Portal:New Zealand/Intro

New Zealand (Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses - the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu) - and more than 700 smaller islands, covering a total area of 268021 km2. New Zealand is about 2000 km east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and 1000 km south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. The country's varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps, owe much to tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, and its most populous city is Auckland.

New Zealand is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, ASEAN Plus Six, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Forum.