Because of its remoteness, New Zealand was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long isolation it developed a distinctive biodiversity of animal, fungal and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions.

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New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populated city is Auckland.

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Somewhere between 1250 and 1300 AD, Polynesians settled in the islands that were to become New Zealand, and developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, became the first European to sight New Zealand. In 1840, representatives of the British Crown and Māori Chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, making New Zealand a British colony. Today, the majority of New Zealand's population of 4.5 million is of European descent. The indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealand's culture is mainly derived from Māori and early British settlers, with recent broadening arising from increased immigration. The official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, with English predominant.

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New Zealand is a developed country with a market economy that is dominated by the exports of dairy products, meat and wine, along with tourism. New Zealand is a high income economy and ranks highly in international comparisons of national performance, such as health, education, economic freedom and quality of life.
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Queen Elizabeth II is the country's head of state and is represented by a Governor-General. New Zealand is organised into 11 regional councils and 67 territorial authorities for local government purposes. The Realm of New Zealand also includes Tokelau (a dependent territory); the Cook Islands and Niue (self-governing states in free association with New Zealand); and the Ross Dependency, which is New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica.

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Geography

New Zealand is made up of two main islands and a number of smaller islands. The two main islands (the North Island, or Te Ika-a-Māui, and the South Island, or Te Waipounamu) are separated by the Cook Strait, 14 miles wide at its narrowest point. Besides the North and South Islands, the five largest inhabited islands are Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, Great Barrier Island (in the Hauraki Gulf), d'Urville Island (in the Marlborough Sounds) and Waiheke Island.

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The South Island is the largest landmass of New Zealand, and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps. There are 18 peaks over 9,800 ft, the highest of which is Aoraki / Mount Cook at 12,316 ft. Fiordland's steep mountains and deep fiords record the extensive ice age glaciation of this south western corner of the South Island. The North Island is less mountainous but is marked by volcano activity The highly active Taupo Volcanic Zone has formed a large volcanic plateau, punctuated by the North Island's highest mountain, Mount Ruapehu 9,177 ft. The plateau also hosts the country's largest lake, Lake Taupo, nestled in the crater of one of the world's most active supervolcanoes.

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Nature

Before the arrival of humans an estimated 80% of the land was covered in forest, with only high alpine, wet, infertile and volcanic areas without trees. Massive deforestation occurred after humans arrived, with around half the forest cover lost to fire after Polynesian settlement. Much of the remaining forest fell after European settlement, being logged or cleared to make room for farming, leaving forest occupying only 23% of the land.

 

The forests were dominated by birds, and the lack of predators led to some like the Kiwi, Kakapo and Takahē evolving flightlessness. The arrival of humans, associated changes to habitat, and the introduction of rats, ferrets and other mammals led to the extinction of many bird species, including large birds like the Moa and Haast's Eagle.

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Language

English is the predominant language in New Zealand, spoken by 98 percent of the population. New Zealand English is similar to Australian English and many speakers from the Northern Hemisphere are unable to tell the accents apart.

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After the Second World War, Māori were discouraged from speaking their own language (te reo Māori) in schools and workplaces and it existed as a community language only in a few remote areas. It has recently undergone a process of revitalisation, being declared one of New Zealand's official languages in 1987, and is spoken by 4.1 percent of the population. There are now Māori language schools and two Māori Television channels. Many places have both their Māori and English names officially recognised. Samoan is the most widely spoken non-official language in New Zealand (2.3 percent), followed by Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, French, and Yue Chinese (Cantonese). New Zealand Sign Language is used by about 28,000 people. It was declared one of New Zealand's official languages in 2006.

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Religion

Christianity is the predominant religion in New Zealand, although its society is among the most secular in the world. In the 2013 Census, 55.0 percent of the population identified with one or more religions, including 49.0% identifying as Christians. Another 41.9% indicated that they had no religion. The Māori-based Ringatū and Rātana religions (1.4%) is also Christian. Other significant minority religions include Hinduism (2.3%), Buddhism (1.5%) and Islam (1.2%). The indigenous Māori Christians tend to be associated with the Anglican and Catholic churches, while Pacific people tend to be Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic and Latter Day Saints.