New Zealand is a very interesting country. It has got a total area of 269.000 square kilometers.
It is situated to the south-east of Australia in the Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands(North Island and South Island) and some smaller ones.
Nearly 3.5 million people live in the country.
The capital of New Zealand Island is Wellington. It is a financial centre too. The city was founded in 1840 and has been the capital since 1865.
The official language is English.
New Zealand is rich in minerals. There are some major industries in the country, for example, iron and steel industry. The country has gas and petroleum.
There are many rivers and lakes in the country. The chief river is the Waikato. Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand.
New Zealand is an independent state, yet formerly it was a part of the British Empire. The head of the state is the Queen. New Zealand is a self-governing state.
The Parliament consists of one House only, the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister is the head of the government.
New Zealand has got heavy industry. There are many plants in the country. Paper and rubber industries are developed too. New Zealand exports wool, meat, butter.
There are educational and cultural institutions in Wellington. They are the University of New Zealand, Victoria University College and others. Victoria University was established in 1897.
New Zealand is a very interesting and beautiful country.
