New Zealand

 Government
 Parliamentary democracy.

Geography
 New Zealand, about 1,250 mi (2,012 km) southeast of Australia, consists of two main islands and a number of smaller outlying islands so scattered that they range from the tropical to the antarctic. New Zealand’s two main components are the North Island and the South Island, separated by Cook Strait. The North Island (44,281 sq mi; 115,777 sq km) is 515 mi (829 km) long and volcanic in its southcentral part. This area contains many hot springs and beautiful geysers. South Island has the Southern Alps along its west coast, with Mount Cook the highest point. Other inhabited islands include Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, and Great Barrier Island. The
largest of the uninhabited outlying islands are the Auckland Islands, Campbell Island, the Antipodes Islands, and the Kermadec Islands.

Historical Background
The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances.

Name

NEW ZEALAND

Capital

Wellington

Government

Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy

Language

English (98%)[n 3] Māori (4.2%) NZ Sign Language (0.6%)

Area

268,021 km2 (74th) 103,483 sq mi

Population

June 2010 estimate 4,367,700[5] (123rd) 2006 census 4,027,947

Currency

New Zealand dollar (NZD)

GDP(PPP)

2010 estimate Total $115.412 billion[6]

GDP(nominal)

(nominal) 2010 estimate Total $135.723 billion