New Zealand is indeed one of the beat countries to live in and though being a small nation, it is a developed one. They have a distinct biodiversity in terms of plants, animals and fungals. The history of New Zealand dates back to 1250th CE. Sometime between 1250 and 1300 CE, Polynesian settled in the islands that later were named New Zealand and developed a distinctive Maori culture. In 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight New Zealand. Maoris form the largest minority group followed by Asians and Pacific Outlanders. So without any further ado, let’s share “18 interesting facts about the beautiful country of New Zealand”
1) The place with the longest name in the world is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, a hill in Hawkes Bay.
2) No part of the country is more than 128km (79 miles) from the sea.
Also, Wellington is the southernmost capital city in the world.
3) Only 5% of NZ’s population is human, the rest are animals. That means there are way more animals than actual human beings there.
4) NZ is the least corrupt nation in the world (along with Denmark), according to the Corruptions Perception Index.
5) New Zealand has more Scottish pipe bands per capita than any other country in the world.
6) Blue Lake, in Nelson Lakes National Park, has the clearest water in the world.
7) New Zealand is home to the world’s smallest dolphin species.
8) There are no land snakes, native or introduced, in NZ.
9) The first ever man to climb Mt. Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary, was a Kiwi.
10) New Zealand is home to more species of penguins than any other country.
11) In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to give women the right to vote in the world.
12) Auckland is one of the most affordable cities in the world to live in.
13) Baldwin Street, in Dunedin, is the world’s steepest street. The road over there has a gradient of 1 in 2.86 at its steepest section, a 38 per cent grade.
14) 15% of total NZ’s population are Māori people.
15) NZ was voted the world’s best country in 2007 and 2008 by the prestigious Wanderlust magazine.
16) New Zealand was the last habitable land mass to be populated on the planet.
17) New Zealand’s government has granted Whanganui River the same rights as a living person. In the precolonial era, the Whanganui River was a vital communication route for Maori people and it navigability attracted large-scale settlement in the Whanganui River valley.
18) New Zealand is the only country in the world where all the highest positions have been simultaneously held by women: In 2006, the Queen, the Governor-General, the PM, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Justice were all women.
These facts conclude our today’s article on New Zealand. We hope that you enjoyed reading these facts and also got to knew a lot of new things. Do share this articles among your friends and colleagues.
