|
The first settlers were the Maori. According to legend, the explorer Kupe first discovered New Zealand and named it Aotearoa: “Land of the Long White Cloud”. The timing of these first arrivals has been much disputed, but in probability they occurred around 1000AD.
Dutch navigator, Abel Tasman, was the first documented European to discover New Zealand, in 1642; in 1769, Captain James Cook claimed it for Britain.
In more recent times, New Zealand has been recognised for its progressive political scene: first to give women the vote (in 1893), it also gained fame for becoming Nuclear Free in the 1980s. In the last two decades, New Zealand's involvement in the America's Cup has increased the world's awareness of this country.
|
|
New Zealand''s indigenous people came from tropical Polynesia more than 1000 years ago.
|
|
Further Information
> Tourism Auckland
> Tourism New Zealand
|
|
