New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean . It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui ) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu )—and over 700 smaller islands . It is the sixth-largest island country by area and lies east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and south of the islands of New Caledonia , Fiji , and Tonga . 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 .
A developed country , it was the first to introduce a minimum wage , and the first to give women the right to vote . It ranks very highly in international measures of quality of life , human rights , and it has one of the lowest levels of perceived corruption in the world. It retains visible levels of inequality , having structural disparities between its Māori and European populations. New Zealand underwent major economic changes during the 1980s, which transformed it from a protectionist to a liberalised free-trade economy. The service sector dominates the national economy , followed by the industrial sector, and agriculture ; international tourism is also a significant source of revenue. New Zealand is a member of the United Nations , Commonwealth of Nations , ANZUS , UKUSA , Five Eyes , OECD , ASEAN Plus Six , Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation , the Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Forum . It enjoys particularly close relations with the United States and is one of its major non-NATO allies ; the United Kingdom; Samoa , Fiji , and Tonga ; and with Australia , with a shared Trans-Tasman identity between the two countries stemming from centuries of British colonisation. (Full article... )
This is a Good article , an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.
Alan Hugh Dale (born 6 May 1947) is a New Zealand actor, known for his early long-running role as Jim Robinson in Australian tv soap opera Neighbours , American series' The O.C. (as Caleb Nichol ) and Ugly Betty (as Bradford Meade ), as well as recurring and guest roles in Lost , 24 , NCIS , ER , The West Wing , The X-Files , Entourage , Once Upon a Time and Dynasty as Joseph Anders . (Full article... )
The following are images from various New Zealand-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1 Māori
whānau (extended family) from
Rotorua in the 1880s. Many aspects of Western life and culture, including European clothing and architecture, became incorporated into Māori society during the 19th century. (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 4 Percentages of people reporting affiliation with Christianity at the 2001, 2006 and 2013 censuses; there has been a steady decrease over twelve years. (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 5 Central Plateau in winter (from
Geography of New Zealand )
Image 6 Elizabeth II and Muldoon's Cabinet, taken during the Queen's 1981 visit to New Zealand (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 7 An aerial view of the
Auckland urban area, showing its location on the
Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana (from
Geography of New Zealand )
Image 8 Fiordland is dominated by steep, glacier-carved valleys. (from
Geography of New Zealand )
Image 9 Kapa haka is performed at a
School Strike for Climate in Christchurch 2019. (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 10 Knox Church , a
Presbyterian church , in
Dunedin . The city was founded by Scottish Presbyterian settlers. (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 11 The Māori are most likely descended from people who emigrated from
Taiwan to
Melanesia and then travelled east through to the
Society Islands . After a pause of 70 to 265 years, a new wave of exploration led to the discovery and settlement of New Zealand.
Image 12 A 1943 poster produced during the war. The poster reads: "When war broke out ... industries were unprepared for munitions production. To-day New Zealand is not only manufacturing many kinds of munitions for her own defence but is making a valuable contribution to the defence of the other areas in the Pacific..." (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 13 HMS North Star destroying Pomare's Pā during the Northern/Flagstaff War, 1845, Painting by John Williams. (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 14 Roger Douglas , the architect of New Zealand's 1980s
neo-liberal reform programme (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 15 New Zealand Division in 1916 (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 16 Hinepare of Ngāti Kahungunu, is wearing a traditional
korowai cloak adorned with a black fringe border. The two
huia feathers in her hair, indicate a chiefly lineage. She also wears a
pounamu hei-tiki and earring, as well as a shark tooth (
mako ) earring. The
moko-kauae (chin-tattoo) is often based on one's role in the
iwi . (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 18 The
Mission House at Kerikeri is New Zealand's oldest surviving building, having been completed in 1822 (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 19 Vigil in
Wellington for the victims of the Christchurch mosques attacks (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 20 A Māori ancestor (
tekoteko ) depicted in a wood carving at the Tamatekapua Meeting House in
Ohinemutu (
c. 1880 ) (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 21 New Zealand is
antipodal to points of the North Atlantic, the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco.
Image 22 The
1935 Labour Cabinet . Michael Joseph Savage is seated in the front row, centre. (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 23 Putting down a hāngī (earth oven) (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 24 Michael Joseph Savage , Labour Prime Minister 1935–1940. This portrait was hung on the walls of many supporters. (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 25 Strong winds in the Cook Strait produce high waves which erode the shore, as shown in this image (from
Geography of New Zealand )
Image 26 Tribute to the Suffragettes memorial in
Christchurch adjacent to
Our City . The figures shown from left to right are
Amey Daldy ,
Kate Sheppard ,
Ada Wells and
Harriet Morison (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 27 Scottish Highland family migrating to New Zealand, 1844, by
William Allsworth .
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa , Wellington. (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 28 Water pollution sign on the
Waimakariri River (from
Geography of New Zealand )
Image 29 Pavlova , a popular New Zealand dessert, garnished with cream and strawberries. (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 31 Lorde as part of the 2014
Lollapalooza lineup (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 32 A meeting of European and Māori inhabitants of
Hawke's Bay Province . Engraving, 1863.
Image 33 A beach
barbecue – an established part of New Zealand culture (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 35 "First Scottish Colony for New Zealand" – 1839 poster advertising emigration from Scotland to New Zealand. Collection of
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum , Glasgow, Scotland. (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 37 European settlers developed an identity that was influenced by their rustic lifestyle. In this scene from 1909, men at their camp site display a catch of rabbits and fish. (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 38 The scalloped bays indenting Lake Taupō's northern and western coasts are typical of large volcanic
caldera margins. The caldera they surround was formed during the huge
Oruanui eruption . (from
Geography of New Zealand )
Image 40 The
kiwi has become a New Zealand icon. (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 41 Men of the
Māori Battalion , New Zealand Expeditionary Force, after disembarking at Gourock in Scotland in June 1940 (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 42 Richard Seddon, Liberal Prime Minister from 1893 to his death in 1906 (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 43 Children's and young adult author
Margaret Mahy , July 2011 (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 45 One of the few extant copies of the
Treaty of Waitangi (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 46 Cook Island dancers at Auckland's
Pasifika Festival , 2010 (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 47 The Forty-Fours viewed from the north; the leftmost islet is the easternmost point of New Zealand. (from
Geography of New Zealand )
Image 48 The Waikato River flowing out of Lake Taupō (from
Geography of New Zealand )
Image 49 The first
Government House in Auckland, as painted by
Edward Ashworth in 1842 or 1843. Auckland was the second
capital of New Zealand . (from
History of New Zealand )
Image 50 Rural landscape close to Mt Ruapehu (from
Geography of New Zealand )
Image 51 Tekoteko from the gable of a
wharenui ,
Te Arawa (20th century) (from
Culture of New Zealand )
Image 53 Scorching Bay , Wellington, in summer (from
Geography of New Zealand )
Image 54 An annotated relief map (from
Geography of New Zealand )
Image 55 Topography of
Zealandia , the submerged continent, and the two tectonic plates (from
Geography of New Zealand )
A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time (23:51 UTC , 21 February). The 6.2 ( 6.3) earthquake struck the Canterbury region in the South Island , centred 6.7 kilometres (4.2 mi) south-east of the central business district. It caused widespread damage across Christchurch, killing 185 people in New Zealand's fifth-deadliest disaster . Scientists classified it as an intraplate earthquake and potentially an aftershock of the 2010 Canterbury earthquake .
Christchurch's central city and eastern suburbs were badly affected, with damage to buildings and infrastructure already weakened by the 2010 Canterbury earthquake and its aftershocks. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, producing around 400,000 tonnes of silt . The earthquake was felt across the South Island and parts of the lower and central North Island. While the initial quake only lasted for approximately 10 seconds, the damage was severe because of the location and shallowness of the earthquake's focus in relation to Christchurch as well as previous quake damage. Subsequent population loss saw the Christchurch main urban area fall behind the Wellington equivalent, to decrease from second- to third-most populous area in New Zealand. Adjusted for inflation, the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes caused over $44.8 billion in damages, making it New Zealand's costliest natural disaster and the 21st-most-expensive disaster in history . (Full article... )
... that Jessica Mutch McKay hosted debates between the leaders of New Zealand's two major political parties?
... that Harry Tombs established the first New Zealand fine-arts press?
... that two rival designers independently submitted a map for the design of a 1940 New Zealand coin ?
... that Mona Williams said her degree from Stanford University was called a "wanky Yankee" degree when she arrived in New Zealand?
... that Chancellor Hut is the oldest alpine hut still in its original location in the Southern Alps of New Zealand?
... that before bungee jumping with White House aides in New Zealand, senior White House correspondent Bill Plante said he was "proving that you're never too old to do something really stupid"?
... that despite never having received a formal education in botany, Harry Allan became one of New Zealand's most eminent botanists?
... that Cyril Croker was a member of the Suicide Squad ?
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18th Battalion (New Zealand)
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34th Battalion (New Zealand)
35th Battalion (New Zealand)
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1860 Town of Christchurch by-election
April 1865 Bruce by-election
1888–89 New Zealand Native football team
1949 New Zealand crown
1972 New Zealand eight
1982 Women's Cricket World Cup final
1990–91 South Pacific cyclone season
1993 Women's Cricket World Cup final
1994–95 South Pacific cyclone season
1995–96 South Pacific cyclone season
1997 Women's Cricket World Cup final
2001–02 South Pacific cyclone season
2009 Dusky Sound earthquake
2011 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election
2022 Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand co-leadership election
Abel Tasman Monument
Capture of Afulah and Beisan
Agaricus bernardii
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Minden Blake
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The Bone People
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Bravado (song)
Operation Bribie
Bridge to Terabithia (2007 film)
Joseph Brittan
Thomas Broun
Stanley Browne (RNZAF officer)
Thomas Brunner
Bushy Park (New Zealand)
Buzzcut Season
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Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment
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Characteres generum plantarum
Charles III
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Chickaboom!
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Clathrus columnatus
Clavaria zollingeri
Wilfred Clouston
Operation Coburg
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Codling moth
Coins of the New Zealand pound
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Thomas Cooke (soldier, born 1881)
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Bill Crawford-Compton
James Crichton (soldier)
Crucibulum (fungus)
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Bill Cunningham (rugby union)
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Dacrycarpus dacrydioides
Alan Dale
Richard Hutton Davies
DayZ (mod)
Austen Deans
Alan Deere
Demographics of New Zealand
Henry Dewar (rugby union)
Antonio Dini
Albert Downing
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Dracophyllum traversii
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International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Keith Elliott
Mick Ensor
Evans Bay Patent Slip
Evermore (band)
The Experiment (Dane Rumble album)
Fat Freddy's Drop
Flora Antarctica
Florin (New Zealand coin)
Samuel Forsyth
Foveaux Strait
History of rugby union matches between France and New Zealand
Samuel Frickleton
The Frighteners
Harry Fulton
Joanne Gair
Gallipoli campaign
Battle of Gang Toi
Third Battle of Gaza
Geastrum pectinatum
German Mission House
Glory and Gore
Alexander Godley
Patricia Grace
John Gildroy Grant
Colin Falkland Gray
Green Light (Lorde song)
Half-crown (New Zealand coin)
Halfpenny (New Zealand coin)
Peter Hall (RNZAF officer)
Mark Hammett
Han Sai Por
Handkea utriformis
Hard Feelings/Loveless
James Hargest
Herbert Hart (general)
James Hayter (RAF officer)
Gilbert Hayton
Bob Heffron
Michael Herrick
Raymond Hesselyn
Edmund Hillary
Jack Hinton
History of the Highlanders (rugby union)
William Hodgson (RAF officer)
Hokitika Clock Tower
Homemade Dynamite
John Houlton
Clive Hulme
Reginald Hyde
Witi Ihimaera
Imperial Gift
Lindsay Inglis
Mervyn Ingram
Cyclone Ivy
James Healy Seamount
George Jameson (RNZAF officer)
Capture of Jenin
Ernest Joyce (RNZAF officer)
Reginald Judson
Cris and Cru Kahui homicides
Kaimanawa horse
Katipō
Kauri gum
Keith (song)
Patrick Keogh
John Key
King Kong (2005 film)
Howard Kippenberger
Lake Te Wapu
Jim Laker
Phil Lamason
Harry Laurent
Least weasel
Danny Lendich
Liability (song)
Linwood House
Robert Logan (politician)
Battle of Long Khánh
Long Range Desert Group
Battle of Long Tan
The Lord of the Rings (film series)
The Louvre (song)
The Love Club EP
Love in Motion (Anika Moa album)
Kathy Lynch
John Noble MacKenzie
Macauley Island
Battle of Magdhaba
Magnets (song)
Make It 16 Incorporated v Attorney-General
William George Malone
Māngere Bridge (suburb)
Māori Battalion
Matiu / Somes Island
Richie McCaw
Melodrama (Lorde album)
Melodrama World Tour
Battle of Messines (1917)
Metanephrops challengeri
Reginald Miles
Kae Miller
Mini Metro (video game)
Monowai (seamount)
Horace Moore-Jones
Mount Morning
Moro River campaign
Jenny Morris (musician)
Ian Morrison (RNZAF officer)
Mountain Fountain
Battle of Mughar Ridge
Mycena inclinata
Battle of Nablus (1918)
Napier Technical College, New Zealand
Walter Nash
The New Cup
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New Zealand
New Zealand White Ensign
New Zealand and Australian Division
New Zealand at the 2014 Winter Paralympics
New Zealand bellbird
New Zealand literature
New Zealand place names
Cyril Newall, 1st Baron Newall
Guy Newton (RNZAF officer)
Henry James Nicholas
No Better
No worries
Harold North
Nothing to Regret
William O'Rourke (cricketer)
Official Information Act 1982
Opawa
The Original All Blacks
Owha
Keith Park
Nigel Park
Graham Beresford Parkinson
First Battle of Passchendaele
Penny (New Zealand pre-decimal coin)
Cyclone Percy
Perfect Places
Petition of Right
HMS Philomel (1890)
Pholcus phalangioides
The Pleiades (volcano group)
Potiki
George Preece
Grace Prendergast
Princes Street, Dunedin
Professional wrestling in New Zealand
Psilocybe makarorae
Pure Heroine
Edward Puttick
Queen Victoria Monument, Wellington
Paul Rabone
Implosion of Radio Network House
Jack Rae
Barbara Rae-Venter
Rail transport in New Zealand
Ribs (song)
Ricky Riccitelli
George Spafford Richardson
Randolph Ridling
Battle of Romani
Rook (bird)
Roridomyces austrororidus
Malcolm Ross (journalist)
Royals (song)
Rugby union
Sally (Flight of the Conchords)
Battle of Samakh
Santosh Subramaniam
Aaron Saxton
Warren Schrader
ScienTOMogy
Desmond J. Scott
Battle of Sharon
Jim Sheddan
Shilling (New Zealand coin)
Siege of Ngatapa
William Sinclair-Burgess
Sixpence (New Zealand coin)
Slender smooth-hound
Ian Smith (rugby union, born 1903)
Irving Smith (RAF officer)
Miriam Soljak
1992 South Africa vs New Zealand rugby union match
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
Robert Spurdle
Statue of Queen Victoria, Auckland
Gray Stenborg
Pamela Stephenson
William George Stevens
Hugh Stewart (classical scholar)
Keith Lindsay Stewart
Kenneth Stewart (RNZAF officer)
Stoned at the Nail Salon
Percy Storkey
Stuart Memorial, Dunedin
Jacquie Sturm
Battle of Suoi Bong Trang
Battle of Suoi Chau Pha
Supercut (song)
Donald Sutherland (explorer)
Sweet potato cultivation in Polynesia
Battle of Tabsor
Taiari / Chalky Inlet
Kenneth Tait
1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera
Keith Taylor-Cannon
Team (Lorde song)
Tennis Court (song)
Territorial Air Force (New Zealand)
Peter Thorburn
Leonard Thornton
Threepence (New Zealand coin)
Time on Earth
Sam Tomkins
Richard Tomlinson
Owen Tracey
Third Transjordan attack
Richard Travis
Treaty of Waitangi
Leonard Trent
Richard Trousdale
Tuatara
Battle of Tulkarm
Arthur Umbers
United Nations Memorial Cemetery
Victor Verity
Veronica jovellanoides
Victoria Square, Christchurch
Ropata Wahawaha
Wainui Falls
Waitangi crown
Fred Waite (politician)
Wangapeka Track
Derek Harland Ward
James Allen Ward
Stephen Weir
Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment
Edward Wells (RNZAF officer)
West Auckland, New Zealand
Wharves in Wellington Harbour
John Whiteley (missionary)
Anthony Wilding
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Writer in the Dark
Yellow Flicker Beat
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