New Zealand

Where the name comes from

New Zealand honours the Dutch province of Zeeland, “sea land”; the Māori name Aotearoa is usually translated “land of the long white cloud”.

First people

East Polynesian voyagers, ancestors of Māori, arrived around 1250–1300, among the last major lands on Earth to be settled.¹

Known for

New Zealand is known for the kiwi, a flightless bird that gave New Zealanders their nickname, and for its All Blacks rugby team and their haka.²

Outside rule

In 1840, Māori chiefs and the British Crown signed the Treaty of Waitangi; its Māori and English texts differed on sovereignty, causing disputes that colonization deepened.³

The modern country

New Zealand became a dominion in 1907 and took full law-making independence in 1947.¹