New Zealand… The green islands where key episodes of The Lord of the Rings were recently filmed on their hills.
General information
This green country is located in the southeastern part of the Pacific region. On two large and a whole placer, consisting of several hundred small islands, New Zealand is spread. The area of the country can be compared with the territories of the Japanese islands or the whole of Great Britain. The population of New Zealand is about 4.5 million people. The entire administration is located in the capital - Wellington. The government system of the state is a constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy. The uniqueness of the island state is that it is one of all developed countries that was able to develop its economy exclusively on agriculture. Since November 2008, the country has been ruled by the National Party, led by John Key, who is the prime minister.
The kingdom includes independent islands that have the same currency - the New Zealand dollar. These are the Cook Islands, Niue, the territoryTokelau, which is not self-governing, and the territory of Ross, which lies in the Antarctic zone.
Climate
The people of New Zealand can be quite happy with the climate of their country. The northern part of the North Island is subject to a subtropical climate, while in the mountainous regions, Antarctic winds can bring up to -20 degrees. A chain of high mountains divides the country in two, thereby dividing it into two climatic zones. The wettest part is the western coast of the South Island. Just a hundred kilometers away, in the east, is the driest part of the state.
In most of the country, precipitation reaches 600-1600 mm annually. This amount is evenly distributed, except during dry summers.
The average annual temperature in the south is +10 degrees, in the north - +16. The coldest month in this country, located on the other side of the equator from us, is July. The average daily temperature is +4-8 degrees, at night it can drop to -7. The warmest months are January and February. The northern part of the country does not have much difference in temperature during the season, while the southern regions have a difference of up to 14 degrees.
In Auckland - the largest city in the country - the average annual temperature is +15.1 degrees. Thus, in the hottest time the temperature can rise to +31.1 degrees, while in the coldest it can drop to -2.5. The average annual temperature of Wellington is +12.8 (from -1.9 to +31.1 during the year).
In wind-sheltered areas of the country, the number of hours of sunshine is high. On average thisthe number is 2000 hours per year. Most of the population of New Zealand receives a large amount of solar radiation.
Languages
The population can officially speak three languages. New Zealand recognizes English, Maori and sign New Zealand. The leading language spoken by 96% of the population remains English. Magazines and newspapers use this language. They are also used by television and radio. The Maori language is the second most important official language. Signs for the deaf became an official language in 2006.
New Zealand dialect is very close to Australian, but retains a strong influence from the south of England. Parallel to this, the influence of Irish and Scottish accents is felt in it. The significant influence of the language of the indigenous people also had an effect - some words were forever used by the citizens of the country.
The Maori language received its official status in 1987. Its use today is mandatory in all institutions. This language is taught in schools. Although most of the educational institutions make it possible to study two at the same time - English and Maori. Many names in the country have roots in the Maori language.
In addition, representatives of more than 170 language groups permanently reside in the country. Samoan, French, Chinese and Hindi are most commonly used. Slavic languages are hardly used on the islands, as the population of New Zealand, for whom they are native, is too small in number.
Religion of New Zealand
The population of New Zealand today is just over 4.5 million people. Among them, 56% are Christians. The next largest religions are Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, Catholicism and Methodism. Then Sikhs, Hindus and followers of Islam take their place. Approximately 35% of the population of New Zealand is made up of undecided members of society who are not inclined to identify themselves with any of the existing religions.
Indigenous
Indigenous people of New Zealand - Maori. Previously, before the colonization of the islands by Europeans, representatives of this people were their main inhabitants. Today, about 680 thousand people belonging to this people live all over the world.
In addition to their native places, this tribe inhabits the Australian, Canadian territories, and also lives in the USA, Great Britain and in very small numbers in other countries.
Literally translated from the native language, the word "Maori" means "normal". In ancient times, people used this concept to distinguish a person from a divine creation.
The Maori were the first to settle the islands. It is still not clear exactly where these people came from, but they founded their culture, forming a state that they called Aotearoa. These people were excellent sailors who could travel in small boats in the Pacific Ocean. In the sea, their only guides were the sun and the starry sky. This knowledge helped them to end up in New Zealandmuch earlier than the Europeans. White people were able to discover the islands only after 800 years, seeing warriors there - fearless and independent.
Public occupations
Traditionally, the Maori were engaged in subsistence farming. Food was obtained by hunting and mainly by slash-and-burn agriculture. An important occupation for the ancient Maori was war. Today, the people occupy a significant place in forestry and agriculture. Crafts originated in ancient times, remaining to this day an important part of culture. The main occupations are wood carving, weaving, weaving, jewelry making, boat building. From any other cultures, Maori products are distinguished by the absence of any mention of animals in drawings and sculpture. The main ornament of this people is a spiral, executed in various forms. The main image is famous people or a deity.
Accommodation
New Zealand's population density was initially very low. Maori lived in villages. The buildings were close to each other, surrounded by a wooden fence or a moat. Houses were built from logs or boards. The roof was thatched. The floor was somewhat deepened into the ground, so that the room was a little cooler in summer and warmer in winter. In addition to residential houses in the villages, there were communal houses, buildings for various entertainments and for gaining knowledge.
The people of New Zealand were forced to invent warm clothes, because the climate did not allow walking in the summer roundyear. The people traditionally wore warm cloaks and capes. Women's clothing was complemented by long warm skirts. To insulate the fabric (most often it was linen), animal skins or bird feathers were woven into the fibers during weaving.
The main population of New Zealand was traditionally engaged in the manufacture of weapons: darts, spears, staffs. The Maori used both a club and an original bayonet weapon called tayaha. A digging stick was mainly used for cultivating the land. Hunters mainly used snares to catch various animals. In woodcarving, jade or jadeite chisels were the main tools of labor.
Traditions
The main population of New Zealand is Maori today. In ancient times, it was one of the most enduring and cruel peoples. Today, their ideas about life seem wild, but for them, for example, cannibalism was commonplace. Maori ate their captives, believing that the enemy forces would pass to them.
Another Maori tradition is tattoos. It was a painful way to show your status. Women decorated their lips and chins, men decorated their entire faces. At the same time, the drawing was not applied in the usual way with a needle - the tattoos were literally cut into the skin with incisors, it looked like the work of a sculptor. No less brutal were the procedures of initiation - a very painful test of endurance. In addition, the Maori cut off the heads of enemies in order to mummify them later.
Maori Today
Find out what population in New Zealand is verynot difficult. Today, the fighting dance of this people, which is called "haka", is very popular in the world. The Maori have the exclusive right to this dance. Initially, the haka was a ritual dance, which is accompanied by support from the choir or words shouted out at regular intervals. This dance was performed in order to invoke the spirits of nature, or before a fight. The government of the state granted the members of the tribe the ownership of the battle cry.
Civilization has greatly influenced the traditions and views of the Maori - today they are no longer bloodthirsty warriors. However, their culture is still very rich and distinctive today. A very important component of Maori culture in our time are works of traditional art. Tourists visiting New Zealand are sure to visit exhibitions of folk crafts or dance performances. It is considered obligatory to take pictures of representatives of local tribes and learn at least a little more about the philosophy and history of this amazing people.
