In New Zealand, there are many volcanic peaks. In the center of the South Island there are four high volcanos of which only Mount Egmont is “dead“. In New Zealand there are each year more than hundred earthquakes. New Zealand is also rich in boiling springs, geysers, pools of boiling mud,… In the area Mount Cook there are icebergs. The largest of them, the Tasmanian Iceberg, is 30 kms long. The seasons of the year are naturally opposite to those in Europe. Summer lasts from December to February and winter lasts from June to August.

New Zealend is a paradise for biologist. The most characteristic feature for its flora and fauna is a large number of endemic species – species, which are found only in this teritory. Many flowering plant belong to the natural vegetation. One of the most usefull tree is kauri, which is valued for its resin called “kauri gum“. The animal world si unique too, and it’s remarkable for primitive forms. This is a due to its long isolation from any continent. Birds were abundant, but today species are very rare and have no relatives between overseas birds. The emblem animal of New Zealand is Kiwi – bird, which cannot fly. The botany and geologyof New Zealand have been studied by many great scientists. Captain James Cook was on his first visit of the island accompanied by many scientists, who collected many plants. Also Charles Darwin made short visits as a naturalist in 1835.

The islands has been inhabited long before europeans visited these far place. The aboriginal inhabitants were ther Maoris, a branch of the Polynesian race living in Hawai, Samoa and other Pacific islands east of Fiji. Today they number of population is only 220000, which is less than 6 % of the total population. They live mostly in Auckland area af North Island. When the European discover the islands they were divided in the small tribes. The first European, which land in New Zealand was Abel Tasman – a famous Dutch navigator. Captain James Cook, an englishman, was the next visitor. His relations with Maoris were peacefull and friendly. In 1777 he published his journal “A voyage toward the South Pole and Round the world“, which bottom a new lands to Europeans. He pre-loaded, that country was suitable for colonization. The white colonization had a destructive effect upon Maori life. Wars and diseases reduced their numbers. The Maoris were assimilated to the british model. By the second half of 19 century they had lost most of their land.