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Portal:New Zealand

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New Zealand
Aotearoa (Māori)
A map of the hemisphere centred on New Zealand, using an orthographic projection.
Location of New Zealand, including outlying islands, its territorial claim in the Antarctic, and Tokelau
ISO 3166 codeNZ

New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It comprises two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country by area and lies east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. The country's varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps (Kā Tiritiri o te Moana), owe much to tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, and its most populous city is Auckland.

A developed country, New Zealand was the first to introduce a minimum wage and to give women the right to vote. Recognised as a middle power, New Zealand ranks very highly in international measures of quality of life and human rights and has one of the lowest levels of perceived corruption in the world. It retains visible levels of inequality, including structural disparities between its Māori and European populations. During the 1980s, New Zealand underwent major economic changes that transformed it from a protectionist to a liberalised free-trade economy. The service sector dominates the country's economy, followed by the industrial sector, and agriculture; international tourism is also a significant source of revenue. New Zealand and Australia have a strong relationship and are considered to share a strong Trans-Tasman identity, stemming from centuries of British colonisation. The country is part of multiple international organisations and forums. (Full article...)

This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Evermore: (left to right) Peter Hume, Jon Hume, Dann Hume Freiburg, Germany, November 2009

Evermore were a rock band formed in Feilding, New Zealand, in 1999, made up of three brothers Jon (guitar, vocals), Peter (keyboards, bass guitar, vocals) and Dann Hume (drums, guitar, vocals). The band was based in Sydney from 2004 to 2007 and then Melbourne until they became inactive in 2014. Evermore released four studio albums: Dreams (2004), Real Life (2006), Truth of the World: Welcome to the Show (2009), and Follow the Sun (2012), as well as a self-titled compilation album (2010). Real Life and Truth of the World were their highest-charting studio albums in New Zealand and Australia, while Dreams and Real Life received platinum certifications from Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

Evermore's most successful singles were "Running", "Light Surrounding You" (both 2006) and "Hey Boys and Girls (Truth of the World pt.2)" (2009) – "Light Surrounding You" peaked at number one in Australia. They were nominated for seven ARIA Music Awards and won two New Zealand Music Awards. The group's members won an APRA Silver Scroll song writing award and the Channel V Oz Artist of the Year Award. Evermore have not performed publicly since late 2014 and each of the members has undertaken a solo career. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various New Zealand-related articles on Wikipedia.

More Did you know? - show different entries

Brachyglottis repanda
Brachyglottis repanda

... that rangiora or bushman's friend, a small, bushy tree or tall shrub which has leaves with a furry underside, has been referred to as "Bushman's toilet paper"?

... that the Split Enz song Six Months in a Leaky Boat was "discouraged from airplay" in Britain during the Falklands war by the BBC for reasons of morale?

...that New Zealand historian John Dunmore published a cookbook composed from 18th-century ship's logs, including recipes for stewed rat and albatross?

...that New Zealand Test cricketer Martin Donnelly also played rugby union for England?

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In Māori mythology, Māui is a culture hero famous for his exploits and his trickery. Cast into the sea by his mother Taranga, Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga (or Māui of the topknot of Taranga) was rescued by ocean spirits and raised by his divine ancestor, Tama-nui-ki-te-rangi (Rangi).

Māui emerged from the sea and found his four brothers, Māui-taha, Māui-roto, Māui-pae, and Māui-waho. Māui's brothers at first are wary of the new-comer but, after he performs several feats such as transforming himself into different kinds of birds, they acknowledge his power and admire him.

With the help of his brothers, Māui netted the Sun and beat him severely with a jaw-bone club until the Sun promised to go slower in future, because the days were getting too short for people to get their work done.

Later, Māui took his brothers fishing, this time using the jaw-bone as a fish-hook. Māui, using blood from his nose for bait, hauled a great fish up from the depths, which became the North Island of New Zealand, or Te Ika-a-Māui (The Fish of Māui).

When the people need to recover the lost secret of fire, it is up to Māui to face Mahuika the Fire-goddess. He succeeds through trickery, infuriating the goddess, and he barely escapes with his life. (Full article...)

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Satellite image of New Zealand, 2002
Satellite image of New Zealand, 2002
Satellite image of New Zealand, 2002

Did you know (auto-generated) - load new batch

  • ... that Chris Jackson left the Cancer Society of New Zealand after his wife was elected to parliament?
  • ... that Phomen Singh, an early Indian migrant to New Zealand, sold sweets and chutneys out of a suitcase?
  • ... that a website has ranked a giant Santa statue as the world's most "unintentionally creepy Christmas ornament"?
  • ... that as a child, New Zealand economist Brad Olsen would write notes about stock market trends while watching the evening news?
  • ... that a founder of a New Zealand ice cream company was previously an investment banker?
  • ... that the owner of Pringle House planned on vacating due to the risk of earthquake damage, but an earthquake damaged the building first?
  • ... that Rush Munro's, New Zealand's oldest ice creamery, has used the same recipes since 1926?
  • ... that the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve is the only known nesting area for the eastern great egret in New Zealand?

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