New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, consisting of two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and over 600 smaller islands.
The islands were the last large habitable land settled by humans. Polynesians arrived between about 1280 and 1350, developing the distinctive Māori culture. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight the islands in 1642, followed by Captain James Cook, who landed and mapped them in 1769. The 1840 Treaty of Waitangi between the United Kingdom and Māori chiefs led to British sovereignty and the Crown Colony’s establishment in 1841, though subsequent conflicts resulted in significant alienation of Māori land. New Zealand became a dominion in 1907 and gained full independence in 1947. The country’s dramatic topography—including the Southern Alps (Kā Tiritiri o te Moana)—results from tectonic uplift and volcanic activity. Today, around 5.3 million people live in New Zealand, with English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language as official languages. The capital is Wellington; Auckland is the most populous city.
