3.  -Population- 4 million  -Capital- Wellington (which is located on the North Islands)  -Major religion- Christianity  -Major Languages- English, Maori

4.  1. What are the main physical features of your country? - Both the North and South islands have forest, highlands, lakes &rugged snow-capped mountains.  2. describe the climate in your country and how it affects life in your country - Climate in New Zealand is cooler than Australia because it is farthest from the equator. - The climate is mild with plenty of rain.  3. include a map of your country and identify some of it's neighbor's -it is near Australia but used to be closer to As

5.  The history of New Zealand dates back at least 700 years to when it was discovered and settled by Polynesians, who developed a distinct Maori culture centered on kinship links and land. The first European explorer to discover New Zealand was Abel Jan zoon Tasman on 13 December 1642. From the late 18th century, the country was regularly visited by explorers and other sailors, missionaries, traders and adventurers. In 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British Crown and various Maori chiefs, bringing New Zealand into the British Empire and giving Maori equal rights with British citizens. There was extensive European and some Asian settlement throughout the rest of the century. War and the imposition of a European economic and legal system led to most of New Zealand's land passing from Maori to Pakeha (European) ownership, and most Maori subsequently became impoverished.

6. The culture of New Zealand has developed from the nation's distinct demographics, its unique geography and ecology, and Maori and colonial history. Maori voyagers reached the islands of New Zealand some time before 1300, though exact dates are uncertain. Over the ensuing centuries of Maori expansion and settlement, Maori culture diverged from its Polynesian roots. Maori established separate tribes, built fortified villages hunted and fished, traded commodities, developed agriculture, arts and weaponry, and kept a detailed oral history. Regular European contact began approximately 200 years ago, and British immigration proceeded rapidly during the nineteenth century. The colonists had a dramatic effect on the indigenous Maori, bringing religion, technology, and the English language. In 1840 Maori leaders signed the Treaty of Waitangi, intended enable the tribes to live peacefully with the colonists. However after several incidents, the treaty was ignored and the New Zealand land wars broke out from 1845, with Maori suffering a loss of land and identity, while also increasingly becoming a minority group over the following century. Despite such setbacks, Maori culture has regained much of its lost influence in recent decades. European New Zealanders despite their location far from Europe, retained strong cultural ties to "Mother England". These ties were weakened by the demise of the British Empire, ANZAC battles in Gallipoli and Egypt, and loss of special access to British meat and dairy markets. Pākehā began to forge a separate identity influenced by their pioneering history a rural lifestyle and New Zealand's unique environment. Pākehā culture became prevalent after the land wars, but after sustained political efforts, biculturalism and the Treaty of Waitangi became part of the school curriculum in the late 20th century, to promote understanding between Maori and Pākehā.

7.  New Zealand is a democracy, with a parliamentary system based on the British Westminster system.  Members of parliament are elected in free and open. New Zealand has no single written constitution or any form of law that is higher than laws passed in Parliament. The rules about how our system of government works are contained in a number of Acts of Parliament, documents issued under the authority of the Queen, relevant English and United Kingdom Acts of Parliament, decisions of the court, and unwritten constitutional conventions.  New Zealand’s Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II and her personal representative in New Zealand is the Governor General. Although an integral part of government in New Zealand, both the Queen and the Governor General are required to be politically neutral and do not get involved in the business of government. They are regarded more as a symbol of national unity and leadership. This system is known as a constitutional monarchy.  New Zealand is a member of the British Commonwealth (along with Australia, Canada and 51 other countries) whose membership makes up 30 percent of the world’s population. New Zealand is also a member of numerous international organizations such as the UN, OECD, UNESCO and WHO, as well as being party to a number of international agreements like the Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol and Ozone Layer Protection.  New Zealand has a single chamber of parliament, known as the House of Representatives. The political party which has the majority of popular support of the House of Representatives forms the Government.  The leader of the Government party becomes the Prime Minister.  New Zealand open elections held every three years.

8.  The economy of New Zealand is a market economy which is greatly dependent on international trade, mainly with Australia, the European Union, the Unite States, China and Japan. It has only small manufacturing and high-tech sectors, being strongly focused on tourism and primary industries like agriculture (though both sectors are highly profitable). Economic free-market reforms of the last decades have removed many barriers to foreign investment, and the World Bank in 2005 praised New Zealand as being the most business-friendly country in the world, before Singapore.