New Zealand

New Zealand is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, on the North and South Islands, separated by the Cook Strait, and nearby islands. This is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, which is famous for its stunning scenery and a huge number of outdoor activities at any time of the year.

The area of ​​New Zealand is 268.7 thousand km2, the population is 3.52 million people. Most of the population is made up of Anglo-New Zealanders, New Zealanders, about 10% — Maori (indigenous population) and about 4% — Polynesians. The capital is Wellington.

Over 3/4 of the territory of New Zealand is occupied by mountains (Mount Cook — 3764 m, South Island), hills and hills. The northern island is less mountainous than the southern one, in the center of it is the Volcanic Plateau, which is, as it were, a reserve of modern volcanism. There are geysers, mud volcanoes, hot springs and even a group of active volcanoes, periodically showing violent activity. The New Zealand Alps (on the South Island) are covered with glaciers (the Tasman Glacier is 2 km wide and 29 km long) feeding numerous rivers and lakes. The mountains are covered with mixed forests and shrubs. Most of the forests, especially on the South Island, have been reduced by man.

The climate is subtropical, maritime, the average temperatures in July (winter) are from 12 ° C in the north to 5 ° C in the south, the average January temperatures are from 19 ° C in the north to 14 ° C in the south. Precipitation falls from 400 to 5000 mm per year.

New Zealand is an industrial-agrarian country whose economy is based on a highly developed agriculture (with livestock leading the role) and the manufacturing industry based on it. Horticulture and vegetable growing are also developed. The leading industries are mechanical engineering, textile, woodworking, chemical and food industries.

The vast majority of the population is concentrated in cities; more than 1 million people live in Auckland alone (with suburbs). The port city, huge in size, is located in a strikingly picturesque place: from observation platforms located on the tops of extinct volcanoes, you can simultaneously see both the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea. In the city itself, the abundance of bright multi-colored flowers, shrubs, well-groomed lawns, squares and parks is striking. Wellington, the capital of the country, is a port on the Cook Strait, a major cultural, commercial and industrial center. The residential areas of the city are very beautiful. The local botanical garden, located on the slope of a high mountain, is very famous.