New Zealand

New Zealand (/njuːˈziːlənd/ new-ZEE-lənd, Māori: Aotearoa [aɔˈtɛaɾɔa]) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses – that of the North Island, or Te Ika-a-Māui, and the South Island, or Te Waipounamu – and numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long isolation, New Zealand developed a distinctive biodiversity of animal, fungal and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.

Somewhere between 1250 and 1300 CE, Polynesians settled in the islands that were to become New Zealand, and developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, became the first European to sight New Zealand. In 1840, representatives of the British Crown and Māori Chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, making New Zealand a British colony. Today, the majority of New Zealand's population of 4.5 million is of European descent; the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealand's culture is mainly derived from Māori and early British settlers, with recent broadening arising from increased immigration. The official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, with English predominant.

1926 in New Zealand

Population

A census was held in March 1926.

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Government

The 22nd New Zealand Parliament continued with the Reform Party governing.

Parliamentary opposition

Main centre leaders

Events

2011 Rugby World Cup

The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board (IRB) selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005. The tournament was won by New Zealand, who defeated France 8–7 in the final. The defending champions, South Africa, were eliminated by Australia 11–9 in the quarter-finals. The result marked the third time that the tournament was won by the country that hosted the event (following New Zealand in 1987 and South Africa in 1995).

It was the largest sporting event ever held in New Zealand, eclipsing the 1987 Rugby World Cup, 1990 Commonwealth Games, 1992 Cricket World Cup and the 2003 America's Cup. Overseas visitors to New Zealand for the event totalled 133,000, more than the 95,000 that the organisers expected. However, there was a drop in non-event visitors, meaning the net increase in visitors over the previous year was less than 80,000.

William Dawson (New Zealand politician)

William Dawson (1852–1923) was a 19th-century Liberal Party Member of Parliament in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.

Early life

Dawson was born in Aberdeen, Scotland in January 1852. He followed his father into the profession as a brewer.

Political career

He was first elected to Dunedin City Council in 1885. Two years later, he was elected Mayor of Dunedin for one term. In 1892, he was again elected onto the city council.

He represented the Dunedin Suburbs electorate in Parliament from 1890 to 1893, when he retired.

References

William Dawson

William Dawson may refer to:

Politicians

Other people

William Dawson (Missouri)

William Dawson (March 17, 1848 – October 12, 1929) was a U.S. Representative from Missouri.

Born in New Madrid, Missouri, Dawson was graduated from Christian Brothers' College in St. Louis, Missouri in 1869.

Dawson was elected sheriff and collector of New Madrid County in 1870 and 1872. He served as a member of the state House of Representatives in 1878–1884. Dawson was elected as a Democrat to the 49th Congress from Missouri's 14th congressional district, serving from March 4, 1885 to March 3, 1887.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1886. He engaged in the land business in New Madrid and served as clerk of the New Madrid County Circuit Court of 1915–1927. He died in New Madrid in 1929 and is interred in Evergreen Cemetery.

References

William Dawson (mayor)

William Dawson (born in Ireland), was mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, from 1878 to 1881. He was born in County Cavan, Ireland on October 1, 1825. He was a successful banker. When he was elected as mayor, he became the first mayor to be Irish in Saint Paul. He died on February 19, 1901. He died poor after his Bank of Minnesota failed five years before he died. There is a two-acre park named after him in Saint Paul. He is the namesake of the city of Dawson, Minnesota.

References