When did Polynesians arrive in New Zealand?
Polynesians arrived in ocean-going waka between about 1280 and 1350 to settle these islands. Mitochondrial DNA variability indicates initial arrival between 1250 and 1300.
Questions about New Zealand
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What geological boundary formed the Southern Alps in New Zealand?
The Southern Alps are a mountain range formed by compression of the crust beside the Alpine Fault where the Pacific Plate meets the Indo-Australian Plate. Tectonic shifts began to contort and crumple the region that is now New Zealand about 25 million years ago.
Who signed the Treaty of Waitangi on the 6th of February 1840?
The Treaty of Waitangi was first signed in the Bay of Islands on the 6th of February 1840. Captain William Hobson declared British sovereignty over all of New Zealand on the 21st of May 1840 even while copies circulated for Māori signatures.
How many people live in New Zealand according to the 2023 census?
The 2023 census enumerated a resident population of 4,993,923 representing a 6.3% increase over 2018 figures. Auckland contains over 1.4 million residents making it the country's largest city by far.
When did dairy farming become the largest export earner in New Zealand?
Dairy farming doubled between 1990 and 2007 becoming the largest export earner at $14.1 billion annually. In 2018 dairy products accounted for 17.7% of total exports while Fonterra controls nearly one-third of international dairy trade.