Lots of sheep and no corruption: What you need to know before you go to New Zealand

New Zealand, beautiful in every way, is on the "must see" list of thousands of people from all over the world. But not all of them know how unique this country is. Here are a few facts that will change your attitude to this country forever.

• New Zealand's history began relatively recently (on a historical scale). The Maori tribes were the first to arrive on these islands in the 13th century.
• In total, the country has more than 700 islands of varying sizes. However, most of them are uninhabited. So people can be found on only 60 of them. By the way, some islands are forbidden to enter, because they are considered unsafe for people.

• However, most of New Zealand is free of venomous snakes, predatory animals, and even mosquitoes. This is a great advantage for many tourists who love the outdoors, but fear for their life and health.
• By the way, a third of the entire territory of the state are national parks. Their safety is monitored by special agencies and they treat their work with utmost responsibility. For example, at the entrance to protected areas, special people treat visitors' shoes with a spray that kills bacteria.

• In general, this country has a very high standard of living. It has long had the status of one of the most peaceful and secure in the world. There is even no corruption here.
• The authorities of the state are very careful to ensure that all its citizens have equal rights. So New Zealand was one of the first in the world to allow same-sex marriages, recognized sign language as one of the state languages, and gave the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of gender.
• New Zealand voluntarily renounced nuclear power in 1987. No other state had done so before it. This means that now there are no nuclear power plants, no nuclear-powered ships or ships with nuclear weapons are allowed to enter the country. There are many more restrictions imposed for the safety and well-being of the country's residents.

• This attitude towards citizens is paying off. So in New Zealand you won't find any homeless people. All residents are paid decently, and there are practically no unemployed people here. By the way, there are no homeless animals, which are quickly captured and distributed to families or taken to well-equipped shelters, which are almost 100% funded by the state.
• Adopting a child here isn't easy either. Couples have to wait years for such an opportunity. The fact is that babies are almost never abandoned here, and orphanages simply do not exist.

• On your first visit to New Zealand, you will probably be shocked by the lifestyle of the locals. They do everything very slowly, which affects all areas. For example, here it is almost impossible to process documents in a short period of time, make a reservation at a restaurant for today, or get to a doctor's appointment within a week. Interestingly, the word "urgent" also has an unusual meaning here. If you see a vacancy with this marking, the employee will be hired in about six months and no sooner. So anyone who hates deadlines is sure to love it here.
• The beauty of New Zealand attracts not only tourists but also filmmakers. The cult films "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" were filmed here. The state even has a ministerial post that deals with everything related to these tapes. In particular, this official makes sure that the specially created city of hobbits as a setting does not suffer and can continue to receive visitors.

• New Zealand's climate and geography, by the way, are the most diverse in the world. Many birds and animals live here. In particular, you can find more species of penguins here than anywhere else on the planet. The people of New Zealand are very proud of their nature and protect it. For example it is forbidden to make bonfires, so if you want to picnic, go to the specially adapted areas or bring a charcoal grill or portable grill.
• On a trip you will probably see a lot of sheep. Do not be surprised, there are ten times more sheep than people. They are bred in almost every village.

• Now to the less pleasant things. There are up to 400 earthquakes in New Zealand every year. Most of them are not dangerous, but sometimes the tremors are very strong.
• There are two major supervolcanoes in the country. If an eruption starts, it will completely destroy this country and throw so much ash into the atmosphere that it will leave the Earth without sunlight for several years. This would serve as the end for many species. Fortunately, this has never happened before in history.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL told what surprises tourists in Italy.

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