In the southwestern Pacific Ocean you will find New Zealand, consisting of 2 main islands (the North and the South Islands), separated by the Cook Strait, and several smaller islands. Being a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy, the head of state is the monarch of the UK.
Christianity is the main religion of the 4,500,000 inhabitants of this archipelago. Although the most populated city is Auckland, the capital is Wellington, on the North Island. Other main cities are Christchurch, Hamilton, Napier, Tauranga and Dunedin. Fiordland, the Southern Lakes, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and the Wellington Botanic Gardens are only a few attractions in this nation. Live webcam streaming will take you to other beautiful places across the country.
Despite having a temperate maritime climate, there are some sharp contrasts between some regions. For instance, Wellington, the wettest city, receives almost twice as much rainfall as the driest city, Christchurch. These contrasts, also very visible in the stunning landscape, with volcanoes, lakes and frozen mountains, made New Zealand the perfect mythical setting for the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies.
