| New Zealand Aotearoa Timeline: Differently | ||||||
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| Anthem: "God Defend New Zealand" |
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 Location of New Zealand
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| Capital | Wellington | |||||
| Largest city | Auckland | |||||
| Official languages | English | |||||
| Religion | 48.5% No religion 37.0% Christianity 2.6% Hinduism 3.2% Other 1.1% Buddhism 6.6% No answer |
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| Government | Unitary parliamentary monarchy | |||||
| - | Monarch | Richard V | ||||
| - | Governor General | Patsy Ruddy | ||||
| - | Prime Minister | Hannah Tamaki | ||||
| Legislature | Parliament | |||||
| Independence from the United Kingdom | ||||||
| - | Responsible government | 7 May 1856 | ||||
| - | Dominion | 26 September 1907 | ||||
| - | Full independence | 25 November 1947 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 268,021 km2 103,483 sq mi |
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| Population | ||||||
| - | Estimate | 5,107,080 (107th) | ||||
| Currency | New Zealand dollar ($) (NZD) | |||||
| Drives on the | left | |||||
New Zealand (Maori: Aoteaoroa) is an insular Commonwealth realm in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses, namely the North the South Islands, and around 600 smaller islands, covering a total area of 268,021 square kilometres, which make it the eighth-largest country in Oceania and the 83rd-largest in the world. The country's varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps, owe much to tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, and its most populous city is Auckland. New Zealand's total population has been estimated at 5.1 million inhabitants, making it the seventh-most populous country in Oceania and the 107th in the world.
Owing to their remoteness, the islands of New Zealand were the last large habitable lands to be settled by humans. Between about 1280 and 1350, Polynesians began to settle in the islands and then developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, the Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, became the first European to sight New Zealand. In 1840, representatives of the United Kingdom and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which declared British sovereignty over the islands. In 1841, New Zealand became a colony within the British Empire, and in 1907 it became a dominion; it gained full statutory independence in 1947, and the British monarch remained the head of state. Today, the majority of New Zealand's population 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 being very dominant.
New Zealand is a member of the League of Nations and the Oceania Union.
Politics[]
Richard V, King of New Zealand
The politics of New Zealand take place within a framework of a unitary, parliamentary, representative democratic monarchy, in which the head of State is the monarch who appoints the Governor General as vice-regal representative. The current monarch, Richard V, reigns under the official title of King of New Zealand, having served in that position since he ascended the throne in 2017. The governor-general can exercise the Crown's prerogative powers, such as reviewing cases of injustice and making appointments of ministers, ambassadors, and other key public officials, and in rare situations, the reserve powers (e.g. the power to dissolve parliament or refuse the royal assent of a bill into law). The powers of the monarch and the governor-general are limited by constitutional constraints, and they cannot normally be exercised without the advice of ministers.
The New Zealand Parliament holds legislative power and consists of the queen and the House of Representatives. It also included an upper house, the Legislative Council, until this was abolished in 1950. The supremacy of parliament over the Crown and other government institutions was established in England by the Bill of Rights 1689 and has been ratified as law in New Zealand. The House of Representatives is democratically elected, and a government is formed from the party or coalition with the majority of seats. If no majority is formed, a minority government can be formed if support from other parties during confidence and supply votes is assured. The governor-general appoints ministers under advice from the prime minister, who is by convention the parliamentary leader of the governing party or coalition. Cabinet, formed by ministers and led by the prime minister, is the highest policy-making body in government and responsible for deciding significant government actions. Members of Cabinet make major decisions collectively and are therefore collectively responsible for the consequences of these decisions. The current Prime Minister is Hannah Tamaki.
New Zealand's judiciary, headed by the chief justice, includes the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, the High Court, and subordinate courts. Judges and judicial officers are appointed non-politically and under strict rules regarding tenure to help maintain judicial independence. This theoretically allows the judiciary to interpret the law based solely on the legislation enacted by Parliament without other influences on their decisions.
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