New Zealand
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Location:
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Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean,
southeast of Australia |
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Background:
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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.
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Languages:
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English (official), Maori (official) |
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Exchange rates:
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New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.16 (2002),
2.38 (2001), 2.2 (2000), 1.89 (1999), 1.87 (1998)
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