New Zealand

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/new-zealand

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is New Zealand?Approximately 268,021 square kilometers (103,484 sq mi)
2. What is the capital of New Zealand?Wellington
3. How many people live in New Zealand?Approximately 5.3 million (as of recent estimates)
4. What is the indigenous people?Māori, who began settling the islands between 1280 and 1350
5. What is the first european contact?1642 by Abel Tasman

Aotearoa: The Māori name for New Zealand, meaning 'Land of the Long White Cloud', reflecting its historical and cultural significance.
Māori: The indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand, whose culture, language, and traditions are integral to the nation's identity.
Treaty of Waitangi: The foundational constitutional document signed in 1840 between the British Crown and Māori chiefs, establishing British sovereignty and defining rights.
Kaitiakitanga: A Māori concept of guardianship and stewardship over the natural environment, emphasizing responsibility for its protection and sustainability.