15. Ознакомьтесь с содержанием данного текстового материала и ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What information in the text " New Zealand “seemed interesting for you?

2. What information in the text "The Symbols of New Zealand “seemed interesting for you?

3. When was the first New Zealand's flag adopted?

4. Why do you think it is necessary for students to work individually with additional materials?

New Zealand

New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean. It comprises two large islands (the North and the South Islands) and numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is separated from Australia by the Tasman Sea. The total land area is 268,680 km². The country has extensive marine resources. The islands are mountainous and are also marked by volcanoes. The highest peak is Mount Cook. The capital city is Wellington. The population is about 4.2 ml. New Zealand has three official languages: New Zealand English, the Maori language, and New Zealand Sign Language. In practice only English is widely used. New Zealand has a developed economy and a high standard of living. Principal export industries are agriculture, gardening, fishing, and forestry. Tourism plays a significant role in New Zealand's economy. It contributes almost 9% to New Zealand’s total GDP. The most developed industries are machinery, textile, furniture, and food industry. New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of New Zealand. The Queen’s position is largely symbolic. She is represented by the Governor-General. Political power is held by the Parliament of New Zealand and the Prime Minister. The legislature is represented by Parliament, which has only one chamber, the House of Representatives. Parliamentary general elections are held every three years. The leading political parties of the country are the Labour Party, the New Zealand First, the Conservative Party of New Zealand and others. The Prime Minister is the leader of Parliament as well as the head of the Government. The Cabinet is the senior policy-making body and is led by the Prime Minister. The Governor-General has the power to appoint and dismiss the Prime Ministers and to dissolve Parliament. The Governor-General also chairs the Executive Council. The Executive Council is a formal committee of all the Crown ministers. New Zealand's judiciary includes the Supreme Court of New Zealand (the highest court); the High Court; the Court of Appeal; and subordinate courts .New Zealand is a member of the following geopolitical organisations: APEC, East Asia Summit, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the United Nations.

The Flag of New Zealand

The current flag was designed and adopted for restricted use in 1869 and became the national flag in 1902. It is the British Blue Ensign, incorporating a stylized representation of the Southern Cross showing the four brightest stars in the constellation. Each star varies slightly in size. The Union Flag in the canton recalls New Zealand's colonial ties to Britain. The flag of New Zealand is a defaced Blue Ensign with theUnion Flag in the canton, and four red stars with white borders to the right. The stars represent the constellation of Crux, the Southern Cross.

The Coat of Arms of New Zealand

The coat of arms of New Zealand is the official symbol of New Zealand. Since being granted its own arms in 1911, New Zealand's arms have remained similar to the current design, with minor changes in 1956. Since 1911, the central shield has remained unaltered: a quartered shield containing in the first quarter four stars representing the Southern Cross constellation, as depicted on the national flag, but with the stars in different proportions; in the second quarter, a golden fleece representing the farming industry; in the third, a wheat sheaf representing agriculture; and in the fourth, two hammers representing mining and industry. Over all this is a pale, a broad vertical strip, with three ships representing the importance of sea trade, and the immigrant nature of all New Zealanders. Before 1956, the shield was identical, but the surrounding features were different. The crest was a demi-lion (the upper half of a rampant lion) holding the British Union Flag and the scroll at the shield's base featured the motto of the country, "Onward". Early renditions of the Coat of Arms are often featured with more stylized scrolling rather than fern leaves.

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Symbols of Canada