The Polynesian navigator Kupe has been credited with the discovery of New Zealand around 800 AD. Legend has it his wife named it Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud. Centuries later, around 1350 AD, a great migration of people from Kupe's homeland of Hawaiki set sail to New Zealand. In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sailed along the west coast of New Zealand; his attempt to land resulted in several of his crew being killed and eaten. In 1769, Captain James Cook circumnavigated New Zealand. Despite his initial violent contact with the Maoris he recognized the potential of this land, and claimed it for the British crown. In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, with the Maori ceding sovereignty of their country to Britain in exchange for protection and guaranteed possession of their lands. New Zealand was given dominion status in the British Empire in 1907 and granted autonomy by Britain in 1931; independence, however, was not formally proclaimed until 1947.

New Zealand art is multifarious, valuing innovation, integrity and craftsmanship that reflects Pakeha, Maori and Melanesian heritage. There is a lively theatre scene in the country, especially in Wellington.

New Zealand is in the South Pacific Ocean. It stretches 1600km from north to south and consists of two large islands and a smattering of smaller islands. The North Island has a number of large volcanoes and highly active thermal areas, while the South Island boasts the Southern Alps - a spine of magnificent mountains running almost its entire length. Much of New Zealand's flora is endemic and its extent is enormous. Native fauna is limited, with the only indigenous mammals being bats. Lying between 34S and 47S, New Zealand sits squarely in the 'roaring forties' latitude, which means a prevailing and continual wind blows over the country from west to east; this can range from a gentle breeze in summer to a buffeting, roof-stripping gale in winter.