Today, it is an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations, an association of countries that replaced the Empire. About three quarters of all New Zealanders live on the North Island and more than four fifths of the country's people live in urban areas. New Zealand has five urban areas with more than 100,000 people. They are in order of size Auckland, Wellington, Christ Church, Hamilton and Dunedin.

New Zealand is a beautiful country of snow-capped mountains, green lowlands, beaches, and many lakes and waterfalls. No place is more than 130 kilometres from the coast. A brown skinned people called Maori were the first people to live in New Zealand. Today most New Zealanders are descendants of early European settlers who arrived in the country in the 1800s.

New Zealanders have a high standard of living. For many years, the country's economy depended largely on agriculture. Today, agriculture, manufacturing and service industries are all important to the economy. New Zealand's economy depends on trade with many countries. Meat, fruit and dairy products are among New Zealand's chief exports.New Zealand has a long tradition of equal rights and benefits for all its citizens. It became the first nation in the world to give women the right to vote. New Zealand was among the first countries to provide social security benefits and old-age pensions for its people. It has one of the worlds finest public health services.