ABSTRACT
New Zealand is an independent nation located in the South Western Pacic Ocean, 1200 mi. east of Australia. It has two main islands, known as the North and the South Islands, and an economy heavily dependent on exports from cattle and sheep farming, shing, and forestry. Although both islands are roughly the same in area, more than 3 million of New Zealand’s 4.4 million inhabitants live in the North Island, and 1.5 million of these live in its largest and fastest-growing city, Auckland. e capital city, Wellington, is second largest, with a population of 350,000, and is located at the southern end of the North Island. Approximately the same number of people lives in Christchurch, the largest South Island city. e national population is thus highly urbanized, with 86% living in urban areas of 10,000 or more. e population is also ethnically diverse, as 70% are classi-ed as European, 14% as Maori, 10% as Asian, and 7% as ethnic Pacic Islanders, known generically as Pasika.
