About New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country located in the
south-western Pacific Ocean. The country
geographically comprises two main landmasses ‒ that
of the North and South Islands ‒ and numerous
smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500
kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the
Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi)
south of the Pacific island nations of New
Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its
remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be
settled by humans.
During its long isolation, New Zealand developed a
distinctive biodiversity of both animal and plant
life. Most notable are the large number of unique
bird species, many of which became extinct after the
arrival of humans and introduced mammals. With a
mild maritime climate, the land was mostly covered
in forest. The country's varied topography and its
sharp mountain peaks owe much to the tectonic uplift
of land and volcanic eruptions caused by the Pacific
and Indo-Australian Plates clashing beneath the
earth's surface.
Polynesians settled New Zealand in 1250–1300 CE and
developed a distinctive Māori culture, and Europeans
first made contact in 1642 CE. The introduction of
potatoes and muskets triggered upheaval among Māori
early during the 19th century, which led to the
inter-tribal Musket Wars. In 1840 the British and
Māori signed a treaty making New Zealand a colony of
the British Empire. Immigrant numbers increased
sharply and conflicts escalated into the New Zealand
Wars, which resulted in much Māori land being
confiscated in the mid North Island. Economic
depressions were followed by periods of political
reform, with women gaining the vote during the
1890s, and a welfare state being established from
the 1930s. After World War II, New Zealand joined
Australia and the United States in the ANZUS
security treaty, although the United States later,
until 2010, suspended the treaty after New Zealand
banned nuclear weapons. New Zealand is part of the
intelligence sharing among the Anglosphere
countries, the UKUSA Agreement. New Zealanders
enjoyed one of the highest standards of living in
the world in the 1950s, but the 1970s saw a deep
recession, worsened by oil shocks and the United
Kingdom's entry into the European Economic
Community. The country underwent major economic
changes during the 1980s, which transformed it from
a protectionist to a liberalised free-trade economy.
Markets for New Zealand's agricultural exports have
diversified greatly since the 1970s, with
once-dominant exports of wool being overtaken by
dairy products, meat, and recently wine.
The majority of New Zealand's population is of
European descent; the indigenous Māori are the
largest minority, followed by Asians and non-Māori
Polynesians. English, Māori and New Zealand Sign
Language are the official languages, with English
predominant. Much of New Zealand's culture is
derived from Māori and early British settlers. Early
European art was dominated by landscapes and to a
lesser extent portraits of Māori. A recent
resurgence of Māori culture has seen their
traditional arts of carving, weaving and tattooing
become more mainstream. Many artists now combine
Māori and Western techniques to create unique art
forms. The country's culture has also been broadened
by globalisation and increased immigration from the
Pacific Islands and Asia. New Zealand's diverse
landscape provides many opportunities for outdoor
pursuits and has provided the backdrop for a number
of big budget movies.
New Zealand is organised into 11 regional councils
and 67 territorial authorities for local government
purposes; these have less autonomy than the
country's long defunct provinces did. Nationally,
executive political power is exercised by the
Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister. Queen Elizabeth
II is the country's head of state and is represented
by a Governor-General. The Queen's Realm of New
Zealand also includes Tokelau (a dependent
territory); the Cook Islands and Niue
(self-governing but in free association); and the
Ross Dependency, which is New Zealand's territorial
claim in Antarctica. New Zealand is a member of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Commonwealth of
Nations, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development, Pacific Islands Forum, and the United
Nations.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
