Government type: parliamentary democracy

Area: 270 534 km

Population: 4 000 000 (April 2003)

Capital: Wellington 335 000

Cities / Population:

Auckland 1 100 000

Christchurch 350 000

Manukau 235 000

Language: Englisch (official), Maori (official)

1350 Supposed year of the 'Great Migration' in which a large fleet of Maori arrived in NZ from Hawaiki.
1642 Naming it Staten Landt, Abel Tasman discovers and claims New Zealand for Holland.
1769 Captain James Cook lands at Gisborne and claims New Zealand for Britain.
1772 Marion du Fresne lands in the Bay of Islands and, yet again, claims the country for France, calling it France Australe (South France)
1837 The colonization of New Zealand Begins.
1840 The Treaty of Waitangi is signed on February 6th.
1840's The Maori rebel against the British, lead by Hone Heke.
1841 New Zealand officially declared a crown colony.
1842 Settlement at Nelson formed. Auckland proclaimed capital city.
1846 The country is divided into two provinces.
1850 Christchurch settled and port of Lyttleton formed nearby.
1857 Potatau I becomes the first Maori King.
1858 New provinces Act passed.
1859 Gold discovered in Buller.
1860 Second of the Maori wars fought at Waireki.
1861 Truce arranged with Taranaki Maori. More gold discovered in Central Otago
1863 Waikato Wars rage until 1864.
1868 New Zealand becomes first country in the world to let its native people vote.
1876 Provinces abolished.
1893 NZ becomes first country in the world to give women the vote.
1899 NZ is the first country to give the elderly the pension.
1907 New Zealand constituted as a Dominion.
1914 WWI - New Zealand troops land at Anzac Cove in Turkey to try and knock the Turkish out of the war.
1931 Napier earthquake hits, killing 255 people.
1950 British Empire Games held in Auckland
1951 ANZUS Pact established between NZ, Australia and the US.
1951 The watersiders' strike, where union workers went on strike for 151 days. Over 1000 workers attacked a group of police who were trying to disperse them.
1953 Sherpa Tenzing and New Zealander Edmund Hilary conquer Mt Everest.
1974 Xth Commonwealth Games held in Christchurch.
1981 The South African rugby tour goes ahead, despite much protest. Riots break out all over the country, and the nation is divided. Described as the worst 56 days in New Zealand's history.
1985 The world watches NZ as it refuses port entry to a US Nuclear Warship, breaking the ANZUS Pact, and establishing itself as the world's first Anti-Nuclear country.
1985 Greenpeace vessel, the Rainbow Warrior is sunk by French agents at Auckland, leaving New Zealanders forever sour at the French.
1990 XIVth Commonwealth Games held in Auckland.
1995 New Zealand and the Black Magic boat, beat the USA to win the America's Cup (Yachting), the world's oldest sporting trophy.
1999 A female protester dies of brain injuries after being run over in the picket line at Lyttelton Harbour.
2000 New Zealand successfully defends the Amercica's Cup, making NZ the only country to do so outside of the US.
2003 Neuseeland zählt offiziell 4 Millionen Einwohner;