New Zealand – from Māori voyagers to the Treaty of Waitangi and a modern nation
New Zealand was one of the last major landmasses on earth to be settled by humans. Polynesian voyagers arrived around the 13th century, and from them grew Māori culture, with its tribal structures, rich oral traditions and distinctive art. In 1642 the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman became the first European to reach the islands, and in 1769 James Cook charted their coasts.
From the late 18th century whalers, sealers, traders and missionaries followed. In 1840 representatives of the British Crown and many Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, whose English and Māori versions differ in important ways. Large-scale British settlement followed, together with conflicts over land: the New Zealand Wars of the 19th century led to extensive land confiscations, and the Māori population declined sharply.
New Zealand became a self-governing colony and in 1893 was the first self-governing country to grant women the vote in national elections. It became a dominion in 1907 and gradually gained full independence. New Zealanders fought in both world wars, and Gallipoli in 1915 remains a key moment of national memory. From the 1970s a Māori renaissance strengthened language and culture, and in 1975 the Waitangi Tribunal was set up to address breaches of the Treaty.
Today New Zealand is shaped by its bicultural foundation, growing Pacific and Asian communities, dramatic landscapes and a strong sense of responsibility for the environment.
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