The New Zealand Economy.

Location

New Zealand can be found two thousand kilometers South East of Australia, basically a three hour flight and was formed by two techtonic plates pushing up against each other. Unbelievably New Zealand is still being formed as these plates are still shifting closer together.

Breathtakingly Beautiful with a twist

The downside to this is that New Zealand has many earth tremors and has some volcanoes that have the ability to burst open at some stage in the future. Few people know that New Zealand has between ten and fifteen thousand earthquakes per year, but most are so insignificant that most happen unnoticed. On the positive side this movement of the techtonic plates has formed one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. With breathtaking mountain ranges and almost a idillic beach wherever you go making New Zealand a favourite holiday spot and a perfect choice for immigrants.

North and South

The country consists of two large islands (called the North and South Islands) with lots of smaller islands sprinkled around them. New Zealand is known for its temperate climate as the temperatures dont fluctuate so wildly between the four seasons as you will find with most other countries. In Auckland the temperature rarely goes below 0 degrees celcius during winter and often reaches the mid to high twenties in summer. The further South you live in winter, the more cold the temperature.

Land of the long white cloud

New Zealand is also called Aotearoa, which in Maori translates into the land of the long white cloud. Especially in winter the winds from the massive warm continent of Australia and the chilly Antarctic air clash to create gigantic masses of cloud that move over the country. This causes the country to have an annual rainfall of around 600mm to 1600mm. The rainy season is therefore in winter, though we do get downpours throughout the year.

Outdoor Lifestyle

In summer the focus shifts to outdoor living, with the four million strong population enjoying most of their leisure time outdoors during this time. With the turn of the season comes an end to the rain and the start of daylight saving time. Extended summer days are enjoyed tanning on the sea sand, socialising with family and of course water sports like boating, surfing, windsurfing and kite boarding are very popular. Fishing is also a very popular past time in New Zealand with some of the best fly and trout fishing spots.

The economy

The New Zealand economy is mostly based on the farming and export industries, most notably the dairy, wine and fruit industries. There is also a fast growing filming industry with many of the latest blockbuster movies being shot in New Zealand. The most famous of those being the Lord of the Rings series. There are also vibrant Information and Technology centres in Auckland and Wellington.