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=New Zealand! =

The Maori people were the first settlers of New Zealand. They came from Hawaiki, probably in Polynesia(North of New Zealand) about 1000 years ago. Kupe-who discovered New Zealand- name the land Aotearoa which means "Land of the Long White Cloud". The Treaty of Waitangi is seen as the founding document of New Zealand and it established the country as a nation. It was signed in 1840 between Maori chiefs and representatives of the British Crown at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands. The current population in New Zealand is 4 million, mostly of British descent but the indigenous Maori people make up about 14% of the population. In New Zealand they mostly speak English but one can also hear Maori which is the official language of New Zealand. It is a modern country. It was a well-developed economy and government based on British Parliamentary System. The warmest months in New Zealand are December, January and February while the coldest are June, July and August.