Curiosities about New Zealand

New Zealand is a country whose first inhabitants are known to have appeared in the year 1200 AD. Still, it has deep-rooted traditions, inherited from its first Maori settlers and European colonists who settled in its territory. This mixture has led to the nation being known today as a multicultural territory, where newcomers are pleasantly received.

Even though its location is a little distant, it is a very visited tourist destination thanks to the interest awakened by its cities valued among the best quality of life in the world, its national parks of incomparable beauty and the fact that it has served as a stage for super film productions such as ¨The Lord of the Rings¨.

In order for you to discover a little more about this fascinating country, on this occasion we have prepared an article where we tell you some curiosities related to this nation.

In New Zealand “Kiwi” is not just the name of a fruit:

For New Zealanders, the word kiwi, in addition to naming a fruit, also refers to a type of bird native to their country. They are small birds whose wings are not formed to fly. Their legs and beaks are long compared to the rest of their body and although they appear to be covered with hair, like mammals, what they possess are feathers. During the Second World War this bird was the symbol of the New Zealand army and later became the symbol of the country.

Derived from this name, are also called this way the inhabitants of New Zealand, even among them are often treated by this name.

In New Zealand is located one of the cities with the best quality of life in the world:

Auckland has been repeatedly declared one of the top 5 cities with the best quality of life in the world. Factors such as urbanization, economic environment, public services and transport, political and social environment, among others, are evaluated each year by internationally recognized organizations dedicated to this type of qualifications, agreeing that this New Zealand city is in one of the top positions.

New Zealand and The Lord of the Rings:

New Zealand is a country of breathtaking and incomparable natural beauty. Its geography presents landscapes that seem to be taken from fantasy novels by the presence of high snow-capped peaks, lush forests and endless valleys. All this greatly influenced the filming of the film trilogies ¨The Lord of the Rings¨ and ¨The Hobbit¨, since the scenes described in the books offer the idea of an atmosphere very similar to that of this country. This event contributed to the increase in tourism seen in recent years.

A large part of the national territory is valued as a protected area:

In this country there are 13 national parks that cover an area of more than 30,000 km ² of the entire national territory, representing more than 20% of its total area. At present, these parks are the habitat of numerous species of native plants and animals and are visited every year by more than 2 million tourists.

First country in the world to grant women the right to vote:

It was in New Zealand, in 1893, that for the first time in history unrestricted women’s suffrage is authorised, thanks to the strong movement in favour of this issue led by the outstanding suffragette Kate Sheppard. However it was not until 1919 that New Zealand women could be elected to public positions.

Haka:

The haka is a Maori war dance originally intended to intimidate the opposing side before battle. Today, men and women alike perform this dance whose meaning has expanded and is often used for other purposes such as welcoming, as a symbol of competence, hospitality and respect.

New Zealand’s rugby team, dubbed All Blacks, has made it a ritual to perform a ¨haka¨ before each international match begins. This action, in addition to their good work in the field, has made them very popular among lovers of this sport.

The first person to climb Everest was a New Zealander:

On May 29, 1953, the highest summit in the world was conquered for the first time by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary, accompanied by Sherpa’s Tenzing Norgay. After this feat Hillary continued to participate in other scientific expeditions and founded an NGO called ¨Himalayan trust¨ whose main objective is to carry out educational projects, health, reforestation and infrastructure construction.

As you can appreciate New Zealand is a very interesting country, full of pleasant surprises ready to be discovered. We hope that this article has prompted you to know in person the origin of the data mentioned above.