Background: The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their
chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which
they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In
that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A
series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native
peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in
1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full
participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent
years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances.
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Population: 4,035,461 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21.4% (male 441,836/female 421,065)
15-64 years:
66.9% (male 1,356,095/female 1,343,728)
65 years and over: 11.7%
(male 206,650/female 266,087) (2005 est.)
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