About New Zealand
A LITTLE ABOUT NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand and Italy may be 20,000 km apart but the two countries have many things in common – beautiful scenery, great food, friendly people and even the same shape!
They even have similar nicknames. Italy is known as il Bel Paese and New Zealand is often referred to as Godzone, a play on words that comes from God’s Own Country, because it’s so special.
New Zealand is roughly the same size as Italy, but has a population of around 5.4 million, and this has definitely helped form our way of life and attitudes.
Because there is so much space, schools have plenty of outdoor areas, including sports fields, tennis courts and facilities such as fully-equipped science labs and kitchens, theatres and in some cases, even rock-climbing walls.
The New Zealand lifestyle tends to be laidback and informal, even in the larger cities. The rhythm of life is also quite different, with many families eating their evening meal at around 6pm, especially in winter. Don’t forget of course that the seasons are the opposite of Europe, with December to March being the hot months, and June to September on the chilly side! In terms of time zone, from October to March, New Zealand is 12 hours ahead of Italy, and 10 hours for the rest of the year.
LANGUAGES
English is New Zealand’s de facto official language, while Te Reo Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language are classed as official languages.
English is the most widely spoken, however Māori is considered a national taonga (treasure) and is undergoing a significant revival to ensure it remains a living language. Most secondary schools have Māori language classes and while you are in New Zealand, you will definitely have the chance to experience the Māori culture through song, dance and the language itself.
Find out more here:
https://www.newzealand.com/int/feature/maori-language/
