Queen Elizabeth II is the country's monarch and is represented by the governor-general. Nationally, legislative authority is vested in an elected, unicameral Parliament, while executive political power is exercised by the Cabinet, led by the prime minister, currently Jacinda Ardern. International tourism is also a significant source of revenue. The service sector dominates the national economy, followed by the industrial sector, and agriculture. New Zealand underwent major economic changes during the 1980s, which transformed it from a protectionist to a liberalised free-trade economy. The official languages are English, Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language, with the local dialect of English being dominant.Ī developed country, New Zealand ranks highly in international comparisons of national performance, such as quality of life, education, protection of civil liberties, government transparency, and economic freedom. Reflecting this, New Zealand's culture is mainly derived from Māori and early British settlers, with recent broadening of culture arising from increased immigration. Today, the majority of New Zealand's population of 5.1 million is of European descent the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders.
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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. In 1840, representatives of the United Kingdom and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which declared British sovereignty over the islands. In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight and record New Zealand. Between about 12, Polynesians began to settle in the islands and then developed a distinctive Māori culture.
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Owing to their remoteness, the islands of New Zealand were the last large habitable landmass to be settled by humans.
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New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, and its most populous city is Auckland. The country's varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps, owe much to tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand is about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. It consists of two main landmasses-the North Island ( Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island ( Te Waipounamu)-and over 700 smaller islands, covering a total area of 268,021 square kilometres (103,500 sq mi). New Zealand ( Māori: Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.