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Facts about New Zealand

Monday, 14 April 2008

Here are some facts about New Zealand

Population

·          There are 4 million people (14 per square km), 39.5 million sheep (135 per square km) and 9 million cattle

·          New Zealand was the first western democracy to give women the vote

·          Less than 5% of the population of New Zealand is human - the rest are animals, giving one of the highest ratios of humans to animals in the world

·          New Zealand has more book-shops per head of population than any other country; one for every 7,500 people

 

Wildlife

·          There are no snakes, crocodiles, wolves or bears in New Zealand

·          NZ has the world’s largest flightless parrot (kakapo), the oldest reptile (tuatara), the biggest earthworms, the smallest bats (the only native land mammals), the heaviest insect (weta), some of the oldest trees, and many of the rarest birds, insects, and plants in the world

 

Geography

·          New Zealand has 6,000 kilometres of coast line and nowhere is more than 120km from the coast

·          The longest place name in the world still in use is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwenuakitanatahu, a hill in Porangahau in Hawke’s Bay. The Maori name translates to "the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, played his flute to his loved one"

 

Sports

·          New Zealand is home to the All Blacks!

·          New Zealand has won more Olympic gold medals a head than any other country

·          Measured by club memberships, golf is the most popular sport in New Zealand, followed by netball

·          New Zealander Edmund Hillary was the first person to climb Mt Everest

·          New Zealand invented bungee jumping

 

For more information about the New Zealand lifestyle, check out our Guide to New Zealand

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