Elizabeth II is the Queen of New Zealand and is represented in the country by a non-political Governor-General. Political power is held by the Prime Minister who is leader of the Government in the democratically elected Parliament of New Zealand. The monarch’s Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue, which are entirely self-governing; Tokelau, which is moving towards self-government, and New Zealand’s claim in Antarctica.

Aotearoa in the native Maori language - is a country in the Southern Pacific consisting of two main islands and a number of small offshore islets. With a population of just under 3.6 million people and a total land area of 27.1 million hectares, the country is characterised by vast unpopulated areas mainly used for the agricultural and forestry industries.

New Zealand is a member of the Commonwealth of States and is politically run as parliamentary democracy under a Mixed Member Proportional Representation government. Its capital is Wellington, located on the southernmost tip of the North Island. Further to the north lies New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, with a population of one million. The largest city in the South Island is Christchurch.