Polynesians were the first settlers to arrive in New Zealand about one thousand years old. Over the next few centuries these settlers developed into a distinct culture now known as Maori. Some explorers from Europe came to New Zealand later. Abel Tasman came to New Zealand in 1642 and James Cook in 1769. He also finished the map of New Zealand. Following Cook, New Zealand was visited by numerous European and North American whaling, sealing and trading ships. Gradually, more and more European had interest in New Zealand. The British government asked New Zealand to claim sovereignty and give a treaty to Maori. The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed on 6 February 1840. The drafting and translation were done unclearly. The Treaty is regarded as New Zealand's foundation as a nation and is revered by Maori as a guarantee of their rights.
During the 1860s, many goldminers arrived in the South Island from overseas. These included Chinese people. They were the first Asian settlers in New Zealand. In 1893, it became the first nation in the world to give women the right to vote. In 1947, New Zealand became a fully independent nation.
***Capitals: Russell 1840
Auckland 1840-1865
Wellington 1865-
30 July 2007
About New Zealand
Background Information
During 30th June to 15th July, a group of Lee Kau Yan students have experienced a wonderful trip in New Zealand( Queenstown). We flew to Auckland first and waited for about 5 hours for another flight to Queenstown.The aim of creating this blog is to keep our memory forever so I will keep updating the blog. I will introduce our activities and my host family to you. Also, I will include some history and culture in the blog as well.
Fact
New Zealand is a country in the south western Pacific Ocean which contains two large islands ( the north Island and the South Island). The capital of New Zealand is Wellington but the largest city of is Auckland. In New Zealand, most of the people speak in English. But, there is still some people speak in Maori. Therefore, both are the official languages. The population is 4177000 but the area is 270534 ( km²). So, New Zealand is at 193rd of the list of countries of the population density in the world.
The kiwi, New Zealand's national emblem. It is a flightless bird. It has long feather and a long, bill which uses to find some worms in the ground. It is like an owl as it is only active at night. It is only found in New Zealand. New Zealanders often call themselves as Kiwis, and it is also used for the short form for the famous kiwifruit. On the stock exchange, the New Zealand Dollar is also referred to as 'the kiwi'.
During 30th June to 15th July, a group of Lee Kau Yan students have experienced a wonderful trip in New Zealand( Queenstown). We flew to Auckland first and waited for about 5 hours for another flight to Queenstown.The aim of creating this blog is to keep our memory forever so I will keep updating the blog. I will introduce our activities and my host family to you. Also, I will include some history and culture in the blog as well.
Fact
New Zealand is a country in the south western Pacific Ocean which contains two large islands ( the north Island and the South Island). The capital of New Zealand is Wellington but the largest city of is Auckland. In New Zealand, most of the people speak in English. But, there is still some people speak in Maori. Therefore, both are the official languages. The population is 4177000 but the area is 270534 ( km²). So, New Zealand is at 193rd of the list of countries of the population density in the world.
The kiwi, New Zealand's national emblem. It is a flightless bird. It has long feather and a long, bill which uses to find some worms in the ground. It is like an owl as it is only active at night. It is only found in New Zealand. New Zealanders often call themselves as Kiwis, and it is also used for the short form for the famous kiwifruit. On the stock exchange, the New Zealand Dollar is also referred to as 'the kiwi'.
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