New Zealand is an island country situated in the Pacific Ocean. The country is notable isolated, about 2000 km southeast of Australia with population of European descent and Indigenous Maori (being the largest minority).

The first European name for New Zealand was Staten Landt. The name New Zealand originated with Dutch Cartographers, who called the island Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zealand.

New Zealand spread over two main islands, the North and South Islands, Te Ika a Maui and Te Wai Pounamu, and a number of smaller islands, located near the centre of the water hemisphere.

New Zealand has extraordinary flora and fauna, due to its long isolation from the rest of the world. About 80% of the land’s flora is endemic. The two main types of forest are those   podocarps or the gaint kauri. The other greenery in New Zealand are grasslands of tussock and other grasses.

New Zealand has suffered a high rate of extinctions, including moa, the huia, laughing owl and flightless wrens. This is because of human activities such as hunting and others.New Zealand has led the world in island restoration projects, where offshore islands are cleared of introduced mammalian pests and native species are reintroduced. Several islands located near to the three main islands are wildlife reserves where common pests such as possums and rodents have been eradicated to allow the reintroduction of endangered species to the islands.