Location
New Zealand is part of the Pacific Islands, or Oceania, a grouping of thousands of islands in the Pacific Ocean. New Zealand comprises of two principal islands,the North Island and the South Island, which are separated by the Cook Strait. Numerous small outlying islands surround the land mass and make up New Zealand's geography.Its located in the south pacific ocean and just to the south east of Austrailia.The country lies between latitude 34'S and 47'S.
Place
New Zealand's gorgeous landscape includes a wide span of mountain chains running down much of its length, smoldering volcanoes, breathtaking coastlines, deeply carved fiords, and beautiful rainforests.According to size, New Zealand is about the same as Great Britain, Colorado, or Japan. The two main islands (North and South) cover about 266,200 sq km or 103,735 sq miles.New Zealand's low population makes it the world's least crowded countries.The country maintains a temperate climate with relatively small seasonal variation.
Human-Environment Interaction
The country's industries dont really interfere with the environment with the exception of wood. Mineral resources are limited, with some reserves of coal, gold, iron ore, and limestone.New Zealand has a significant stocks of natural gas and less plentiful reserves of oil.Without these industries as a great source of income New Zealand's terrain remains almost untouched and keeps a great amount of its natural beauty.New Zealand relies heavily on hydroelectric power, which is generally regarded as clean energy.The land virtually remains unscathed to harsh development.The largely populated cites became more westernized with the start of the 1980's.
Movement-
People migrated to NZ more than 1000 years ago in the beginning of the 19th century. European white whalers, sailors, timber traders, and missionaries created bases which became New Zealands first European settlements. People have long since adapted to the warm, tropical shores and have moved south to the cooler inland. The Europeans brought Christianity to NZ by boat in 1769. It had become the majority religion since then. The Maori people slowly began building rafts and boats as a means of exploration of the world by the 1920's. The kauri tree became a major trading asset for it was used to build the rafts. The gum was also traded and utilized. Markets in the cities are also serving as an area where people can exchange goods and ideas. The Maori, in the past, lacked great skills and were only accustomed to basic trading amongst their two islands. Times have changed and goods are now exchanged and bought throught out the world with some major trading partners being U.S., Australia, Japan, and the UK.
Region-
The New Zealand government and politics has undergone many changes since 1984. It had changed from a funtional moving an agrarian economy dependent on a concessionary British market access into more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. Incomes have boosted and, technology is advancing. Inflation remains among the lowest in the industrial world. Per capita GDP has been moving up toward the levels of the big West European economies. New Zealand's heavy dependence on trade leaves its growth prospects vulnerable to economic performance in Asia, Europe, and the US. The downfall of demand in Asian markets largely explains the slight drop in GDP in 1998. New Zealand's government is a Parlimentary Democracy. This place consists of 9 districts, 93 countrys, and 3 town districts. Dependen areas are the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. Legal system is based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris.
