fewer mountains on the North Island, but high volcanic activity has been noted there. The highest point on this island is the active volcano Ruapehu with a height of 2797 meters. On the same island is the largest lake in New Zealand, Lake Taupo, located in the crater of the volcano of the same name.

Composite image of the Ruapehu volcano, consisting of satellite imagery. NASA photo. 2. Coupe pioneer. Before the Dutchman Abel Tasman arrived in New Zealand, it was settled by immigrants from East Polynesia - the Maori. According to the legend of the people, this happened after the Polynesian navigator Kupe sailed to the New Zealand islands on a light catamaran in the middle of the 10th century. At that time, the islands were uninhabited, so he became the first person to set foot on their shores. The existence of Kupe's discoverer is now disputed by some researchers, but archaeological finds confirm the history of Polynesian exploration. 3. Abel Tasman. When Abel Tasman reached New Zealand, the Maori met him rather unfriendly, as a result of which four members of his team and one native were killed. After that, the Europeans left New Zealand and did not return until 1769, when the British explorer James Cook sailed to the islands.

Abel Tasman (1603-1659). Portrait by J. M. Donald. 4. Maori musket wars. After Cook, numerous whaling and trading ships began to visit New Zealand. Potatoes and firearms - muskets - were brought to the islands, which influenced agriculture and Maori wars. So, in the early 1800s, musket wars began between various Maori tribal groups, as a result of which about 30-40 thousand people died.

Maori as James Cook saw it. Author of the painting: artist Cook Sidney Parkinson. 5. Forests of New Zealand. Before the arrival of people, about 80% of the land was covered with forest, and only in the highlands and volcanic areas did not grow trees. After the Europeans landed on the shores of New Zealand, there was a massive cutting down of trees, and the forest began to occupy only 23% of the territory.

Forest on the South Island. Photo credit: Satoru Kikuchi. 6. Unique fauna. Thanks to the geographical isolation that has persisted for 80 million years, a unique animal world has been created on the New Zealand islands. Many birds lived in the forests, in particular those that, due to the lack of predators, could not fly. These include, for example, kiwi, kakapo parrot and takahe.

Takahe. This bird is an endangered species. Photo credit: Harald Selke . However, the arrival of humans on the islands of New Zealand and the associated changes in the habitat of these birds (for example, rats, ferrets and some other mammals were introduced) led to the extinction of many species, including such large birds as the moa and Haast's eagle.

Extinct Haast Eagle and Moa. Image by John Megahan. In total, since the arrival of humans on the islands, almost half of the vertebrate species have become extinct, including approximately 51 bird species, three frog species, three lizard species, one freshwater fish and one species of bats. 7. New Zealand ueta. Among the unique animals living in New Zealand today are also tuatara and ueta. By the way, some species of the latter are among the heaviest insects in the world.

Giant ueta. 8. Indigenous language. Today, the majority of New Zealand's population speaks English language. But despite this, there are schools in the country where classes are conducted in the Maori language, as well as two television channels, most of whose programs are in the Maori language. 9. Literacy in New Zealand. According to researchers, New Zealand's adult literacy rate is 99%, and more than half of the country's population under the age of 29 is enrolled in higher education. 10. Wananga. In New Zealand, along with the traditional types of public higher education institutions, there is wānanga. In such an educational institution, learning takes place in the context of Maori culture.

At the University of Waikato, learning takes place within the context of Maori culture. 11. Maori carving. Today, traditional Maori carving is widely practiced in New Zealand. Most often, human figures are carved with three or five fingers and sometimes with a bizarre head.