Background: The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand withdrew from a number of defense alliances during the 1970s and 1980s. In recent years the government has sought to address longstanding native Maori grievances.

NOTE: The information regarding New Zealand on this page is re-published from the 2001 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of New Zealand Introduction 2001 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about New Zealand Introduction 2001 should be addressed to the CIA.