General information

The country of Aotearoa New Zealand is an archipelago of islands in the South Pacific and is the southernmost country in Polynesia. It is believed to be one of the last habitable places on Earth to have been settled by humans, in around 1200AD.

Aotearoa New Zealand's climate is largely temperate though in the north there are sub-tropical rainforests, with some of the southern islands having a sub-Antarctic climate.

The country lies on the Pacific Rim of Fire, and is positioned on the boundary of the Australian and the Pacific tectonic plates. It is movement in these tectonic plates – huge chunks of the earth’s crust – that cause earthquakes. Some areas in New Zealand also have geothermic activity.

The founding document of the nation is the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi signed by representatives of the Crown and Māori chiefs in 1840. A national holiday, Waitangi Day, is celebrated every year on 6 February and marks the first signing of the Treaty (there were several subsequent signings up and down the country). The Treaty gave British representatives of the Crown the right to govern while allowing Māori to retain sovereignty and possession of lands and resources.

Part of the British Commonwealth, the New Zealand Head of state is King Charles III, the Governor General acting as his representative. Elections are held every 3 years and the Government operates from Wellington, the capital city.

• New Zealand facts - Britannica.com
• New Zealand summary - CIA World Factbook