Facts about New Zealand

Use our 20 amazing facts to bamboozle your fellow travellers with your in-depth knowledge of New Zealand. You may also do well in a pub quiz!

1) is a bit bigger than the size of Great Britain and a little smaller than Japan but almost 36 times smaller than the size of the USA

2) approximately the size of California and about 75% of the size of Germany

3) about 268,000 square kilometres

4) about 1600 kilometres from north to south

5) Nowhere in NZ is further than 170 km from the sea

6) is situated in the South Pacific ocean in the Southern Hemisphere, half way between Equator and South Pole in the latitude of the Roaring Forties

7) lies about 2200 km east of Australia and 10,400 km south-west of the USA

8) is made up of two bigger islands (North Island and South Island) and hundreds of smaller islands

10) The name New Zealand (Nieuw Zeeland) was given to the country by the first known European explorer Abel Tasman after the Netherlands province “Zeeland”

11) has average max. temperatures of about 20-30ºC in summer (Dec. to Feb.) and 10-15ºC in winter (June to Aug.)

12) variations in climate and landscape, i.e. the North Island is mildly volcanic, hilly and has coastal mangroves in the north whereas the South Island is known for its Southern Alps, glaciers, fiords, lakes and rivers

13) has 27 mountains over 3050 metres; with Mount Cook being the highest mountain in Australasia at 3755 metres

14) Capital city: Wellington

15) Population: 4 Mil People

16) has a diverse multicultural society: about 76% are European, 14% are Maori, and about 10% are Pacific Island Polynesians and Asians or of other origin

17) Close to 75% of the population live in the North Island, 25% in the South Island

18) Population Density: 14 persons per square kilometre (very small compared to UK with 240, Germany 230 and Japan 330 persons per square km)

19) The legal drinking age is 18 years

20) Voted the ' best travel destination' by Lonely Planet two years in a row!