Many people know that the picturesque country of New Zealand is the last country in the world to be discovered and settled. However, the country has many unknown fun factoids.

Alex Munoz, the Illinois Abroad marketing intern, recaps some facts she learned during her New Zealand Adventure Tourism and Recreation study abroad program:

1.     A kiwi is not a fruit. In fact, a kiwi is a flightless bird and native to New Zealand. An interesting fact about the kiwi is that the female is larger than the male. A kiwi is also used as a nickname for New Zealanders.

One of New Zealand’s many sheep

2.     Currently there are about nine sheep for every human in New Zealand. In the 1980s, there were about 20 sheep for each human. The majority of New Zealand’s sheep in New Zealand on the South Island.

3.     The All Blacks have had a little over 1,100 players. However, there have been 17 sets of father and son, and 32 sets of brothers included in this number.

4.     English and Māori are New Zealand’s two official languages. In Māori, the name for New Zealand is Aotearoa.

5.     The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed in some of the country’s most beautiful places, including Matamata, Wellington, Canterbury, Mackenzie Country, the Southern Lakes and Fiordland.

6.     New Zealand is the only country with the right to put The Hobbit-related images on its money.

7.     The extreme sport of bungee jumping developed into a phenomenon after AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch jumped off of the Kawarau Bridge in 1988. The Kawarau Bridge is located outside of Queenstown and is the world’s first commercial bungee jump.

8.     Milford Sound is the most famous tourist destination in New Zealand. Milford Sound can be seen by boat tour, canoe, hike, under water observatory and scenic flights. These amazing views of Milford Sound draw thousands of visitors daily.

Milford Sound

9.     Approximately 20,000 earthquakes shake New Zealand annually. The February 22, 2011 earthquake hit Christchurch with a 6.3 magnitude, killed 185 people and damaged a significant part of the city.

10.  New Zealand has two national anthems. They are both of equal standing and are “God Defend New Zealand” and “God Save The Queen.”