Population
More than 85 percent of the population lives in urban areas and nearly 72 percent in the 16 largest. In addition to Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand’s major urban centres are Christchurch, Hamilton, Napier-Hastings and Dunedin.
Universities
There are universities in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Palmerston North, Christchurch and Dunedin.
Languages
English is the everyday language of New Zealand. Both English and Māori are official languages. New Zealand’s largest religious denominations are Anglican, Roman Catholic and Presbyterian.
Sport
Sport is a major part of New Zealand life and most children participate in organised sport from primary school age onwards. Sports coverage takes up about 10 percent of a normal daily newspaper (excluding job vacancies).
Printed version
The printable file below is in Adobe Acrobat Reader 4 format. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader you may download the reader to view or print the contents of this file.
NZinProfile2006.pdf
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