Milestones in Nationhood

Milestones in Nationhood
Name
Institution
Introduction
The history of New Zealand has been impacted by agricultural development. The country has benefitted more on the agricultural front than any other sector. New Zealand’s dependence on agriculture has helped her to grow and provide for the citizens regarding food. The country is one of the riches in agricultural produce across the world. Wool production, meat production, dairy produce, grassland farming, infrastructure, and education are some of the six factors that have played a significant role in the evolution of New Zealand. The article examines these six factors and the manner in which they revolutionized New Zealand.
Infrastructure
The infrastructure in New Zealand has played a vital role in transforming the country to its current status. The renewable energy available in the country has been sufficient enough to sustain the number of activities taking place in the country. The two main sources of energy in New Zealand are both the geothermal and hydroelectric power, which are renewable. Geothermal energy has been even more sufficient due to the larger percentage of the energy level that it has grossed in the country (Dalley, 2001). The renewable source of energy for the country has improved its economy and played a vital role in its evolution. The availability of water in the country has led to an increase in renewable energy in New Zealand. The New Zealand government has further developed the country’s transport network system with roads covering up to 94,000 kilometers and railway lines extending 4,128 kilometers.

The extensive development of infrastructure has revolutionized the country due to an easier connection between cities. The country also comprises of six international airports that have played a vital role in trade, which has led to her evolution.
Education
Education is another factor that has revolutionized New Zealand since its emergence as a country. The country has changed her education system to accommodate people of all social classes. The education sector has further been improved by the New Zealand government through the introduction of tertiary education. The education sector has been divided into three categories. The three categories comprise of the primary level, secondary level, and the university level (BUG, 2005). The New Zealand government has ensured that all the citizens of the country attend schooling by making education compulsory for children (Levine, 2006). The government has made it compulsory for children aged between 5 to 16 years old to attend school to better their future. It is a strategy that has led to the evolution of New Zealand due to the knowledge gained by students in school who implement them in real life. The vast knowledge attained by students in New Zealand helps to develop the economy through the beneficial activities that they engage into better their lives (Stenhouse, 2005). The schools that are run or owned by the government are free for all children in New Zealand. It is a reason that has led to many children whose parents are unable to afford some privately owned schools gain the opportunity to learn. Because of this, New Zealand has a literacy rate of 99%, which means that the majority of the population in the country is well educated.
Wool trade
New Zealand is rich in wool production that stems back to her early years. It is a trade that has led to her evolution due to its financial aspect. The country exports wool in bulk to several countries across the world. The trade of wool has made New Zealand a target for global economic slowdowns. Wool is highly regarded in New Zealand and other parts of the world due to its importance. The country has largely owed the trade of wool for its vast economy. During the early years, New Zealand manly depended on wool for her economic growth. Sheep were first brought into New Zealand in the nineteenth century. The number of sheep that were brought into the country at that time was few as compared to the number of sheep available in the country presently. After the sheep were brought into New Zealand, citizens in the country started large-scale sheep farming (Mein, 2012). The large-scale sheep farming led to the growth of wool production, which would eventually result in a successful trade in New Zealand. Large-scale farming of sheep in New Zealand did not take effect until the latter years of the nineteenth century; a few years after the first flock of sheep were brought into the country (Reid, 2009). The first flock of sheep that were brought into New Zealand from Australia was of Merino breed. Only three hundred sheep were brought, and after a decade, that number rose to over half a million sheep and rose even further to three million sheep after two decades (Vaggioli, 2000). A large number of sheep available in the country led to the evolution of New Zealand through the trade of wool.
Meat trade
The increase in the number of sheep in New Zealand not only led to wool production but also meat. The over-dependence of wool production for a living by the citizens of New Zealand led to the exploration of other interests (Levine, 2006). The preservation of meat was an interest that was explored by the people in the country even though it was a practice that already existed. The trade of frozen meat rescued an economy that was over dependant on wool production for its survival (Roche, 1995). . The trade also gave pastoralists a new lease of life due to the economy that was dwindling at the time. The frozen meat trade revolutionized New Zealand and drove it to new heights that the citizens enjoy today.
The Dairy Production
The dairy farming in New Zealand has played a significant role in the development of her economy. The expansion of this field led to the shipment of dairy products to the United Kingdom. The shipment would be hurriedly made to preserve the dairy products from going bad before reaching its destination (Dalley, 2001). In the early years, farmers in New Zealand did not have enough money to construct dairy factories that would help in their business and trade. It is an issue that forced them to join hands with a common idea of constructing the dairy factories, which were constructed in the early years of the nineteenth century (Ritchie, J. and Skerrett, M et.al. 2013). It is a strategy that gave rise to the rapid growth of the trade and led to the evolvement of New Zealand in the process.
Grassland Farming
The introduction of sheep farming in New Zealand gave rise to intensive grassland farming. The farmers that inhabited the areas that experienced higher rainfall began to explore that possibility of grassland farming in the country (Brooking, 2004). The production of oats and turnips in these areas led to an extensive grassland farming in the country. Due to this, the farmers started to rear cows as much as they did with sheep. The mixed dairy farming in the country played a crucial role in the evolution of New Zealand.
Conclusion
New Zealand has evolved drastically due to various factors that include, dairy farming, infrastructure, wool trade, education, grassland farming and frozen meat trade. The agricultural aspect of the country’s evolvement has played a significant role in the development of New Zealand’s economy. Education has been made compulsory for children aged between 5 and 16 in New Zealand to enable all her citizens to attain knowledge.
References
Brooking, T. (2004). The history of New Zealand. Westport, Conn: Greenwood.
BUG New Zealand. (2005). Kilcunda, Vic: BUG Backpackers Guide
Dalley, B. (2001). Going public: The changing face of New Zealand history. Auckland:
Auckland Univ. Press
Levine, S. I. (2006). New Zealand as it might have been. Wellington [N.Z.: Victoria University
Press.
Mein, S. P. (2012). A concise history of New Zealand. Port Melbourne, VIC: Cambridge
University Press
Reid, J. C. 2009. “New Zealand As It Was: OLD NEW ZEALAND”. New Zealand
Geographer 5 (1): 100-100. doi:10.1111/j.1745-7939.1949.tb01694.x.
Roche, J. (1995). The international wool trade. Cambridge, England: Woodhead Pub.
Ritchie, J., Skerrett, M., & Palgrave Connect (Online service). (2013). Early childhood education
in Aotearoa New Zealand: History, pedagogy, and liberation.
Stenhouse, J. (2005). Christianity, modernity, and culture: New perspectives on New Zealand
history. Adelaide: ATF Press.
Vaggioli, F., & Crockett, J. C. (2000). History of New Zealand and its inhabitants. Dunedin,
New Zealand: University of Otago Press.