New Zealand is so far from the centers of civilization that its settlement was one of the latest in the world. This preserved the country’s unique nature, and its population became one of the most extraordinary and free-thinking. Here, you can name a child Bus Stop No. 16, but you can’t name them Jesus. Here, the symbol of the air force is the flightless kiwi bird, and the coach of the national football team earns a salary comparable to that of an ordinary accountant. Here… well, let’s just list the TOP 10 interesting facts about New Zealand.
1 1st in the world 
New Zealand was the first in the world to grant unconditional voting rights to women. This happened in 1893. By the way, in the US, women only got the right to vote 27 years later.
2 Only two species of mammals 
And both are bats, which existed in New Zealand before its settlement by Europeans. Also, there are no land snakes on its islands, but huge carnivorous snails inhabit the area.
3 3,000 for the country 
The price of New Zealand reached 3,000 Australian dollars when someone tried to auction it on eBay in 2006. Only then did the auction site management realize and close the auction.
4 Baldwin Street 
The steepest street in the world, with an incline of nearly 40 degrees, is located in Dunedin, a city in New Zealand. It was built in a hilly area where the city is located—an amazing oversight considering the country experiences up to 400 earthquakes a year.
5 A little mistake 
One of New Zealand’s best-known beaches—90-Mile Beach—actually stretches no more than 55 miles.
6 6 years ago 
In 2013, a bacterium resistant to all known antibiotics was discovered in New Zealand.
7 Minister of Middle-earth 
New Zealand’s government has a Minister of Middle-earth, responsible for all matters related to promoting the idea of Middle-earth in the country. This decision was made shortly before the release of the first film from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which was almost entirely filmed in New Zealand.
8 800 years ago 
Just eight centuries ago, no human being had ever heard of New Zealand. None—meaning there was no indigenous population! The islands were pristine and empty. It is one of the last territories on our planet to be settled.
9 9/10 underwater 
93% of the continent of Zealandia is underwater, and the 7% that remains above sea level forms New Zealand. If not for this fact, we would have another continent on Earth!
10 New names 
New Zealand’s main islands were only named 10 years ago, in 2009. Before that, they were nameless. The names weren’t overly complicated: North and South.
