NEW ZEALAND The country I am analyzing for my report is New Zealand. New Zealand is made up of two islands. The northern and southern islands. It is found in the South Pacific, near Australia. The first inhabitants of New Zealand arrived by canoe from eastern Polynesia in the 10th century. These people were called Maori. According to a Maori legend, a man may have arrived in New Zealand around 950 AD, but this cannot be proven. The Maori people lived on the island, feeding on native fruits, vegetables and animals, and also imported plants and livestock from Polynesia. The Maori were generally peaceful, but sometimes warred over the best lands. They lived in earthen structures similar to the brick houses of Mexico. The first European to sight New Zealand was Abel Tasman in 1642. The Maori people prevented him from landing on the islands. They attacked his ship with canoes and killed four of his sailors. He never returned to New Zealand. In 1769, an English explorer, Captain James Cook, was sent to New Zealand on a scientific investigation. He mapped all the islands of the north and south and made reports on trade and colonization. These reports were good and attracted many people to New Zealand, including French, Italian and American explorers. In the 18th century there were 180,000 Maori in the northern and southern islands of New Zealand. In 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British and Maori people. It gave the English the right to colonize the islands and trade with the Maori people. In 1907 the islands were declared a dominion of Great Britain. In 1935 it was declared an independent country and took the name of New Zealand. The current government and standard of living in New Zealand are very similar to those in the United States. New Zealanders' annual income was once even better than that of the United States and Great Britain. The people of New Zealand have freedom of religion. The main religion in New Zealand is Christianity, although there are Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, Amish and many others. The Maori religion is also one of the main religions. New Zealanders have a mix of British and Australian accents. New Zealand's main exports are wool and dairy products. There are over 100,000 sheep in New Zealand.