Factbook
History of New Zealand — Timeline
Key dates in the history of New Zealand, from the Magna Factbook and the Universal Encyclopedia.
1642Dutch explorer Abel TASMAN was the first European to see the islands in 1642 but left after an encounter with local Maori.
1769British sea captain James COOK arrived in 1769, followed by whalers, sealers, and traders.
1832Concerns about increasing lawlessness led the UK to appoint its first British Resident in New Zealand in 1832, although the position had few legal powers.
1835In 1835, some Maori tribes from the North Island declared independence.
1840Fearing an impending French settlement and takeover, the majority of Maori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the British in 1840.
1841The UK declared New Zealand a separate colony in 1841 and granted limited self-government in 1852.
1907In the 1890s, New Zealand initially expressed interest in joining independence talks with Australia but ultimately opted against it and changed its status to an independent dominion in 1907.
1907Independence: 26 September 1907 (from the UK).
1947New Zealand reaffirmed its independence in 1947 and signed the Australia, New Zealand, and US (ANZUS) Treaty in 1951.
1984Beginning in 1984, New Zealand began to adopt nuclear-free policies, contributing to a dispute with the US over naval ship visits that led the US to suspend its defense obligations to New Zealand in 1986, but bilateral relations and military ties have been revitalized since the 2010s with new security agreements.
2018Languages: English (de facto official) 95.4%, Maori (de jure official) 4%, Samoan 2.2%, Northern Chinese 2%, Hindi 1.5%, French 1.2%, Yue 1.1%, New Zealand Sign Language (de jure official) 0.5%, other or not stated 17.2% (2018 est.) Religions: Christian 37.3% (Catholic 10.1%, Anglican 6.8%, Presbyterian and Congregational 5.2%, Pentecostal 1.8%, Methodist 1.6%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.2%, other 10.7%), Hindu 2.7%, Maori 1.3%, Muslim, 1.3%, Buddhist 1.1%, other religion 1.6% (includes Judaism, Spiritualism and New Age Urban population: 87% of total population (2023).
2023Generation mix — fossil fuels: 12.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 59.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); geothermal: 17.6% of total inst Energy use: 121.647 million Btu/person (2023 est.).
2023Industries: agriculture, forestry, fishing, logs and wood articles, manufacturing, mining, construction, financial services, real estate services, tourism Agriculture: milk, beef, kiwifruit, apples, grapes, lamb/mutton, potatoes, wheat, barley, chicken (2023) Electricity access: 100% (2022 est.).
2023Major urban areas: 1.673 million Auckland, 422,000 WELLINGTON (capital) (2023) high-income, globally integrated Pacific island economy; strong agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism sectors; reliant on Chinese market for exports; recovery trajectory following deep post-pandemic recession; challenges of fiscal deficits, below-average productivity, cost of living, and drop in net migration Inflation: 2.9% (2024 est.).
2024Military spending: 1.2% of GDP (2024 est.).
