New Zealand (1, 000)

New Zealand is situated to south-west of Australia. Its total area is about 270 thousand square kilometers and its population is nearly 3.5 million people. The capital of the country is Wellington. The official languages are English and Maori, the language of the native people. The climate of New Zealand is oceanic, without extremes of heat and cold. The yearly range of temperatures is quite small, with about 10 degrees Celsius variation between summer and winter. It is a small, quiet and green country. It has two large islands, one smaller island and many small islands. The large islands are North Island and South Island. The country is rich in minerals, but the land is the most important resource. It is ideal for crop farming, dairy, and sheep and cattle raising. Forest products are also important.

Among the animals of New Zealand the most interesting and popular is the kiwi. It is a small bird that appears at nights to find food. It can’t fly. This bird has become the symbol of the New Zealand people. Small children are called kiwis too there.

New Zealand is a self-governing independent state. Its parliament consists of only one house, the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister is the head of the government.

The largest cities are Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and others.

Notes

1) crop farming – земледелие;

2) cattle raising – разведение крупного рогатого скота.

Learn the key words and expressions.

area – площадь

bird – птица

food – пища

heat – жара

important – важный

language – язык

native – родной