<P> The New Zealand recording industry began to develop from 1940 onwards and many New Zealand musicians have obtained success in Britain and the United States . Some artists release Māori language songs and the Māori tradition - based art of kapa haka (song and dance) has made a resurgence . The country's diverse scenery and compact size, plus government incentives, have encouraged some producers to film big budget movies in New Zealand, including Avatar, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, King Kong and The Last Samurai . </P> <P> The national cuisine has been described as Pacific Rim, incorporating the native Māori cuisine and diverse culinary traditions introduced by settlers and immigrants from Europe, Polynesia and Asia . New Zealand yields produce from land and sea--most crops and livestock, such as maize, potatoes and pigs, were gradually introduced by the early European settlers . Distinctive ingredients or dishes include lamb, salmon, koura (crayfish), dredge oysters, whitebait, paua (abalone), mussels, scallops, pipi and tuatua (both are types of New Zealand shellfish), kumara (sweet potato), kiwifruit, tamarillo and pavlova (considered a national dish). </P> <P> The fa'a Samoa, or traditional Samoan way, remains a strong force in Samoan life and politics . Despite centuries of European influence, Samoa maintains its historical customs, social and political systems, and language . Cultural customs such as the Samoa' ava ceremony are significant and solemn rituals at important occasions including the bestowal of matai chiefly titles . Items of great cultural value include the finely woven' ie toga . </P> <P> The Samoan word for dance is siva with unique gentle movements of the body in time to music and which tell a story, although the Samoan male dances can be more snappy . The sasa is also a traditional dance where rows of dancers perform rapid synchronised movements in time to the rhythm of wooden drums (pate) or rolled mats . Another dance performed by males is called the fa'ataupati or the slap dance, creating rhythmic sounds by slapping different parts of the body . As with other Polynesian cultures (Hawaiian, Tahitian and Māori) with significant and unique tattoos, Samoans have two gender specific and culturally significant tattoos . </P>

How are the five large nations of oceania