Owing to their remoteness, the islands of New Zealand were the last large habitable landmass to be settled by humans. Between about 1280 and 1350, Polynesians began to settle in the islands and then developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight and record New Zealand. Exploratory voyages, mainly by British and French explorers, occurred in the late 18th century, with varied but mainly British trading and settlement occurring until 1840. In 1840, representatives of the United Kingdom and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which in its English version declared British sovereignty over the islands. 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. Today, the majority of New Zealand’s population of over 5.1 million is of European descent; the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asiansand Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealand’s culture is mainly derived from Māori and early British settlers, with the recent broadening of culture arising from increased immigration. The official languages are English, Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language, with the local dialect of English being dominant.

CULTURE OF NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand’s original inhabitants, the Maori and Maori, still play an important role in the country’s culture today. The Maori today make up less than 15% of New Zealand’s population, but the numbers are growing at a faster rate than those of other members of the island. New Zealand’s culture has also been heavily influenced by the Europeans, especially the British, who make up 69% of the country’s residents.

The colonialists greatly influenced New Zealand culture and in the early 19th century suppressed much of it. It has only been in the last decade or so that Maori traditions and language have been recognized and are being brought back to the forefront. Movies, such as the Whale Rider and the international success of the New Zealand Rugby team, the All Blacks, have popularized Maori history on an international basis.

LANGUAGES IN NEW ZEALAND

English is the predominant language in New Zealand, spoken by 95.4% of the population. New Zealand English is a variety of the language with a distinctive accent and lexicon. It is similar to Australian English, and many speakers from the Northern Hemisphere are unable to tell the accents apart. The most prominent differences between the New Zealand English dialect and other English dialects are the shifts in the short front vowels.