It has a total land area of 268,000 square kilometres (103,500 sq mi) New Zealand is situated some 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga.. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions.
Coordinates: 42°S174°E / 42°S 174°EAotearoa(Māori)Anthems:Location of New Zealand, including outlying islands, its territorial claim in the Antarctic, and TokelauCapitalWellington41°17′S174°27′E / 41.. Today, the majority of New Zealand's population of 4 9 million is of European descent; the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders.. In 1840, representatives of the United Kingdom and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which declared British sovereignty over the islands.
The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui), and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and around 600 smaller islands.. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, and plant life.. In 1841, New Zealand became a colony within the British Empire and in 1907 it became a dominion; it gained full statutory independence in 1947 and the British monarch remained the head of state.
Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans.. nzNew Zealand (Māori: Aotearoa[aɔˈtɛaɾɔa]) is a sovereignisland country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.. Sometime between 1250 and 1300, Polynesians settled in the islands that later were named New Zealand and developed a distinctive Māori culture.. 5% Māori15 1% Asian8 1% Pacific peoples1 6% ME/LA/African1 9% Other[3][n 3]Demonym(s)New ZealanderKiwi (informal)GovernmentElizabeth II• Governor-GeneralPatsy ReddyJacinda ArdernLegislatureParliament(House of Representatives)Stages of independencefrom the United Kingdom7 May 1856• Dominion26 September 190725 November 1947Area • Total268,021 km2 (103,483 sq mi) (75th)1.. Reflecting this, New Zealand's culture is mainly derived from Māori and early British settlers, with recent broadening arising from increased immigration.. 6[n 4]Population• October 2019 estimate4,935,610[5] (120th)4,699,755• Density18. e828bfe731