Meet Australia's Little Brother

Aside from Australia, migration experts say that another country that would be a good place to move into is New Zealand. These islands (there are actually two of them) off the southeastern coast of the continent, have in fact began catching the interest of many foreigners who want to move in here. And you will probably be surprised to know that one of the biggest foreign population in the country is that of Australians.

Before looking more into the prospects of living in New Zealand, it would be a good idea to know a little bit about the country. Unlike the neighboring continent, which has been settled for more than 50,000 years, the islands of New Zealand were only inhabited in relatively recent times. The first Polynesian colonizers arrived here in the 12^th century AD, though there are some experts that say that people might have arrived here much earlier.

On the other hand, European exploration of the islands begun in the early 17^th century. It is here that you would find an interesting connection between it and Australia. You see, the first European who set foot in New Zealand is the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. You will probably remember Tasman from the history books as the man who also first explored the state of Tasmania (and for whom it was eventually named). Also, the famed Captain James Cook, who founded the colonies on the continent, also made subsequent journeys to the islands. Eventually, both the two countries became colonies of Britain.

How the islands got the name of New Zealand got the name (again, considering that there are two of them) is a rather interesting one. Until recently, there was actually no name for the two islands together. The North Island was simply know as such, and so is the South Island. However, the first mention of the name New Zealand became popular among Dutch cartographers (map makers) as they saw it as similar to the Dutch province of Zealand. Eventually, it was James Cook who christened the islands New Zealand, from the older term.

It would be interesting to date that because of their similar histories of being under the British, both countries share ties with each other. In fact, they both mutually recognize each other's citizens. Thus, people can actually travel in between Australia and New Zealand without having to get a visa first. Aside from that, there are also other benefits that are mutually awarded to citizens of both countries.

And just like Australia, New Zealand is fast becoming a favorite among travelers. In fact, many are looking forward to seeing the islands' exotic landscape. This makes the islands another must for tourists.

Image Source:
http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/nztourism_wideweb__470x338,2.jpg