Материал к урокам английского языка «New Zealand. Новая Зеландия»

New Zealand by Chemasova Kseniya,Yarovoe

The name of the country For certain the origin of the name "New Zealand" is unknown. According to one version, the country was named after the province of the Netherlands - Zealand, according to another version the name has the literal meaning "new sea lands". It is interesting that the Maori (native people of New Zealand) called the country Aotearoa which means the land of the long white cloud.

Location and relief of New Zealand New Zealand is a country of 270000 square kilometers in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, located on two major islands and a large number of smaller isles. The largest piece of land in New Zealand is the South Island, which is divided along with the Southern Alps. There is Lake Taupo the largest lake in New Zealand in the heart of the North Island.

Historical facts about New Zealand New Zealand was first discovered by Europeans in 1642 when Dutch sailor Abel Tasman arrived. He left New Zealand after several of his crew were killed by Maoris. In 1769 English captain James Cook arrived and mapped the land. When Australia federated in 1901, New Zealand was offered a place as one of their states. New Zealand refused to it and became an independent country with no ties to Australia.

The climate The climate of New Zealand varies from the warm subtropical in the north , to the cool temperate in the south . The average annual temperature is from +10 ° C in the south, to +16 ° C in the north. The number of sunny hours in the year is relatively high, especially in areas protected from the western winds.

There are four red five-pointed stars on a blue background in the right half of the flag, which symbolize the geographical position of the country and the British flag in the upper left corner of the flag, symbolizing the historical belonging to Britain. The flag

Population and economy New Zealand is one of the world’s least populated countries with over 4 million people. 15% of NZ's population is Maori. New Zealand has a strong hold on the international trade in sheep meat. There are presently around 9 sheep to every 1 human in the country. New Zealand is the main supplier of dairy products and mutton to the international market. New Zealand is famous for its good quality clothes, baby goods, sheepskin products, and souvenirs are examples of Maori folk art.