A Few Fun Facts about New Zealand

1. New Zealand was not only the first country to give women the right to vote (1893) but also the first country to have its three top positions of power held simultaneously by women; Prime Minister Helen Clark (December 1999 until November 2008), Governor General Dame Silvia Cartwright (4 April 2001 to 4 August 2006) and the Chief Justice Sian Elias (17 May 1999, Elias was sworn in as Chief Justice of New Zealand, the first woman to hold that position in New Zealand).

2. There are a few fun facts on the population of New Zealand. Apparently only 5% of New Zealand’s population is human- the rest are animals. In 2009 cows’ numbers soared to 5.8 million whereas New Zealand then had a human population of 4.3 million. But New Zealanders are even more outnumbered by sheep. It is widely believed that New Zealand has 20 sheep for every person — information that adds weight to myriad sheep jokes. In reality it was about 6.4 sheep in June 2015. The exact numbers are the estimated resident population of 4.60 million people and according to Statistics NZ’s agricultural production statistics, an estimated 29.5 million sheep at 30 June 2015. No wonder dairy farmers produce a whopping 100 kg of butter and 65kg of cheese each year for each person living in New Zealand.

3. Pelorus Jack was a dolphin who guided ships through the dangerous and rocky waters of the French Pass in the early 1900s. The French Pass was a channel through the D’Urville Islands off New Zealand and has been the site of hundreds of shipwrecks. But apparently, none occurred when Pelorus Jack was there to help.

4. The longest place name in the world is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, a hill in Hawkes Bay in New Zealand. The name was given by the Maori and translates roughly as “The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one”

5. My favorite fact still is that a kiwi is not only this green delicious fruit. But also a bird, a way New Zealanders call themselves and their money. But now hold on tight people, the kiwi-bird — a flightless bird — is also the logo for the Royal New Zealand Air Force.