New-Zealand-新西兰简介-英语国家概况

NationalFlagofNewZealand:theUnionJackandthestarsoftheSouthernCross南十字星座GeographyIntroductionOfficialnameNewZealand(Anothernameis“Aotearoa”,meaning“landofthelongwhitecloud”)CapitalWellingtonArea270,534sqkm(ThesizeofthecountryissimilartoBritainIslesorJapan.)Ithastwomainislands:NorthIslandandSouthIsland.Andthey’reseparatedbyCookStrait.Thereisabout2000kmlongfromnorthtosouth.TheSouthIslandisthelargestlandmassofNewZealand,andisdividedalongitslengthbytheSouthernAlps.Thereare18peaksover3,000metres(9,800ft),thehighestofwhichisAoraki/MountCookat3,754metres(12,316ft).MtCook库克山:thehighestpeak,3,754metershighTheNorthIslandislessmountainousbutismarkedbyvolcanism.ThehighlyactiveTaupoVolcanicZonehasformedalargevolcanicplateau,punctuatedbytheNorthIsland'shighestmountain,MountRuapehu(2,797meters).Theplateaualsohoststhecountry'slargestlake,LakeTaupo,nestledinthecalderaofoneoftheworld'smostactivesupervolcanoes.MountRuapehu,thehighestactivevolcanoinNewZealandLakeTaupositsincentralNorthIsland.Itcovers606sqkm;itis40kmlongand27kmwide.Inthesurroundingareaarenumerousgeysersandhotsprings.TheClutha:thelargestriver,336kmlongintheSouthIsland.LadyKnoxGeyser:ThenorthcentralregionofNewZealand’sNorthIslandisanareaofactivevolcanism.Inadditiontothreeactivevolcanoes,therearegeysers,liketheLadyKnoxGeyser,mudpools,andhotsprings.FamousCities:Wellington,thecapitaloftheNewZealand.Auckland,thelargestandmostpopulousurbanareainthecountry.AnimalsandplantsArichvarietyoftrees,treeferns,groundferns,mossesandotherplantsmakeup“thebush”,asNewZealanderscalltheirforests.Besides,NewZealandhas250speciesofbirdsincludingthekiwiTreeFern:NewZealand'simpressivetreeferncangrowtoatoweringheightof15meters.Withmorethan150fernspeciesgrowinginNewZealand,theplanthasbecomeanationalsymbol.KiwiFruitHistoryMaoricamebetween1,000and3,000yearsago→Europeanscameinthe17thcentury→SigningoftheTreatyofWaitangi1840→After18403periodsBefore1840ThefirstpeopletosettleNewZealandweretheancestorsoftheMaori毛利人,whoarethoughttohavecalledtheislandsAotearoa(“LandoftheLongWhiteCloud”).WhoisMaori??TheMaoriwerepartofthespreadofPolynesianpeoples玻利尼西亚人acrossthefar-flungislandsofthePacificOceanbetween1,000and3,000yearsago.TheEuropeanhistorybeginsinthe17thcentury.AbelTasman:aDutchnavigator,thefirstEuropeantovisitNewZealandin1642CaptainJamesCook:thefirstEnglishmantovisitNewZealandin1769TheTreatyofWaitangi1840TheTreatyofWaitangiwassignedon6thFebruary,1840.IntheTreaty,GreatBritainformallyproclaimedsovereigntyovertheislandandagreedtorespectthelandownershiprightsoftheMaori,whoplacedthemselvesundertheprotectionoftheBritishgovernment.February6thisnowcelebratedasNewZealand’sNationalDay—WaitangiDay威坦哲日,怀唐伊日。WaitangiDayAfter1840TheEuropeanpopulationofNewZealandgrewfromabout1,000inthe1830stonearly60,000in1858,andthenrocketedto500,000bytheearly1880s.▲Morewomenworkedoutsidehome,andequalpayisintroducedin1972.▲Inflationandunemploymentgrewin1970sandgovernmentspendingonsocialwelfareincreasedwiththeintroductionofNationalSuperannunationin1976.Inthemid-1980s,NewZealanddeclareditsantinuclearpolicyandbecameanuclearfreezone.ThispolicyledtoAmerica’ssuspensionoftheANZUSsecurityguaranteestoNewZealandin1986.WaitangiNationalMaoriReserve:ThissiteontheNorthlandpeninsulaisconsideredthebirthplaceofmodernNewZealand.TheTreatyofWaitangiwassignedherebetweentheMaoriandtheUnitedKingdomon6February1840.TherestoredWaitangiTreatyHouseReligionsNewZealandgovernmentadvocateslibertyofbelief.Nearly66%believeinProtestantandCatholicChristianity9%donothavebelief25%otherbeliefsGovernmentandPoliticsFormofgovernmentParliamentarydemocracyHeadofstateGovernor-general,representingtheBritishmonarchHeadofgovernmentPrimeministerLegislatureUnicamerallegislatureHouseofRepresentatives:120members(forthreeyears)TheGovernmentPoliticalPartiesTwo-partysystem:theNationalPartyandtheLaborPartyFirst-levelpoliticaldivisions12regionsand4unitaryauthoritiesHelenClarkIn1999HelenClark,leaderoftheLaborParty,becamethefirstfemaleprimeministerinNewZealand.ShewonherthirdelectioninSeptember,2005(threeyearsforoneterm).VotedforChange:JohnKeycelebratesNationalParty'svictoryduringNewZealandGeneralelectioninAuckland,Nov.8,2008.JohnKeyEconomyTheeconomyofNewZealandlargelyreliesonoverseastradebecauseitlacksmanymineralresourcesandhasonlydiscoveredsmallreservesofoil.Itneedstoimportmineralstokeepitseconomyrunning.Otherimportsincludemanufacturedgoods,heavymachinery,petroleum,chemicals,ironandsteel,plasticmaterialsandtextiles.InrecentyearsNewZealandhasdevelopeditsagricultureandmanufacturingindustriestosuittheneedsoftheinternationalmarkets.Itisoneoftheworld’slargestexportersofmeat,dairyproductsandwool.Industriessuchasforestry,horticulture,fishing,manufacturing,andtourismhavealsobecomeincreasinglysignificant.CultureCultureNewZealand'scultureisrichanddiverseduetotheblendingofPolynesianandEuropeancultures.TheinfluenceofMaori,PacificIsland,EuropeanandAsianculturesmakesNewZealandacolourfulandvibrantplacewithmanydifferentcustomsandfoodtoenjoy.MAORICULTURETheMaoriaretheindigenouspeopleofNewZealand,they