新西兰简介(英文).doc

About New Zealand Location New Zealand (Aotearoa) is a South Pacific country located midway between the Equator and the South Pole, and is approximately 1600 kilometres (994 miles) east of Australia. New Zealand is made up of two main islands, the North Island and the South Island, and numerous smaller offshore islands. The total area is 268,680 sq. km (103,740 sq. miles). It is approximately two-thirds the size of California, and is equivalent in size to Japan, Colorado?or Great Britain. The coastline is 15,135 km (9,405 miles). People The population of just over 4 million is predominantly of European (mainly British) and Polynesian descent. The indigenous Maori (tangata whenua) population is around 15% of the total.Eighty-five percent of the population lives in urban areas. New Zealand is home to a diversity of cultures including Polynesian, Maori, ethnic Asian, and black African. These coexist alongside a number of European cultures including Italian, Greek and Eastern European. Language English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language?are the official languages, although English is the common language of everyday use. Government New Zealand is an independent parliamentary democracy within the British Commonwealth. The capital city and seat of government is Wellington. Time Zones New Zealand is one of the first countries in the world to greet the new day, because the International Date Line lies to its east. The entire country operates within a single time zone, UTC/GMT+12 hours. Subject to daylight saving, New Zealand is: 20 hours ahead of Los Angeles 17 hours ahead of New York 12 hours ahead of London 2 hours ahead of Sydney Daylight Saving Daylight saving in New Zealand runs from?the last Sunday in September until the first Sunday in April.New Zealand time adjusted for daylight saving time is GMT+ 13 hours. The time in New Zealand right now is displayed?at the top right of this page. Public Holidays New Zealand observes 11 public (or statutory) holidays. Waita