New Zealand is an
island nation in the south-western
Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the
North Island and the
South Island) and numerous
smaller islands, most notably
Stewart Island/Rakiura and the
Chatham Islands. The indigenous
Maori named New Zealand
Aotearoa, which is commonly translated into English as
The Land of the Long White Cloud. The
Realm of New Zealand also includes the
Cook Islands and
Niue, which are self-governing but in
free association;
Tokelau; and the
Ross Dependency (New Zealand's
territorial claim in Antarctica).
New Zealand is notable for its geographic isolation, situated about 2000&_160;km (1250 miles) southeast of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and its closest neighbours to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga. During its long isolation New Zealand developed a distinctive fauna dominated by birds, many of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and the mammals they introduced.
The population is mostly of European descent, with the indigenous Maori being the largest minority. Asians and non-Maori Polynesians are also significant minorities, especially in the cities. Elizabeth II, as the Queen of New Zealand, is the Head of State and, in her absence, is represented by a non-partisan Governor-General. The Queen 'reigns but does not rule.' She has no real political influence, and her position is essentially symbolic. Political power is held by the democratically elected Parliament of New Zealand under the leadership of the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government.
It is unknown whether Maori had a name for New Zealand as a whole before the arrival of Europeans, although they referred to the North Island as Te Ika a Maui (the fish of Maui) and the South Island as Te Wai Pounamu (the waters of greenstone) or Te Waka o Aoraki (the canoe of Aoraki).[4] Until the early 20th century, the North Island was also referred to as Aotearoa (colloquially translated "land of the long white cloud");[5] in modern Maori usage, this name refers to the whole country. Aotearoa is also commonly used in this sense in New Zealand English.
