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Country of the Month: New Zealand
This month we will be traveling through New
Zealand, a country located southeast of the Pacific Ocean and
east of Australia, sharing the Tasmanian Sea. New Zealand,
as well as Papua, New Guinea and Australia make up the
continent of Oceania; its territory is made up of two main
islands called North Island and South Island, and also by
other smaller islands. The capital of New Zealand is Wellington and is located on the North
Island. It is the most important city, followed in importance by Auckland (previously the
capital) and the city of Christchurch.
On the top left hand corner, its flag
has the flag of England, over a blue
background, and four red stars with a white
frame that represent the Constellation of the
South Cross.
The landscape in New Zealand
stands out for its variety and especially for
its mountains, where the peaks are permanently covered in snow and have several glaciers.
There is a chain of active volcanoes located between thermal fountains, geysers and hot mud
puddles. These islands also have fertile plain lands for grass, great forests both natural and
planted, several sandy beaches and short rivers with fast currents. There are many lakes in the
two islands. The largest lakes on the North Island are located in the central volcanic plateau,
while the big lakes in the South Island are of glacier origin and are surrounded by a beautiful
mountainous landscape.
It is surprising to know that there is no autochthonous mammal in this country as the ones
that exist today were taken there by the European man during the colonization.
In the