Geography Atlas

Where Everything Happened
Countries

New Zealand

Also Known As Aotearoa The Maori name for New Zealand, increasingly used in English alongside the country's common name.

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New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, made up of two main landmasses, the North Island and the South Island, plus over 700 smaller islands, lying east of Australia across the Tasman Sea. Its evolution from colony to fully sovereign state was gradual, spanning the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, Dominion status in 1907 and the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act in 1947, with no single date celebrated as an independence day. It is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth. Its capital is Wellington.

Facts
Capital
Wellington 1
Wellington is the seat of government. Auckland is New Zealand's largest city but is not the capital.
Population
5,355,220 1
August 2026 estimate, from New Zealand's own Wikipedia infobox, which also carries a 2023 census figure of 4,993,923.
Population Estimate Year
2026 1
Area (sq km)
263,310 1
Independence or Founding Year
1947 1
New Zealand's sovereignty was gradual, not one independence day: Dominion status in 1907, full legislative independence via the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act in 1947 (the year recorded here), and the Constitution Act 1986 removing the last residual British legislative power.
Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Auckland, Cities
Polynesia, Regions

Has Capital

Wellington, Cities

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand.

On Continent

Australia, Continents
Sources
1. New Zealand (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationInfobox
Quote, Infobox
Aotearoa
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1. New Zealand (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationInfobox, capital
Quote, Infobox, capital
Wellington
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1. New Zealand (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationInfobox, area
Quote, Infobox, area
263,310 km2 (101,660 sq mi)
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1. New Zealand (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationDemographics section, August 2026 estimate
Quote, Demographics section, August 2026 estimate
Today, the majority of New Zealand's population of around 5.3 million is of European descent
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1. New Zealand (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroduction
Quote, Introduction
New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
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1. New Zealand (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHistory section, Dominion and independence
Quote, History section, Dominion and independence
In 1947, New Zealand adopted the Statute of Westminster implementing the declaration, confirming that the British Parliament could no longer legislate for the country without its consent.
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Auckland (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Auckland, Infobox, Country
Quote, Associated With: Auckland, Infobox, Country
New Zealand
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