Graphics & Words by Caitlin Chuah
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Breath-taking views, adorable animals, adrenaline activities¡New Zealand has got it all! In addition to its extraordinary attractions, many students travel far and wide to further their studies at NZ¡¯s world-class academic institutions. If you are planning to study there, below are 25 fun facts about New Zealand that will have you falling head over heels for this remarkable country.
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1. New Zealand consists of 2 main islands: North Island and South Island.
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2. There are more sheep than people in New Zealand (10 sheep to 1 person).
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3. In 2001, the top religion in New Zealand was ¡°Jedi¡±.
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4. Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu is a town in New Zealand; it is the longest town name in the world.
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5. You can visit ¡°Hobbiton¡± in New Zealand, which was made famous through the ¡°Lord of the Rings¡± saga.
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6. The word ¡°kiwi¡± can mean 3 things in New Zealand; a ¡°dry kiwi¡± is someone who was born in NZ, ¡°kiwi bird¡± refers to the small flightless bird and national symbol of NZ and ¡°kiwi fruit¡± is well, the delicious green fruit!
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7. New Zealand is similar in size to the UK but only houses 4 million people (compared to 63 million people in the UK).
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8. Only 5% of its living population are humans, the remaining 95% of life are animals.
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9. Baldwin Street is the steepest road in the world, located on the South Island of New Zealand.
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10. New Zealand was the first country to allow women to vote; women¡¯s rights for the win!
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11. What¡¯s more, NZ is the first country to have its top 3 positions simultaneously held by women; from 2001 to 2006, Helen Clark was Prime Minister, Dame Silvia Cartwright was Governor-General and Sian Elias was Chief Justice.
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12. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index, NZ is one of the least corrupt countries in the world.
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13. Gisborne, NZ is the first city on our planet to see the sunrise every day.
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14. New Zealand has 3 official languages: English, M¨¡ori and New Zealand Sign Language.
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15. The M¨¡ori term for New Zealand is ¡®Aotearoa,¡¯ which translates to ¡®Land of the Long White Cloud.¡¯
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16. New Zealand was the last country in the world to be inhabited by humans; its history dates back to only a few hundred years.
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17. The Kea is a bird native to NZ; it has a reputation for dragging windscreen wipers off of cars and even pecking on the rubber strips from windows.
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18. New Zealand has a maritime climate, with temperatures ranging from 10¡ãC to 16¡ãC all year round.
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19. The first known man to reach the peak of Mt. Everest is a Kiwi named Sir Edmund Hillary.
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20. In New Zealand, most children start school on their 5th birthday, not at the beginning of the year.
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21. New Zealand is famous for its adrenaline activities, such as bungee jumping, skydiving, white-water rafting and more; perfect for adrenaline junkies!
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22. The smallest dolphin in the world, Hector¡¯s Dolphin, is from New Zealand; they only grow to about 1.5 metres.
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23. The most popular sport in New Zealand is rugby.
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24. 30% of the country is a national reserve, making New Zealand a natural paradise protected from the harm of humans.
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25. Blue Lake in Nelson Lakes National Park has the clearest water in the world; it has a visibility of 70 to 80 metres.
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If you are interested in furthering your studies, feel free to contact us. Our services include: education and career counselling, assistance in college/university applications, student visa application, arranging accommodation and more!