New Zealand.... what and where is it?

When looking at most world maps, you will "usually" find New Zealand in the bottom right hand corner - I say usually because I have come across some world maps that stop just short of New Zealand - half way across the Tasman Sea !

I like this world map picture because it has New Zealand almost in the centre.

New Zealand is far from being the smallest country in the world even with its total land surface making up just 0.18% of the total land surface area of the earth.  In fact its land surface area is greater than that of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).  Or for those more familar with the United States of America, New Zealand is ever so slightly larger than the USA's 8th largest state, Colorado.

New Zealand is situated in the south western Pacific Ocean just to the east of that massive land mass called Australia.  New Zealand consists of 2 main islands, the North Island and the South Island along with several other smaller islands.  Learn more about New Zealand's geography.

The indigenous Māori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as land of the long white cloud.  New Zealand is, by European standards, a relatively young country although the first people to settle here originated from Polynesia.  This link provides a more indepth account of New Zealand's history from the first settlers through to modern day New Zealand.