Portal:New Zealand/Intro

New Zealand (Aotearoa) is a country of two large islands and many much smaller islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Among South Pacific nations, New Zealand has the largest and most industrialised economy and is second only to Papua New Guinea in population. It is situated some 1500 km east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1000 km south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. 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. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.

Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of New Zealand and is represented in the country by a governor-general. Legislative authority is vested in a democratically elected Parliament, while executive political power is exercised by the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister. The Realm of New Zealand also includes the self-governing Cook Islands and Niue, as well as Tokelau and New Zealand's claims in Antarctica. More about New Zealand...