About New Zealand

New Zealand lies in the southern Pacific Ocean, 1,600 km east of Australia. It is made up of the North and South Islands and a number of smaller islands, with a total land area of 268,021 square kilometers.

Mountain ranges and hill country dominate New Zealand's landscape; one of the most striking physical features is the Southern Alps. These, along with fiords, glaciers and lakes, and the coastal plains of Canterbury and Southland, add to the variety of the South Island scenery. 

In the North Island, the volcanic interior contains New Zealand's largest lake, Lake Taupo, and most of the country's active volcanoes - Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro - all usually quiet, although Ruapehu has been active since September 1995. Hot springs, geysers and mud pools also form part of the volcanic system centered around Rotorua.

• Highest mountain Aoraki / Mt Cook (3,754 m)
• Deepest lake Lake Hauroko (462m)
• Longest river Waikato River (425 km)
• Largest glacier Tasman Glacier (28.5 km long)
• Deepest cave Nettlebed (north west Nelson, 889 m)

Climate
January and February are New Zealand's warmest months and July normally it's coldest. The climate is mostly temperate - averages range from 8°C in July to 17°C in January - but summer temperatures occasionally reach the 30°C in many inland and eastern regions.

The mean average rainfall varies widely - from less than 400 mm in Central Otago to over 12,000 mm in the Southern Alps. For most of the North Island and the northern South Island the driest season is summer. However, for the West Coast of the South Island and much of inland Canterbury Otago and Southland, rainfall is lower over winter.

Economy
New Zealand's small economy is heavily dependent on overseas trade. Traditionally, a large proportion of New Zealand's exports, mainly agricultural products, went to the United Kingdom. In the past 20 years, however, New Zealand has adapted to a changing world so that Pacific Rim countries are more dominant. Our largest merchandise export markets are Australia, USA and Japan.

New Zealand has developed its agriculture and manufacturing industries to suit the needs of niche markets. Dairy and meat exports still make a large contribution to New Zealand's economy. However, industries such as forestry, horticulture, fishing, manufacturing and tourism have become increasingly significant.

Government
New Zealand's European constitutional history began in 1840 when Maori and the Crown signed the Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand became a British colony. Maori were confirmed in the rights they understood to be part of rangatiratanga (chieftainship). European settlers, however, effectively became the country's administrators within 12 years, and by 1860 Maori had started to form parallel movements for Maori self-government, first the King movement and later Kotahitanga.

New Zealand moved from colonial to Dominion status in 1907, gaining full independence from Britain under the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947. New Zealand is an independent state within the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II is represented by the Governor-General who summons and dissolves Parliament, and assents to legislation.

New Zealand has a mixed member proportional (MMP) Parliament of 120 seats split between electorate representatives and party list members.