About New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the southern Pacific Ocean 2,000 km southeast of Australia.

Maori were the first settlers and migrated to New Zealand from Polynesia around 1250 A.D. The first Europeans known to reach New Zealand were led by Abel Tasman, who sailed up the west coast of the South and North islands in 1642. The islands were later visited and explored by Captain James Cook four times between 1769 and 1777. The British established their first permanent settlement in 1840 and claimed the region as a crown colony. New Zealand received dominion status in 1907, and became fully independent in 1931.

New Zealand has a population of 4.2 million. Wellington is the capital and Auckland the largest city.

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