绿色新西兰
美丽的新西兰位于大洋洲的西南方，紧邻澳大利亚，始建于公元1000年，由玻利维亚人发现，后经欧洲移民后裔开发和建设。有“白云之乡” （The land of the long white cloud） 美誉的岛国新西兰，像一叶扁舟漂浮在西南太平洋上。新西兰西隔塔斯曼海与澳大利亚相望，西距澳大利亚1600公里，北邻汤加、斐济，扼南太平洋的海、空交通要冲。面积为268 103平方千米，海岸线长6900千米。面积与日本及英国相近，北岛多火山和温泉。近一千年来，在这片有着广袤田野的土地上，古毛利人留下了丰富的传统文化，欧洲的探险家们又带去了先进的科学、宗教等欧洲文化，创造了今天繁荣富强的新西兰。
新西兰的美丽在于她的四季如春。她地处南半球，即使最寒冷的七月和八月，平均气温也不低于摄氏 10度；最炎热的一月和二月，气温则保持在摄氏 25度左右。潮湿温暖的气候使新西兰出落得清新又活跃，无论是茂盛的雨林、清澈的湖泊，还是绿草茵茵的山坡、水清沙白的海滩，无不把宽广的自然空间和优雅的现代化环境结合得恰到好处。
新西兰有五大城市：奥克兰、惠灵顿、汉密尔顿、基督城和达尼丁。奥克兰是第一大城市，人口约130万，是新西兰的工业和商业中心；首都惠灵顿，人口约42万，是新西兰政治和金融中心。居民以信仰基督教及天主教为主。
在商业方面，新西兰有数之不尽的发展机会及优越的回报。其健全的经济基础由所有主要的经济指标显示，其各行业正积极地运行。在亚洲经济危机的威胁下，新西兰的经济仍然保持着稳定的增长，足见新西兰的商业机会广阔，特别是给那些商业投资、技术人士提供了优良的环境。同时根据澳新双边协议，（指澳大利亚和新西兰），澳新两国任何一方的公民，可免签证无限期地进入另一方进行工作、学习和生活。新西兰一向是个中立国，并且是一个安全的国家。新西兰护照可免签一百多个国家，包括欧洲各国、美国、加拿大、日本、南非、东南亚国家、南美国家等等。
新西兰的社会福利完善，早在1898年为保障老年人的生活就已引入了养老金制度，在新西兰65岁以上即可领取养老金。其他方面包括：公立医院免费就诊住院；孕妇生产免费；优质的免费教育制度；18岁以上就学并已独立生活者有生活和租房补贴；失业救济等等。总之新西兰是世界上最佳的居住地之一。
New Zealand is a country of immenseimmense adj.极广大的， 无边的， <口>非常好的 beauty： glacial mountains， fastflowing rivers， deep， clear lakes， hissing geysers and boiling mud. There are abundant forest reserves， deserted beaches and a variety of fauna， such as the kiwikiwi n.［鸟］几维(一种新西兰产的无翼鸟)， <口> 新西兰人， endemic to its shores. Situated about 1600km southeast of Australia it stretches 1600km from north to south， consisting of two large islands and a smattering of smaller islands.
Introduction
The New Zealand archipelago is located in the South Pacific and is comprised of three large islands (the North Island， South Island and Stewart Island) and several hundred smaller offshore islands. The country，s landmasslandmass n.大陆 has an area of 270，500 km2， and stretches from 48° South to latitude 34° South. The climate of the main islands is maritime and temperate， while its outlying islands vary climatically from subtropical to subAntarctic. It is a relatively young country and its landmass is a result of the collision of the Pacific and IndoAustralian plates.
Geologists believe that New Zealand broke away from the supercontinent Gondwana about 70 million years ago， before mammalsmammals n. 哺乳动物 were established on the landmass. Once separated from other landmasses by oceans， only plants and animals dispersed by water or wind could reach New Zealand. Thus， the New Zealand flora and fauna evolved in isolation， and is characterized by a high degree of endangered speciesendangered species n. 濒于灭绝的物种.
In the absence of mammalian competitors and predators， many of the species of birds and invertebrates in New Zealand evolved to occupy ecological niches that elsewhere in the world were occupied by mammals. The resulting assemblage of species is both unique and extremely vulnerable to the arrival of new animals such as those brought by man.
According to Maori legend， the country was discovered over 1000 years ago by Kupe， a great Maori navigatornavigator n.航海家. Kupe sailed from a place known as Hawaiki， believed to be Tahiti， to “Aotearoa” (Land of the Long White Cloud) known today as New Zealand. Today， New Zealanders are primarily of British descent. The government of New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy， and the country is a member of the British Commonwealth.
Following the arrival of the first people on its shores， New Zealand has undergone extreme changes： waves of human colonization resulted in extinction of some of New Zealand，s most unusual fauna， and have left a number of unique species and ecosystemsecosystem n.生态系统 with the dubious distinction of being threatened or endangered. Many of the current resource management challenges involve issues of biodiversity， ecological integrity and biosecurity.
With its myriad of landforms， New Zealand is an exciting place. The dynamic processes of plate tectonics that shaped the landmass are ongoing， as is evidenced by active volcanoes and occasional earthquakes.
