Turks in New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Turks in New Zealand refers to Turkish people
living in New Zealand
. Although a small community, Turks are the most visible middle eastern community residing in the New Zealand. Many operate their own businesses specialising in tradition Turkish food, such as kebab
, baklava
, and Turkish delight
.
census figures, the number of residents born in Turkey is steadily increasing (note that these figures do not include New Zealand-born Turks):
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
living in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Although a small community, Turks are the most visible middle eastern community residing in the New Zealand. Many operate their own businesses specialising in tradition Turkish food, such as kebab
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
, baklava
Baklava
Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and much of central and southwest Asia....
, and Turkish delight
Turkish Delight
Turkish delight or lokum is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios and hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; the cheapest are mostly gel, generally flavored with rosewater, mastic, or lemon...
.
Demographics
According to New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
census figures, the number of residents born in Turkey is steadily increasing (note that these figures do not include New Zealand-born Turks):
| Year | Turkish population |
|---|---|
| 1921 | 21 |
| 1951 | 28 |
| 1976 | 201 |
| 2001 | 396 |
| 2006 | 600 |
| (Source: New Zealand Census) | |
External links
- Pearl of the Islands Foundation, a Turkish cultural foundation in New Zealand