Elizabeth II is the Queen of New Zealand and is represented in the country by the non-political Governor-General. Political power is held per Prime Minister who is leader of the Government in the democratically elected Parliament of New Zealand. A monarch's Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue, which are completely self-independent; Tokelau, which is moving towards self-government, & New Zealand's claim in Antarctica.

History
Just released Zealand is one of a last settled major land people. Polynesian settlers arrived in their waka some time between 800 and 600 years ago to establish the indigenous MÄ?ori culture. Cash settlement of the Chatham Islands to a south-east of New Zealand produced the Moriori people but these are disputed whether it moved there from either Just released Zealand or even elsewhere inside Polynesia. Virtually all of Future Zealand was divided into tribal territories known as rohe, resources in which were controlled by an iwi ('tribe'). Unremarkably there is no 2 iwi got overlapping rohe. MÄ?ori adapted to eating a local marine resources, flora & animal for food, hunting the gargantuan flightless moa (which soon became out), & ate a Polynesian Rat and kumara (sweet potato), which they introduced to the united states.

A 1st Europeans known to reach Just released Zealand were led by Abel Janszoon Tasman, who sailed higher a west coast of the South & Northward islands around 1642. He known as it Staten Landt, believing it to become a portion of the land Jacob Le Maire had discovered inside 1616 off the coast of Chile. Staten Landt appeared in Tasman's 1st maps of Future Zealand, however this was changed by Dutch cartographers to Nova Zeelandia, after a Dutch province of Zeeland, some period when Hendrik Brouwer proved the South Our contries land to become an island within 1643. A Latin Nova Zeelandia became Nieuw Zeeland in Dutch. Lieutenant James Cook subsequently called a archipelago Up to date Zealand, although a list he chose for a Northward & In a south islands were rejected, & a independent ternion islands became known as Northerly, Middle & South, by using the Middle Island existence afterwards called the South Island. Cook began extensive studies of the islands around 1769, leading to European whaling expeditions and at length important European colonisation. From either when early when a 1780s, MÄ?ori got encounters using European sealers & whalers. Acquisition of muskets by those iwi around close call for by using European visitant destabilised a existent balance of power between MÄ?ori tribes & there was a irregular however acute period of damn inter-tribal warfare, called the Musket Wars, that only ceased after a lot iwi were thus armed.

Concern all about a exploitation of MÄ?ori by Europeans, Church Missionary Society lobbying and French interest within a region led the British to annex Just released Zealand by Royal Proclamation in January 1840. To legitimise a British annexation, Lieutenant Governor William Hobson had been dispatched in 1839; he in haste negotiated a Treaty of Waitangi with northern iwi on his arrival. A Accord wwhen check within February, & in recent years it has came to exist as seen as a creation document of Up to date Zealand. A MÄ?ori translation of a pact promised the MÄ?ori tribes "tino rangatiratanga" would be preserved reciprocally for cedeing kawanatanga, which the English versions translates when "chieftainship" for "sovereignty"; the rattling meanings come nowadays disputed. Disputes all over l& sales and sovereignty caused the New Zealand land wars which took place between 1845 and 1872. Within 1975 a Treaty of Waitangi Work established the Waitangi Tribunal, charged with hearing claims of Crown violations of the Accord of Waitangi dating back to 1840. A few MÄ?ori tribes & a Moriori never signed the pact.

Although Future Zealand was at the start administered as a a share of the Australian colony of New South Wales, it became a colony around its have correct within 1841. European cash settlement progressed extra chop-chop than anyone anticipated, & settlers before long outnumbered MÄ?ori. Self-self-rule was granted to the settler people inside 1852. A number 1 capital of Future Zealand wwhen Kororareka (known in todays world as Russell) but shortly later moved to Auckland. There were political concerns as a result a discovery of gold in Central Otago in 1861 that the South Island would form the separate colony. Therefore inside 1865 the capital was offically moved to the more city centre of Wellington. Just released Zealand was included inside the Constitutional Convention around March 1891 in Sydney, New South Wales, along with a so-colonies of Australia. This was to assume the expected constitution for the projected federation between the so-British Colonies of Australasia. Future Zealand wasted interest around joining Australithe within a federation charted this convention.

Up to date Zealand became an independent dominion on 26 September 1907 by royal proclamation. Fully independence was granted per United Kingdom Parliament with the Statute of Westminster in 1931; it was taken up upon a Legislative act's adoption per Future Zealand Parliament around 1947. Since so Just released Zealand has been a sovereign constitutional monarchy inside the Commonwealth of Nations.

Politics
Future Zealand occurs as constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. Under a Future Zealand Royal Titles Work (1953), Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of New Zealand and is represented as head of state by the Governor-General, Dame Silvia Cartwright.

A New Zealand Parliament has only one chamber, the House of Representatives which usually seats Great hundred parliamentarian. Parliamentary elections come each deuce-ace years under the form of proportional representation called Mixed Member Proportional (MMP). A 2005 General Election created an 'overhang' of one more seat (occupied per MÄ?ori Party), due to that person winning further seats inside constituencies than its proportional entitlement.

No individual written constitution; however, a Constitution Act (1986) is the principal formal statement of Future Zealand's constitutional structure. A Governor-General has a power to appoint & forget about Prime Ministers & to dissolve Parliament. A Governor-General besides chairs a Executive Council which is a formal committee consisting of a lot ministers of the Crown. Members of the Executive Council come expected to exist as parliamentarian, & virtually all come likewise inside Cabinet. Cabinet is the virtually all senior policy-making system & is led per Prime Minister who is also a Parliamentary leader of the governing person or even coalition.

A todays Prime Minister is Helen Clark of the Labour Party. She hwhen served ii complete terms as Prime Minister & has begun her third. In 17 October 2005 she announced that she had are to a complex arrangement that guaranteed the trend lines of plenty parties for her Labour-led coalition to govern. A core of the coalition occurs as cabinet consisting of Labour Person ministers & Jim Anderton, the Progressive Party's only MP. Additionally to a parties represented around cabinet the leaders of New Zealand First and United Future are to be appointed when Ministers outside Cabinet. An arrangement of this form has never been attempted prior to within Just released Zealand.

a farther arrangement has been manufactured by having the Green Party, which has given a commitment does'nt to vote against the food and drug administratiin on confidence and supply. This commitment assures the food and drug administratiin of the majority of septenary MPs on confidence.

A Leader of the Opposition is National Party leader Don Brash who was formerly Governor of the Federal reserve bank. Too con come a MÄ?ori Person & ACT New Zealand.

A state supreme court inside Future Zealand is the Supreme Court of New Zealand. A Supreme Court was established around 2004 as punishment a passage of the Supreme Court Work around 2003. A Work abolished a stock to appeal Court of Appeal opinion to the Privy Council in London. A todays Chief Justice is Dame Sian Elias. Future Zealand's judicary besides has the High Court which deals with good criminal offences & civil matters, & the Court of Appeal, when well as subordinate courts.

Foreign relations and military
Up to date Zealand maintains the hard profile in environmental protection, human rights and free trade, particularly for agriculture.

Just released Zealand occurs as member of the charted geo-political organisations: APEC, Commonwealth of Nations, OECD and the United Nations. It has signed as much as a total of yours free! trade agreements, of which the first is Closer Economic Relations with Australia.

For its number one hundred years, Up to date Zealand followed Britain's lead on foreign policy. "Where she goes, we go, where she stands, we stand", said Prime Minister Michael Savage, in declaring war in Germany on 3 September 1939. All the same, Britain's inability to protect Future Zealand from either Japanese aggression in World War II led New Zealand to came under a influence of the United States of America for a generation following the war. Just released Zealand has traditionally too worked closely using Australia, whose foreign policy followed a similar historical trend. Successively, numerous Pacific Islands like Western Samoa have looked to Up to date Zealand's lead. A Our contries influence in Up to date Zealand was weakened per disappointment using a Vietnam War, the nuclear danger presented per Cold War, the Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior by France & by disagreements on top environmental and farming trade issues.

Future Zealand occurs as person to the ANZUS security treaty between Australia, New Zeal& and a United States. Inside 1984 New Zealand refused nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships access to its ports. Within 1986 a United States announced that it was suspending its treaty security obligations to Future Zealand pending the restoration of larboard access. A Up to date Zeal& Nuclear Free Zone, Disarming and Arms Control Work of 1987 prohibits a stationing of nuclear weapons on a territory of Just released Zeal& and the entry into Future Zealand waters of nuclear armed or even propelled ships. This legislation remains a source of contention & the basis for the United States' continued suspension of accord obligations to Up to date Zealand.

Relations sustaining Australia use been strained by what Australia perceives when Future Zealand's underspending in defence & what Future Zealand understands when Australia's as punishment confutative Western foreign policy away from self-interest.

Additionally to a various wars between Iwi, & between the British, settlers & Iwi, Up to date Zealand has fought in the Boer War, World War I, (sustaining a greatest casulties by the head of people of any combatant united states), World War II, the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency (& committed troops, fighters and bombers to the subsquent confrontation sustaining Indonesia), the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the Afghanistan War and has briefly sent a unit of military engineer to help by having rebuilding Iraqi infrastructure.

A Future Zealand armed forces has trey branches: a New Zealand Army, the Royal New Zealand Navy, and a Royal New Zealand Air Force. Up to date Zealand considers its have national defence needs to exist as mild; it disbanded its combat air force within 2001. Up to date Zeal& has contributed forces to recent regional and spherical peacekeeping operation, including victims inside Cyprus, Somalia, Bosnia, the Sinai, Angola, Cambodia, the Iran/Iraq border, and Bougainville. The little click was recently provided to trend lines UNTAET in East Timor.

Local government and external territories

A early European settlers divided Future Zealand into provinces. These were abolished inside 1876 so that government could be centred for fiscal reasons. Following, Future Zealand has there is no singly delineated subnational entities such as provinces, states or territories apart from either its local government. A spirit of the provinces notwithstanding however live, & there exists fierce competition exhibited inside sporting & ethnical cases. Since 1876, local government has administered the various regions of Up to date Zealand. Inside 1989, a food and drug administration entirely reorganised local government, implementing the todays both-tier structure of regional councils and territorial authorities.

Now Just released Zeal& has Xii regional councils for the administration of environmental & shipping matters & 74 territorial authorities that administer roading, sewerage, building consents, and more local matters. A territorial authorities come Sixteen city councils, 57 zone councils, & a Chatham Islands County Council. 4 of the territorial councils (of these city & trine territory) & a Chatham Islands County Council too perform the functions of a regional council & so come referred to as unitary authorities. Territorial authority territorial dominion are non subdivisions of regional council dominion, & two or three of the babies straddle regional council boundaries.

Regions are (asterisks denote one authorities): Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne*, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Manawatu-Wanganui, Wellington, Marlborough*, Nelson*, Tasman*, West Coast, Canterbury, Otago, Southland, Chatham Islands*.

As a major South Pacific nation, New Zealand has the close working relationship by having numbers of of the little Pacific Island nations, and continues a political association sustaining the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau. Up to date Zealand operates Scott Base in its Antarctic territory, the Ross Dependency. More countries likewise have Christchurch to trend lines their South-polar bases & a city is another time referred to as a "Gateway to Antarctica".

Geography

Future Zeal& is ii independent islands (just known as the Northward & South Islands witharound English, or even ordinarily Te-Ika-a-Maui and Te Wai Pounamu in MÄ?ori) and the total of smaller islands. A aggregate acreage of Up to date Zealand, 268,680 km², is somewhat less than that of Japan or of the British Isles, and slightly larger than Colorado in the USA. A united states extends additional than 1600 kilometre along its independent, northward-n-east axis. A virtually all important of the little inhabited islands of Up to date Zealand include Stewart Island/Rakiura, Waiheke Island, an island in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf, Great Barrier Island, east of a Hauraki Gulf and the Chatham Islands, named Rekohu by Moriori. A united states has extensive marine resources, by using a fifth big Exclusive Economic Zone in the world covering complete Four million kilometre², additional than Xv days a land mass.

A South Island is the largest l& mass, and is divided along its length per Southern Alps, the greatest peak of which is Aoraki/Mount Cook, at 3,754 metres (12,316 feet). There are Eighteen peaks of to a higher degree 3,000 metres in the South Island. A North Island is less mountainous than the South, however is marked by volcanism. A tallest N Island mountain, Mount Ruapehu (2,797 metres), is an active cone volcano. the striking & varied landscape of Future Zealand has processed it a popular location for the production of television programmes and films, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

A common climate throughout the united states is modest, mostly cool temperate to warm temperate, with temperatures seldom falling beneath 0°C or rising above 30°C. Conditions change from either not dry & cold on the West Coast of the South Island to dry and continental in the Mackenzie Basin of inland Canterbury and subtropical in Northland. Of the independent cities, Christchurch is the driest, getting lone a select few Five hundred millimetres of rain by the month. Auckland, a wettest, receives a bit less than threefold that total.

Flora and fauna
Because of its yearn isolation from either a rest of the globe, & its island biogeography New Zealand has extraordinary flora and animal. All about 80 by the cent of the Future Zealand flora just occurs around Future Zealand, including additional than Xl endemic genera.The independent ii types of woods use been dominated by podocarps including the gargantuan kauri and southern beech. A leftover vegetation types within Just released Zeal& come grassland of grass and tussock, usually associated by owning a alpestrine areas, & a moo shrublands between grasslands & forests.

Until a arrival of the 1st human being, 80% of the land was forested and, barring ii metal money of bat, there were no non-marine mammals at all. Instead, Up to date Zealand's forests were inhabited by a diverse range of birds including the flightless Moa which is now out, a Kiwi, Kakapo, and TakahÄ“ which are all endangered due to human activity. Unique birds capable of flight include a Haast's eagle which was the world's largest bird of prey before it became extinct and the large parrots the Kaka and Kea. Reptilian present inside Just released Zealand include skinks and geckos and a Tuatara. No snakes but there are many coinage of insects— including a weta which may develop when big as a House Mouse.

Economy

Up to date Zealand has the modern, developed economy. the united states has a high standard of residing, ranking Nineteenth on the 2005 Human Development Index and 15th of The Economist's 2005 world-wide quality-of-life stock. Since 1984 successive governments have engaged inside major macroeconomic restructuring, transforming New Zeal& from either the extremely protectionist and ordered economy to the liberalised free-trade economy. When you took a late 1980s, the Future Zealand Government sold the total of major index trading enterprises, including its telecommunications company, railway network, a total of radio stations and two financial institutions within the series of plus sales. Although the Up to date Zealand Government continues to have a total of important businesses, put together referred to as State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), they come operated across arms-length shareholding arrangements when have-alone businesses that are involved to work fruitfully, good such as any privately owned enterprise.

Alas, due inside the portion to the sudden transition to a free enterprise, an economic bubble developed in the New Zealand stock market starting in 1984. This burst within October 1987 and the sum value of the market halved in a year (it has however to heal this misused value). a outcome of this bubble was a period of unfortunate economic incubation which lasted until the mid 90s. It besides led the food and drug administration to lead off the programme of massive immigration to boost GDP. Even so, since 1999 Future Zeal& has enjoyed the period of comparatively heavy & sustained incubation, and contained inflationary pressures.

A todays Up to date Zealand government's economic objectives come centred in moving from either existence ranked among a moo prevent of the OECD countries to regaining the higher placing over again, pursuing absolutely free!-trade agreements, "closing the gaps" between ethnic groups, and building the "knowledge economy." In 2004 it began discussing free trade using China, one of the number 1 countries to clean sol.

Future Zealand is heavy contingent trade—particularly inside agrarian products—to cause incubation, & it has been affected by spherical economic retardation & slumps inside good price levels. Since farming exportation come extremely sensitive to currency values & the big percentage of consumer goods come imported, any changes in the value of the Future Zealand dollar has the heavy impact on the economy. Its primary export industries are agriculture, horticulture, fishing, forestry and information technology. There are as well material tourism and export education industries. A film and wine industries are considered to exist as higher-&-coming.

Demographics
Future Zealand has the people of astir Quadruplet.One million. Just about 70% of the people come whites of European descent. Up to date Zealanders of Anglo-Celtic ancestry come referred to as PÄ?keha - this term is used multifariously & a select few MÄ?ori let it run to refer to 100% non-MÄ?ori Up to date Zealanders. The big proportion of white Future Zealanders come of Scottish ancestry. MÄ?ori people come a 2nd big ethnic class action (a percentage of the population of fully or even a share-MÄ?ori ancestry is Fourteen.7%; victims world health organization checked lone MÄ?ori come Sevener.9%). Between a 199Sextuplet & 2001 nosecount, a total of humans of Asian origin (6.6%) overtook a total of humans of Pacific Island origin (6.5%) (note that a nosecount allowed multiple ethnic affiliations). Most MÄ?ori come of mixed heritage (MÄ?ori/PÄ?kehthe), however a big part of the children marked themselves when MÄ?ori-single on the Nose count. Up to date Zeal& is caring all about immigration and is committed to increasing its people by approx 1% by the annum. Now migrator from either either either a UK be a big lone class action (30%) however fresh migrator come drawn from numerous nations, more and more from East Asia.

Christianity is the predominant religion in Up to date Zealand, although about 40% of the people has there are no religious affiliation. A independent Christian denominations are Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, Roman Catholicism and Methodism. There are likewise important statistics world health organization identify themselves by having Pentecostal and Baptist churches and by having a Mormon church. A Up to date Zealand-depending Ratana church has many disciple among MÄ?ori. Based on data from nosecount numbers, more important minority religions include Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam.

Culture
Just released Zeal& has a diverse contemporary culture by owning influences from either British, the MÄ?ori,and more European immigrants and last Polynesian cultures. There were numerous population from either Scotland amongst the early British settlers & elements of their culture persist; Future Zealand is said to use at times additional bagpipe bands than Scotland. Ethnic links between Up to date Zeal& & a UK come maintained by a most commin language, sustained migration from either a UK and the fact that several immature Up to date Zealanders spend instance in the UK on their "overseas experience".

Pre-European email MÄ?ori culture got there is no metallic informatiin, relying on stone & wood. Modern MÄ?ori don't survive the traditional life-style. Elements of MÄ?ori culture hold out & the food and drug administration actively promotes it to 100% Future Zealanders. Have of the MÄ?ori language (Te Reo MÄ?ori) as the residing, community language remained lone around two or three remote areas in the post war years however these are presently running across the renaissance; by owning generous state trend lines for MÄ?ori language medium schools & a MÄ?ori language television channel.

Just released Zealand's landscape has appeared around the total of television programmes and films. Inside particular, a television series Hercules and Xena were filmed around Auckland, and the film Heavenly Creatures in Christchurch. A television series The Tribe is set & filmed around Just released Zealand too. Director Peter Jackson shot the heroic poem The Lord of the Rings trilogy in various locations around a united states, do you need a outstanding & comparatively unspoiled landscapes, & Mount Taranaki was used as a have-fill-in for Mount Fuji in The Last Samurai. More moving picture presently filming inside Up to date Zealand include King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Sport
Just released Zealand's virtually all popular sports are rugby union, cricket, netball, lawn bowling, soccer (the most popular sport amongst babies) & rugby league. Likewise popular come golf, tennis, cycling and a kind of water sports, particularly sailing, whitewater kayaking and rowing. In the latter, Up to date Zealand enjoyed an extraordinary Magic 45 minutes when winning four serial gold laurel wreath at a 2005 globe championships. Snow sports like skiing and snowboarding are also popular. Equestrian hikers & swimmers and sportswomen make their mark in the globe (Mark Todd being chosen international "Horseman of the Century"), and all the way down to the juniors at pony club level.

Olympic Games
the united states is internationally recognised when achieving highly easily in a medals-to-people ratio at Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games. Watch, for instance, New Zealand Olympic medallists and New Zealand at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Rugby
Rugby as a sport is closely linked to New Zealand's national identity. A national rugger team is known as a All Blacks and has the best winning record of any national team in the globe. A style of title has been followed inside name only a national team in many more sports. E.g., a united states's five is referred to as a Tall Blacks. Future Zealand's national sporting colours come non a colours of its flag, however are black & white (silver). A silver fern is a national emblem worn by New Zealanders representing their united states around sport. A haka—a traditional MÄ?ori challenge—is often performed at sporting cases. a Everthing Blacks traditionally perform a haka prior to the run of international matches.

Yachting, America's Cup
Future Zealand is one of a leading nations within globe boating, especially open a stream long-distance call or even around the world races. Around-a-globe yachtswoman, Sir Peter Blake was something of a national hero prior to his prematurely demise at a mitts of flow of any stream pirates spell on an environmental exploration hike on the Amazon. Within onshore boating, Auckland hosted the go deuce America's Cup regattas (2000 and 2003). Inside 2000, Team New Zealand successfully defended the trophy it got won inside 1995 in San Diego, which made the babies the exclusively team in the history of the Ventral suction cup to with success defend the challenge otherwise a United States team, but within 2003 they lost to the team headed by Ernesto Bertarelli of Switzerland, whose Alinghi syndicate was skippered by Russell Coutts, the previous skipper of Team Up to date Zealand.

Team Just released Zealand may compete for the Us's Ventral suction cup at a next regatta within Valencia in 2007. A team manager is Grant Dalton.

Public holidays
Statutory Holidays
(These holidays come legislated by many Acts of Parliament, like a Holidays Work. Future Zealand Legislative act may be viewed at [http://www.legislation.govt.nz/browse_vw.asp?content-set=pal_statutes legislation.govt.nz])

There are likewise Provincial Anniversary Times to celebrate a innovation times or even landing times of the 1st settler of the various compound provinces. A actual observance of Day of remembrance times could diverge potentially inside both province due to local custom, convenience or even even a proximity of seasonal cases or more holidays. This could differ from either either a historical observance day, & can be many weeks from a historic date of the cases existence commemorated. The to the full names of Day of remembrance times is utilized in the article Holidays in New Zealand.