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Welcome to New Zealand

  • Maori warriors at Waitangi

    © Patricia Hofmeester/Shutterstock

    Photo of Maori warriors with face paintings at Waitangi

  • Wellington – the capital of New Zealand

    © 4FR/iStockphotos

    Photo of Wellington – the capital of New Zealand

  • Auckland – New Zealand’s largest city

    © ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock

    Photo of Auckland – New Zealand’s largest city

  • The Kiwi – a national icon

    © Stephan Zabel/iStockphotos

    Photo of kiwi – a bird native to New Zealand

  • Fiordland National Park, South Island

    © Katarina S/Shutterstock

    Photo of Fiordland National Park on the South Island

  • Rotorua Geothermal Park, North Island

    © ullstein bild/Getty Images

    Photo of Rotorua Geothermal Park on the North Island
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Welcome to New Zealand

Welcome to New Zealand

CE – Common/Current Era (alternative to AD)

New Zealand lies much further south than any other country in the world. In fact, it’s closer to the South Pole than to the Equator. That’s why it was one of the last land areas in the world to be settled by humans. The first people travelled here by canoe from islands in the Pacific Ocean some time around 1300 CE. They called the country they came to ‘Aotearoa’, which means “the land of the long white cloud”. They were from different tribes or iwi, but gradually they developed a unique culture and language, known as Maori.

A 17th century Dutch explorer was the first European to come across the islands of New Zealand, but it was the British who eventually colonized the country. In 1840 they signed the Treaty of Waitangi with Maori chiefs, which made New Zealand into a British colony. However, it also said that all New Zealanders were equal under the law and that Maori iwi had the right to protect their way of life and control the resources where they lived.

Thousands of settlers came from Britain, and they soon outnumbered the Maoris. Pressure was put on them to sell land for farming, but selling land was not part of Maori tradition. This resulted in two wars on the North Island in the 1860s and 1870s in which the colonial army fought the Maoris and took their land. Some Maoris also chose to sell land after this, and gradually more and more Maoris moved into towns and cities.

Modern New Zealand is an independent democracy, although the British monarch is still the head of state. Wellington is the capital, but it’s overshadowed by Auckland in size. The total population stands at 4.5 million with over 70% of European descent and 15% Maori. There is also a sizeable immigrant community with roots in Asia and the Pacific Islands.

For some years there has been a debate about changing the national flag. Many people feel the New Zealand flag is too similar to that of Australia. Some also think it is out of date, because it links New Zealand to the time it was a British colony and does not reflect Maori culture. The design for a new flag will be chosen in 2016.

In addition to its Maori heritage, the country is known for its dramatic landscapes. There are fjords, geysers and active volcanoes, as well as ancient forests and alpine mountains covered in snow. The highest mountain is Aoroki/Mount Cook on the South Island which is 3,724 metres high. Because the country has been so isolated, it also has animals and plants found nowhere else in the world. All of this has made it a firm favourite not only with tourists, but also with filmmakers. If you’ve seen The Lord of the Rings, you’ve already experienced some of the magic of New Zealand.

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