Country's Full Name: New Zealand

Brief History: Polynesians discovered and settled New Zealand in between 950 and 1130 AD. In 1642 Abel Janszoon Tasman was the first Dutch explorer who sailed into New Zealand Waters. The encounter with local Maori inhabitants led to bloodshed. Before leaving he charted the Northern and Southern islands naming them as Zeeland - a state in Holland. In 1769 James Cook, British explorer, and Jean François Marie de Surville, commander of a French trading ship, both arrive by coincidence in New Zealand at the same time. Maori tribesmen were a formidable foe for European settlers. The treaty of Waitangi signed in 1840 with local Maori Chiefs helped the British to annex both North and South islands.

What is the country known for:
It is famous for natural pristine beauties.
All adventure sports originate from New Zealand - famous bungy jump, rafting, canyoning, skydiving, mountaineering, zorbing, kayak on a remote fiord, hot air balloons, and the heliskiing.

Main Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, lamb and mutton, dairy products; fish

Main Trading Parteners: Exports partners (2006): Australia, US, Japan, China, UK; Exports: $23.69 billion; Exports commodities: dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery.

Imports partners (2006): Australia, China, US , Japan, Germany, Singapore; Imports:$25.23 billion (2006 est.); Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics

Major Cities: Auckland, Wellington (Capital), Rotorua, Christchurch, Queenstown, Franz Josef Glacier, Invercargill, Herne Bay, Nelson, Westport and Greymouth.

Location: Mainly comprising two islands North and South; it lies in Southeast of Australia in South Pacific Ocean.

Geographic coordinates:
41 00 S, 174 00 E

Size: Total: 268,680 sq km (land: 268,021 sq km/water: NA)
note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

About the size of Colorado.

Time Zone:
Current time zone offset: UTC/GMT 13 hours

Standard time zone: UTC/GMT 12 hours
Daylight saving time: 1 hour

DST ended on Sunday, March 18, 2007 at 3:00 AM local daylight time
DST started on Sunday, September 30, 2007 at 2:00 AM local standard time

Type of Government:
New Zealand is an independent nation following parliamentary democracy within British Commonwealth. British monarch remains the head of state but don't interfere in the normal functioning. The monarch is represented by Governor-General. The parliament is unicameral called as House of Representatives - (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists; to serve three-year terms)

Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1952)
Governor-General: Anand Satyanand (2006)
Prime Minister: Helen Clark (1999)

National Holidays:

2010
1 Jan - 2 Jan New Year.
6 Feb Waitangi Day.
2 Apr - 5 Apr Easter.
25 Apr ANZAC Day.
7 Jun Queen's Birthday.
27 Oct Labour Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

2011
1 Jan New Year.
6 Feb Waitangi Day.
22 Apr - 25 Apr Easter.
25 Apr ANZAC Day.
6 Jun Queen's Birthday.
24 Oct Labour Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

Note: Each province also observes its particular anniversary day as a holiday.

Population:
July 2007 estimate: 4,115,771
0-14 years: 20.8% (male 437,547/female 417,698)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 1,393,057/female 1,378,358)
65 years and over: 11.9% (male 214,189/female 274,922) (2007 est.)

Life expectancy: 78.96 years (male: 75.97 years/female: 82.08 years)
Median age: 34.2 years (male: 33.5 years/female: 35 years)

Religion: Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 census)

Language: English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official)

Local Customs:
European culture is predominant; however, traditional Maori culture is also preserved.
New Zealanders are environmentally concerned. Strong fines are imposed for anybody not preserving their country's beauty.
New Zealanders can be somewhat reserved, especially with people they do not know. Once they develop a personal relationship, they are friendly, outgoing and social.

Best Time to go: New Zealand is in southern hemisphere; seasons are reversed to northern hemisphere. Best time to visit is during their warmer, drier months from November to April. However, visiting in their peak summer season in December to January make accommodation scarce as local New Zealanders spend their vacations. Ski resorts in Southern Alps, Queenstown area remain full during their winter season.


Currency:

1 US Dollar = 1.31019 New Zealand Dollar
1 New Zealand Dollar (NZD) = 0.76325 US Dollar (USD)

1 British Pound = 2.67893 New Zealand Dollar
1 New Zealand Dollar (NZD) = 0.37328 British Pound (GBP)

1 Euro = 1.86691 New Zealand Dollar
1 New Zealand Dollar (NZD) = 0.53564 Euro (EUR)

Customs Regulations: :
Cigarettes, Cigars or Tobacco: 200 cigarettes, or 250 grams of tobacco, or 50 cigars, or a mixture of all three weighing not more than 250 grams
Alcoholic Beverages: 4.5 litres of wine or beer and one 1125ml bottle of spirits or liqueur.

Tipping: Tipping in New Zealand is not essential. However, 10% of the bill can be given for exceptional service in good city restaurants and international hotels. Hotels and restaurants do not add service charges in the bill. Taxi drivers can be rounded off $5 NZD to the fare. Porters can be given $1 or $2 NZD. Chambermaids, bell boys can be tipped for better service. No tip required for barbers, gas station attendants.