New Zealand

In brief

New Zealand is a country in Oceania. Its capital is Wellington. With 5.3 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 123rd in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 270,467 km². An island nation, New Zealand has no land border.

GDP per capita stands at $49,591 (2025), 25th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 82 years (2024). 84% of the population lives in cities.

History of New Zealand

Polynesian Māori arrived around the 13th century: it was one of the last large landmasses settled by humans. The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 between the British Crown and Māori chiefs, is the country’s founding document; wars over land followed. In 1893 New Zealand became the first self-governing country to give women the vote. New Zealander Edmund Hillary reached the summit of Everest in 1953. The country has been nuclear-free since 1987, and Māori is an official language.

Geography of New Zealand

Two large islands and hundreds of smaller ones. The North Island is volcanic, with Lake Taupō and the hot springs of Rotorua; the South Island is dominated by the Southern Alps, where Aoraki/Mount Cook (3,724 m) is the highest point, and cut by fjords. Long isolated, it is home to unique birds such as the kiwi.

Map of New Zealand

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Flag of New Zealand

The flag of New Zealand is red, white and blue. Its official proportions are 1:2 (height to width).

• Blue81%
• Red10%
• White9%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Blue, with the Union Jack and the Southern Cross, four red stars edged in white. In 2016 a referendum chose to keep it rather than a silver fern flag.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “New Zealand” and “Flag of New Zealand”.

See also: flags with a cross, flags with a star.

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Fact file

Economy and society