Introduction to New Zealand’s geographical location and education system

New Zealand, also known as New Zealand, has a land area of ??270,000 square kilometers and is dominated by white Europeans. 74% of the residents are descendants of British immigrants, and 15% are Maori. In recent years, the number of Asian immigrants to New Zealand has been increasing, including people from China, Vietnam, Japan and other countries.

The official language of New Zealand is English, and Maori is also widely spoken in some areas. The currency unit of New Zealand is the New Zealand Dollar (NZ$). Wellington, the second largest city, is the capital of New Zealand. Auckland is New Zealand's largest city, followed by Hamilton, Christchurch, and Dunedin as larger cities.

Geographical location

New Zealand is located in the South Pacific, facing Australia across the Tasman Sea to the west, 1,600 kilometers from Australia to the west, Tonga and Fiji to the east, and a coastline of 6,900 kilometers. New Zealand is mainly composed of the South Island and the North Island, separated by the Cook Strait. New Zealand also has many smaller islands. The entire territory is mountainous, and the mountainous area accounts for 50% of the country's area. The majestic Southern Alps stretch across the western part of the South Island. Mount Cook, with an altitude of 3,764 meters, is the highest peak in the country. There are many glaciers and lakes in the mountainous area; there are hills in the west and plateaus in the southwest. The eastern part of the North Island has higher terrain, many volcanoes, and the central part has many lakes. The lake is surrounded by plains, on which stands the 2,797-meter-high Mount Ruapehu, the highest point on the North Island.

Climate

New Zealand is surrounded by sea and undulating mountains. The entire territory has a maritime temperate broad-leaved forest climate. Due to the influence of westerly winds, the average annual precipitation on the west coast is 1,000 to 3,000 mm, and in the southwestern coastal areas of the South Island, it can reach more than 5,000 mm; on the east coast, it is only 500 mm. There is no large landmass nearby that affects climate change, so the temperature difference between winter and summer is very small, only about 10 degrees. The average annual temperature in the North Island is about 15°C, and the average annual temperature in the South Island is about 10°C. The climate characteristics of different regions are also different. Generally speaking, the temperature is higher as you go north. North Island has a mild climate and green grass all year round. The South Island has lower temperatures and distinct scenery throughout the four seasons. New Zealand's average annual rainfall is between 1,000 and 2,000 millimeters. New Zealand is located in the Southern Hemisphere, and its seasonal changes are exactly opposite to those in China. Spring is from September to November, summer is from December to February, autumn is from March to May, and winter is from June to August.

Education System

New Zealand’s education system is regarded as one of the best in the world. New Zealanders begin education at an early age and can continue to learn throughout their lives. The main features of New Zealand education are: most children start school on their 5th birthday. Public schools do not charge fees, but parents need to pay for school uniforms and provide lunch for their children. Schools can receive part of the funding from the government and charge tuition fees and other additional fees. cost. Adults are encouraged to learn and can attend middle schools, universities or take specialized skills training courses. Some schools provide English tutoring to help students whose native language is not English. The New Zealand government stipulates that children between the ages of six and sixteen must attend school, including primary school and secondary school. There are 660,000 primary and secondary students across the country studying in more than 2,800 state-run primary and secondary schools. Among them, 8% of primary and secondary school students have no English background. The government invests more than NZ$2 billion in primary and secondary education every year.