Important Facts The capital of New Zealand is Wellington. The population is 4,414,400. It has the 24 th largest economy in the world. The nation size is 267,710 sq km. Almost 90% of the population lives in cities. Their natural resources are: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, and limestone.

The islands’ birds include dozens of varieties found only in New Zealand, for example, the flightless Kiwi. There also are lovely songbirds native to the country, the most beautiful sounds perhaps coming from the bellbird. Only one reptile has been found here, a completely harmless but frightening-looking lizard, called a Tuatara, which belongs to the age of the dinosaur. Red deer and hedgehogs were imported to this country in for its pelt and meat.

The Bay of Plenty, which was named by its first European visitor, Captain Cook. There is less rainfall here than in most other areas, due to the placement of the mountain ranges that squeeze the moisture from the sky before it gets to the eastern coast. The King Country is a bleak and rugged land with a fierce history. It was here that the Maori tried to stop the encroachment of European settler by organizing tribes into a nation and appointing a king. The Milford Sound is one of the naturally wonders of the country.

It was originated by Maori people until the 1800’s, and then the British colonized it. New Zealand’s culture is neither Polynesian nor European. It is a distinctive character of its own and it is constantly changing. One of the reasons the changes have come so rapidly is the growth of the tourist industry. New Zealand is within reach of any place in the world within a matter of hours now, and the country is welcoming visitors.

Enchantment of the World NEW ZEALAND: Book CIA Factbook.com Google.com/images