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New Zealand is located in the Southwest Pacific Ocean and consists of two main islands as well as a number of smaller ones.

The principal islands are the North and South island which are separated by the Cook Strait.

North Island has a mountainous centre with many hot springs and volcanic peaks, while it also contains the country’s longest river, the Waikato and the largest lake, Lake Taupo.

South Island is much more mountainous with the Southern Alps, which has some 350 glaciers, running across the length of the island. Much of the lowlands are broken and hilly, while plains are not prominent on either island.

The largest area of level lowland is the Canterbury Plains on the east side of the South island.

Major cities are Auckland (pop 336,500), Christchurch (pop 308,800), Manukau (pop 243,400), North Shore (pop163, 000), Wellington (pop 153,800)
Land use; Forested 27%, Pastures 50%, Agricultural 14% and other 9%

Climate:

New Zealand has a temperate climate dominated by the east moving anti-cyclones that bring clear skies or fog while weather conditions are highly changeable throughout the year.

All months are moderately wet while the high mountains carry snow through out the year.

Average annual rainfall varies between 600 and 1500 mm

Average temperature ranges in Wellington are from 43 to 54 deg Fahrenheit in winter and 55 to 70 deg Fahrenheit in summer.

People

The principal ethnic majority are the Whites who account for around 82% of the population, and are of overwhelmingly British descent, while 9% are Maori, who are of Polynesian origins and #5 are Pacific IslandersOther non-European minorities include Chinese, Indians and Arabs.

Religions

Mostly Christians, which account for 81% of the population and are mostly Protestant. Other Christian minorities include Roman Catholics, Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians.

Languages

The official languages are English and Maori, with English understood by all the population, while Maori is the language of the indigenous New Zealanders.

Currency:

The official currency is the Dollar (NZD) divided into 100 Cents