Early settlement
New Zealand has been inhabited by Māori since about 1000 AD.
Dutch navigator Abel Tasman mapped part of the coast during his voyage of 1642–43 and named the country after Zeeland in Holland.
New Zealand was charted by Captain James Cook on his three voyages (1769–78).
Between 1792 and 1840, sealing, whaling and trading led to organised European settlement.
In 1840 the first settlement was made at Wellington by a group sent by the New Zealand Company, founded by Edward Gibbon Wakefield.
In that year the Treaty of Waitangi guaranteed to Māori the full possession of their land in exchange for their recognition of British sovereignty. But as European settlement increased, Māori opposition to land settlement resulted in conflict which lasted from 1860 to 1872.
Government
Originally governed from New South Wales (Australia), New Zealand became a separate colony in 1840 and received a large measure of self-government in 1852.
In 1907 it assumed complete self-government as the Dominion of New Zealand but, preferring that Great Britain handle most of its foreign affairs, did not confirm the Statute of Westminster (1931) until 1947.
New Zealand is ruled by an elected single-house legislature presided over by a Speaker, with legislative power led by a Prime Minister.
Queen Elizabeth II of Britain (succeeded 1953) is also New Zealand’s sovereign and the New Zealand Government is referred to (in the formal sense) as ‘the Crown’. Queen Elizabeth’s representative in New Zealand is titled Governor-General.
Foreign affairs
New Zealand’s own foreign affairs have been marked by participation in multilateral interventions and peacekeeping, particularly as part of United Nations forces.
Progressive domestic policy
The country has been a leader in progressive social legislation. An old age pension law was enacted in 1898. Further social security legislation, mainly enacted in the 1930s and 40s, provided for subsidised education and health care.
New Zealand was the first country to grant women the right to vote (1893).
Elections
New Zealand has a general election every three years. The Labour Party, led by Helen Clark, is in its third term as a minority government.
Printed version
The printable file below is in Adobe Acrobat Reader 4 format. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader you may download the reader to view or print the contents of this file.
NZinProfile2006.pdf
Back to contents list