New Zealand

History

New Zealand has a long history, confirming the legacy of both the Maori and the first Europeans to settle. The monuments and treasures of the Maori, some of which date back more than 1,000 years, contrast sharply with the colonial buildings.

The history of New Zealand begins with the Polynesians, who were the first to discover and inhabit the islands. In 1642, the first European explorer, Abel Tasman of the Netherlands, reached New Zealand. In 1769, James Cook, a British explorer, and Jean Francois, commander of a French merchant ship, arrived in New Zealand. From the end of 1790 onwards, whalers, merchants, and missionaries arrived and settled along the coast. The beginning of intertribal wars begins. The Maori, the indigenous people of the islands, signed a treaty with the British on February 6, 1840, known as the Waitangi Treaty. New Zealand today is an independent state within a state.