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Culture Corner
文化角
New Zealand Fact File
新西蘭情況介紹
Government
政府
New Zealand has its own government, but it is also part of the British Commonwealth,
新西蘭有它自己的政府，但仍屬于英聯邦的一部分，
and therefore the official head of state is Elizabeth Ⅱ, the Queen of England, Scotland and Wales.
所以其政府首領是伊麗莎白二世，英格蘭、蘇格蘭和威爾士的女王。
New Zealand was the first country in the world to give the vote to women in 1893,
新西蘭是世界上首個在1893年賦予女性選舉權，
to have old age pensions and the eight-hour working day.
并提供養老金，以及規定8小時工作制的國家。
Geography
地理
New Zealand, in the South Pacific,
新西蘭位于南太平洋，
consists of two large islands plus other smaller islands with an area of 270,000 sq km.
它包含了兩個大島和其它小島，面積為270,000平方公里。
North Island has a warm climate and there is quite a lot of volcanic activity.
北部的島氣候很溫暖，火山活動頻繁。
South Island is cooler and has a higher rainfall.
南部的島氣候要涼爽些，降水量更大。
In the South Island, there are the Southern Alps with Mount Cook (3,754 m), the highest mountain in New Zealand.
在南部的島，有南阿爾卑斯山和庫克山（3,754米），這是新西蘭最高的山。
Economy
經濟
New Zealand has some industry but agriculture is more important
新西蘭有一些工業，但是農業更重要
- there are 55 million sheep, 8 million cows and 1 million goats in New Zealand!
—在新西蘭有5,500萬只綿羊，800萬頭牛，和100萬只山羊！
Wildlife
野生動植物
New Zealand was cut off from the rest of the land on Earth for 80 million years
新西蘭與世上其它地區隔絕了8,000萬年，
and has some unique animals and plants.
所以有一些獨特的動植物。
For example, the kiwi (the symbol of New Zealand) is a large bird which cannot fly.
例如：幾維鳥（新西蘭的標志）是一種不能飛的大鳥。
