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 defence alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances.
Geologically, New Zealand is a young country. The Southern Alps in the South Island emerged from the sea in the past 10 to 15 million years, while the volcanic action that shaped much of the North Island occurred between 1 and 4 million years ago. The comparatively low ranges in North Island are formed from folded sedimentary rocks with higher volcanic peaks. Overlaying these rocks in the centre of the North Island is a plateau of lava, pumice and volcanic tuff. Minor earthqualkes are common, and there are many areas of volcanic and geothermal activity on the North Island. Three volcanoes dominate the central plateau (Ruapehu being the most recently active). Lake Taupo, the country’s largest natural lake, occupies an ancient crater formed by one of the greatest explosions the world has experienced. Accounts of darkened skies were recorded around 186AD in places as far away as China and Rome. Pumice from this explosion today forms varying depths of the top layer in the soil of much of the central North Island.
In the South Island the Southern Alps form a northeast-southwest oriented ice-capped central massif with Mt Cook (3,764 m) at its centre. Glaciers descend the flanks of this massif and on the rainy western side forested slopes fall steeply to the sea. On the east, broad outwash fans lead to the much drier, treeless lowlands of the Canterbury Plains. The rugged, forested coastline of the South Islands far southwest, deeply indented with fiords, comprises Fiordland, the country’s largest national park. In a hundred years from 1850 vast areas of forest in the North Island were cleared by settlers, leaving steep bare hills that were sown with grass for grazing sheep. Erosion is now a serious problem in many areas. Rich pastures produced by year-round rain and mild temperatures made agriculture the original foundation of the economy. New Zealand is still one of the world’s main exporters of wool, cheese, butter and meat. This produce goes to Australia, USA, Japan, greater Asia and Europe.
Much of the country’s native bird life has been subjected to great pressure by the introduction of various alien species, many of which are either predatory or simply compete for food and territory. New Zealand has limited petroleum resources, though it produces natural gas, almost a third of which is used to make synthetic petrol. There are large reserves of coal. A significant proportion of the country’s energy needs are generated by geothermal power – the use of naturally occurring steam in volcanically active parts of the North Island. However, the most important source of domestic energy is hydroelectric power, easily generated because of the favourable rainfall and terrain. This has allowed the development of aluminium production using imported bauxite. In recent years, new products have been developed for new international markets. One of these is kiwifruit, the main fresh fruit export, along with new varieties of high quality apples. A minor feature of the rural scene only 30 years ago, vineyards are now widespread – Marlborough, Hawke Bay and Gisborne being the main wine-producing regions. Forest products play a vital economic role. Radiata pine, the main commercial timber, is grown in vast state pine forests. Cutting rights to parts of these have been sold and the industry as a whole widely privatised. New Zealand’s varied scenery, combining quiet harbours and sunlit beaches, with volcanoes, lakes, alpine snowfields and fiords draws millions of visitors each year. As a dollar earner tourism is second only to primary industry. |
