INTRODUCTION

New Zealand is an island country in the Southwestern Oceania, about 1,600 km southeast of Australia and about 10,500 km southwest of California. New Zealand belongs to a large island group called Polynesia. It is made up of two large islands (North and South Island), one smaller island (Stewart Island), and numerous much smaller islands. New Zealand has a total land area of 268,670 sq. km and a coastline of 15,134 km.

New Zealand has a population of approximately 3.9 million people  with the official languages being English and Maori. New Zealand is a beautiful country of snow-capped mountains, green lowlands, beaches and many lakes and waterfalls. No place is more than150 km from the coastline, and in few places are mountains or hills out of view.
New Zealand is an 'Enchanting Island' of immense, unsurpassed natural beauty and healthy environment. It is a unique country. Its scenery sets it apart from the rest of the world while its people have a reputation for friendliness, strength and independence. There is abundant beauty and diversity in scenery, lifestyle and culture. From rolling green farmlands to barren volcanic desert areas, from golden beaches with clear blue water to majestic snow covered mountains, New Zealand offers a sample of every possible landscape within a relatively small country.
It is viewed as an island of opportunity with all the advantages of a modern, industrialized state, responsive to hard work and talent. Technologically advanced, it is a progressive democracy, renowned for its capacity to initiate social reforms.
Above all, New Zealand is the most peaceful and safe country of the world, enjoying a level of tranquility that is rare in today's life. New Zealand's standard of living ranks among the highest in the world. It is one of the least corrupt countries in the world.

Kiwi is the affectionate description given to New Zealand citizens and is a nickname they are proud of. Kiwi stands both for the kiwi bird, a flightless native of the country, and the kiwi fruit, which has become New Zealand's leading horticultural product. It is generally accepted that New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The nation treasures its rich cultural and natural heritage.
New Zealand society reflects many years of migration from all parts of the globe. Most New Zealanders are of British descent, with others from European cultures such as Greek, Italian, French, Dutch, Dalmatians, Scandinavians and German. More recently people from islands throughout the Pacific, such as Samoa and Fiji, have also settled here, along with immigrants from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The largest non-European group of people in the New Zealand is the indigenous Maori, New Zealand's first settlers and the tangata whenua (people of the land). Maori culture, art, and traditions are an important part of New Zealand's heritage.

 Total: 3,811,000

North Island: 2,884,900

South Island  ; 926,100

Ethnic Groups (Census 1996) % of population

European : 74.8

Maori : 15.1

Pacific Island Polynesian : 5.0

Chinese : 2.0

Indian : 1.1

Indian : 2.0

Population density : 14 inhabitants per square km

Capital : Wellington

Language : English and Maori

Religion : 25% Anglican, 18% Presbyterian, 16% Roman Catholic, 26% other, 15% non-religious

Currency : New Zealand's unit of currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZ$)

Government : Parliamentary democracy

Flag and it's significance
The flag of NZ is blue with the flag of UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation.

Anthems
"God defend New Zealand"(national); "God save the Queen"(royal).

In reality, New Zealand is urbanite. More than 2 million New Zealanders live in or on the perimeter of major cities; there are more people living in Auckland's urban area than in the whole of South Island. About 90 percent of new Zealanders live in towns of more than 1000 people. 

Mountains, Lakes, Rivers and Waterfalls

Mountain ranges and hill country dominates New Zealand's landscape; one of the most striking features is the Southern Alps. These, along with fiords, glaciers and lakes, and the coastal plains of Canterbury and Southland, add to the variety of South Island scenery. In the north island, the volcanic interior contains New Zealand's largest lake, lake Taupoa and the most of the country's active volcanos- Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro- all usually quite, although Ruapehu has been active since September 1995. Hot springs, geysers and mud pools also form part of the volcanic system centered on Rotorua.
 
Lakes, rivers, and waterfalls are found throughout New Zealand. Most of the lakes lie in the volcanic plateau of the North Island and in glacial valleys near the Southern Alps of the South Island. The largest lake, Lake Taupoa on the North Island, covers 606 square kilometers and is a holiday area famous for trout fishing.
On both islands, the rivers rise in the mountains and flow down to the sea.

 ECONOMY

 New Zealand's small economy is heavily dependent on overseas trade. For many years, the country's economy depended largely on agriculture and export of agricultural products to the United Kingdom, but in the past 20 years, New Zealand has adapted to a changing world and now Asia is more dominant. New Zealand's largest export markets are Australia, Japan, USA, UK and Korea. New Zealand has developed its agriculture and manufacturing industries to suit the needs of niche markets. This has meant that New Zealand has moved away from the dependence on dairy, meat, and wool exports as forestry, horticulture, fishing and manufacturing have become more significant. Tourism is also becoming increasingly important. Industrial products and service industries have also started contributing to its economy. Forestry is now an expanding business and supports an important pulp and paper industry.

Apart from coal, lignite, natural gas and gold, the country has few natural resources, although its considerable hydroelectric power potential has been exploited to produce plentiful cheap electricity- an important basis of New Zealand's manufacturing industry. Natural gas -from the Kapuni Field on the North Island and the Maui Field off the Taranaki coast - is converted into liquid fuel for both in the domestic and foreign markets.

 GOVERNMENT

In 1996 New Zealanders elected the first mixed members proportional (MMP) Parliament with 120 seats comprising 65 electorate representatives and 55 members from party lists. The House of Representatives is elected by universal adult suffrage for a period of three years.

New Zealanders are entitled to vote at the age of 18.

The Governor General- the representative of the British Queen as sovereign of New Zealand -appoints a Prime minister who commands a majority in the House. The Prime minister, in turn, appoints a Cabinet, which is responsible to the house.

For local government purposes, New Zealand is divided into cities and districts. The Chatham Islands are not included in any region. Tokelau is an autonomous island territory, which is legally pert of the Dominion of New Zealand. 

EDUCATION

New Zealand has a comprehensive, high-quality education system with a wide range of learning options. Some schools offer English language teaching support.
Formal education is offered free to all New Zealanders from age 5 to age 17. New Zealand offers a mixture of private and public schools, similar to that found in the United Kingdom.

Early Childhood

Early childhood services include kindergartens, childcare centres, polycentrism, home based care, kohanga reo (which are based on total immersion in the Maori language and values), Pacific Islands language groups and playgroups. Each one has its own philosophy and way of working.

Compulsory schooling

With a few exceptions, all children in new Zealand must attend school from their sixth until their sixteenth birthday, although most start on their fifth birthday or soon there after. All children in New Zealand are entitled to attend school free at state (government funded) schools until the age of 19, or 21 for special education students (who have disabilities, learning or behavior difficulties).
 The school year begins in late January or early February and ends in December. It has four terms with breaks of two or three weeks between them. Students have a six- week summer holiday and three weeks breaks between each of the four terms.
 School Organization and Structure

Primary School

A school for pupils aged 6 years to 11 years. The junior class is J-1, pupils move to J-4 over a 2-year period, then to Standard 1 through Standard 4 spending a year in each class.
Intermediate School
A school for pupils aged 11 to 13. There are two classes, Form 1 and Form 2. The schools prepare pupils for entry into Secondary education. These are sometimes integrated with primary schools, and in country areas can be integrated with secondary schools.

Secondary School

Pupils attend from aged 13 to aged 17, progressing from Form 3 to Form 7.

Tertiary Education

The country is well served with excellent Universities, Polytechnics and teachers colleges, which are located in the main provincial centers. A wide syllabus is offered providing students many options on courses of study to pursue.

Poly-techniques

Poly-techniques offer degree level courses with many offering Bachelor degrees. Generally Polytechnic aims more at vocational training than Universities, although this is changing.

Colleges of Education

Colleges of Education undertake teacher training. There are 6 colleges, located in the main centers plus Hamilton and Palmerston North. Primary training is normally 2 years for graduates and 3 years for non-graduates. Secondary is 1 year for graduates, and up to 4 years of concurrent College of Education and University study.

University Education

University Education is open to anyone who meets the entry criteria set by individual universities. New Zealand has seven universities. They are Massey University in Palmers town North; the Victoria University of Wellington; Lincoln University, near Christchurch; the University of Auckland; the University of Canterbury in Christchurch; the University of Otago in Dunedin; and the University of Waikato in Hamilton.

Some Universities specialize in certain fields with Otago University for example offering courses in medicine, dentistry, home science, pharmacy and physical education. Lincoln University (near Christchurch) specializes in agriculture and commerce. Auckland University offers planning, architecture, engineering, medicine, and optometry. Victoria University (Wellington) offers in Public Administration, and social work; Massey University (near Palmerton North in North Island) offers courses in horticulture, food technology, and veterinary science. the New Zealand taxpayer still subsidizes the average student's tuition costs by 75%. To recover the rest of costs the colleges charge course and student associations fees.

Government Funded

New Zealand health care system is mainly funded by the government. Government funding means you are eligible for the public hospital services, subsidies on prescription items and a range of support services for people with disabilities. The government also provides subsidies for visits to the family doctor (general practitioner or GP) and prescriptions for young children who need frequent health care and people on low income.

HEALTH

New Zealand has a highly developed public health care system. As a result, most people rely on the state system to satisfy their health requirements. Also funded from taxes, hospital visits are free of charge. The facts, however, remain - the system is by and large well funded and an individual entering a public hospital here will receive a standard of care many countries only dream of. Children lower than six visit for free and remaining children's visits are still heavily subsidized by the state and will pay anything from $5 to $9 for a visit to the Doctor depending on the area and region.

Drugs and prescriptions are also heavily subsidized and no family will pay more than $150 per year which means drugs are available to all at reasonable cost. All maternity care (from the point of positive pregnancy test) to the birth of the child is 100% paid for by the state.

In summary then, New Zealanders will tend to visit their own General Practitioner or Specialist who is in Private Practice. In the event of an emergency they will be taken care of in the public hospitals often under the care of a private sector specialist.

For new arrivals as soon as a residence permit is granted you will be afforded the same care and access to these health services as are New Zealand citizens and residents.

Private Health

Some New Zealanders have private health insurance, as there are waiting lists for some non-urgent services in the public health system. If you have a private health insurance you can get faster access to these non-urgent services through private hospitals. You can also access services that may not be available in the public health system, such as cosmetic surgery. Even if you do have private health insurance, you are still entitled to free public health care.

Accident Insurance

If you have an accident or get injured, New Zealand's accident insurance scheme called "ACC", helps pay for your treatment- including visits to doctor, dentist or physiotherapist.

It does not matter whether your injury happens at work or at home, when you are driving, playing sport or doing other activities. You can still get help from ACC. You are also covered for injuries that happen because of medical mistake or error and sexual assault or abuse.

If you injury is serious, you may need extra support while you recover. ACC helps you with a plan to get back to work or independence. If your injury stops you from working, ACC pays you weekly compensation, based on 80% of your weekly income before tax-unto a certain limit. ACC can also help you with other support to assist you in your daily life. This support includes services such as residential nursing care, home help and childcare. Allowances are also available to cover transport or training costs while you recover.

EMPLOYMENT

New Zealand welcomes migrants who contribute valuable skills and qualifications to their country. However, finding a job in New Zealand may be a challenge. You may take some time before you find a job in your preferred career- even if you have qualifications and experience.
 
Your Skills and experience

The more experience and qualifications you have to offer, the better your chances will be of finding work. Some employers specifically look for New Zealand work experience when recruiting new staff. It is very important that you can read, write and speak good English. You may find it difficult to find work if you cannot do so.

The minimum wage for youths is $6.80 per hour, $54.40 for an 8-hour day, and $272 for a 40-hour week.
This youth rate applies to those aged 16-17 years.
The minimum wage for adults is $8.50 per hour, $68 for an 8-hour day and $340 for a 40-hour week.
This adult rate applies to those aged 18 or more.
The statutory minimum wage does not apply to the following groups:
People with under-rate permits
Persons undergoing a certain level and type of training recognised under the Industry Training Act.
The statutory minimum wage applies even if an employee is paid partly or wholly by commission or by piece rate. It applies to all types of jobs and employees, including home workers, casual, temporary and part-time employees.

Taxation

Taxation in New Zealand would be, for a middle level family, about 28% of the income earned, which is lower than in most other developed countries.

Cost of Living

The cost of living, though difficult to gauge precisely, would be as follows, for monthly expenses:
" Mortgage of $150,000 $1100
" Rates $ 100
" Electricity/gas/insurance/water $ 500
" Food $ 700
" Transport $ 150
" Clothes/footwear/education $ 150
" Miscellaneous $ 300
TOTAL NZ $3000(for a family of 2 adults and two small children)

SOCIAL SECURITY

In 1937 the Government established the first truly universal welfare system, which offered support to the disadvantaged and created a safety net for those out of work, in need or without homes or income. This "cradle to grave" concept as it was known helped to eliminate almost all poverty and certainly the worst of what one sees overseas. New Zealanders pride themselves on having an absence of beggars on the streets, squatter settlements and shantytowns - most New Zealanders would have it no other way. Welfare for migrants can be limited within the first two years. Welfare Department is a part of the New Zealand society. For those from non-English backgrounds who can find employment more difficult welfare assistance is available in various forms.

Health Care

New Zealand's health care system is totally funded by the government. If you have a New Zealand residence, you are entitled to receive publicly funded health and disability services in New Zealand. Government funding means you are eligible for public hospital services, subsidies on prescription items and a range of support services for people with disabilities. The government also provides subsidies for visits to the family doctor (general practitioner,GP) and prescriptions for younger children, people who need frequent health care and people on low income.
. Health care during pregnancy and childbirth is free, unless you choose private health services
. Pre- school , primaryand intermediate school children have free basic dental care
. Children aged less than six years old get additional government subidies, for their visits to GP are usually free. However, GP's are able to set their own fees, so these can vary.
. The government subsidizes prescriptions, but a part charge often applies up to a maximum of $15 per item for adults and $10 for children. There is no subsidy on medicines that can be bought over the counter without a prescription.

Education

In New Zealand all children are entitled to attend school free at state (government funded) schools until the age of 19, or 21 for special education students (who have disabilities, learning or behavior difficulties.) All universities receive about 75% of their funding from the government. To recover the rest of costs they charge course and student association fees. Costs vary depending on the type and level of courses you take. For example, the first year of full time study for an Arts degree may cost about NZ$ 3,000 while fees for the final year's training as a dentist or doctor can be as much as $10,000.

Unemployment and other emergency benefits

There are a large number of benefits provided by the New Zealand government to the permanent residents and its citizens who are unemployed or have become temporarily unemployed due to certain reasons beyond their control. These vary from individual to individual depending upon their personal circumstances, their age group and the last salary drawn. Generally the newly arrived permanent residents can avail all these benefits if they have been in New Zealand at least 2 years, but sometimes you can be given financial help even if you have lived for less than that. If you have a partner and living with him/her you may qualify in special circumstances. If you are a student and have gone on a student visa and are in financial difficulty, you can get special benefits under independent youth benefit you can get weekly allowances for accommodation (max. ($90), children allowance ($40 approx. per child if married) and emergency grants of around $150 per week.
While your new country will not let you starve or become homeless, you are expected to take responsibility for yourself and your family and state assistance should be viewed as a temporary measure and not a way of life.
Generally the unemployment benefits are:

Pensions

New Zealanders do not yet have to pay any compulsory retirement contribution during their working life and the universal pension is funded out of income taxes. The retirement age is 65 at which time married couples receive $330.40 per week and single people slightly over half that. Most pensioners do not rely on the state for pension but have made provision through private retirement funds or by realizing assets to see them through. The rate of pension at 65% of the average wage is far higher than in other developed countries.
All migrants of working age are encouraged to establish some form of savings plan as so as you begin working. Life on the pension especially if you have a mortgage over your property can be very difficult. With an aging population - reminiscent of most developed countries - the state's ability to continue funding a universal pension must be questioned as we look towards the years 2020 and beyond when the "baby boomers" reach retirement age.