New Zealand is situated in the South Pacific ocean, between latitude 34'S and 47'S. The country runs roughly north-south with mountain ranges down much of its length. Its two main islands (North and South) cover 266,200 sq km (103,735 sq miles), about the size of Japan or California and slightly larger than Great Britain. The nearest land mass is the continent of Australia, approximately 1200 miles (2,000 kms) away.

New Zealand is an independent nation and a member of the British Commonwealth. It has a diverse multi-cultural population of 4.1 million people, the majority of whom are of British descent. New Zealand's indigenous Maori make up around 14 percent of the population.

The principal cities are Auckland (1.2 million), Wellington (500,000) and Christchurch (500,000). To find out more interesting facts about Wellington, click here.