Середа 13.05.2020
Тема: Нова Зеландія
1) Читати та перекладати текст "Нова Зеландія"
2) Записати 7 запитань до тексту;
3) Знайти цікаву інформацію про життя та традиції у Новій Зеландії
New Zealand
New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific ocean.
New Zealand is the size of Colorado. It is separated from Australia by the Tasman Sea. It consists of two main islands: the South Island, the North Island, and a number of smaller islands. The North Island is long and volcanic in its south central part. New Zealand has many springs and geysers. The South Island has the Southern Alps along its west coast, with Mount Cook the highest point.
New Zealand has more than 50 volcanoes, some are still active today. Snowy peaks, rocky shores, and pastures create a really majestic landscape.
History.
The first settlers of New Zealand were Maoris. The Maori named Aotearoa New Zealand, which is usually translated into English as ‘The Land of the Long White Cloud’. The Dutch cartographers called the islands Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland.
In 1769, Captain James Cook came to the islands. The British established settlements and signed a treaty with the Maori in 1840. In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to give women the right to vote. The country became a dominion of Britain in 1907 and gained its independence from Britain in 1947.
Population and Languages
The population of New Zealand, about 4 million people is mostly of European descent. The official languages are English and Maori. New Zealand English is close to Australian English pronunciation in.
«Kiwis» as they are called, have been shaped by their isolation. Today, most Kiwis are no longer farmers, 86 percent of the population in New Zealand live in cities.
Climate.
The climate in the country is mild. Of the main cities, Christchurch is the driest (640 mm of rain per year) and Auckland is the wettest. As grass grows very quickly, the main industry in New Zealand is agriculture, especially cattle farming, marine fishing, fruit production.
Nature.
Because of its long isolation from the rest of the world, New Zealand has extraordinary flora and fauna. About 80% of the flora in New Zealand occurs only in New Zealand. The varied landscape of New Zealand has made it a popular location for the production of television programmes and films, including The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Last Samurai’.
Head of the state.
Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of New Zealand and the Head of state but her position is largely symbolic. The Head of Government is the Prime Minister.
New Zealand’s government is based on the parliamentary democracy. There are two main parties, National and Labour.
