Basic Data:

• Country ISO Code: NZ

• Official Languages: Māori (te reo Māori) and English

• Language ISO Codes: mi (Māori), en (English)

• Current Official Currency: New Zealand Dollar

• Current Currency ISO Code: NZD

Complete Overview of Aotearoa / New Zealand:

Name and Language:

• Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand, originally referring only to the North Island. The full country is sometimes called Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu ("Aotearoa and the waters of greenstone"), referring to the North and South Islands respectively134.

• The most popular translation of Aotearoa is "land of the long white cloud," referencing cloud formations that guided early Polynesian navigators135.

• Māori did not have a collective name for the entire country before European contact; the use of Aotearoa for the whole country is a post-colonial development148.

• Both Māori and English names are officially recognized and used, with bilingual naming common in institutions and national symbols14.

• Pronunciation varies, with efforts to approximate the original Māori pronunciation in English1.

Historical and Cultural Context:

• Māori names for the islands include Te Ika-a-Māui (North Island) and Te Waipounamu or Te Waka o Aoraki (South Island)134.

• The New Zealand Geographic Board formalized these names and their alternatives in 2013, allowing either English or Māori names, or both, to be used officially46.

• The name New Zealand originates from Dutch explorer Abel Tasman’s naming of the islands as Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland5.

Language Usage and Official Status:

• Māori is an official language of New Zealand alongside English, with revitalization efforts ongoing.

• The name Aotearoa has become widespread in official and cultural contexts since the late 20th century, including the bilingual singing of the national anthem1.

Geographical and National Identity:

• New Zealand consists primarily of two main islands and over 700 smaller islands5.

• Place names are significant cultural markers, with the New Zealand Geographic Board responsible for naming and preserving Māori place names, reflecting the country’s heritage67.

Summary:
Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand, meaning "land of the long white cloud," originally used for the North Island but now commonly applied to the entire country. Both Māori and English names coexist officially, reflecting New Zealand’s bicultural heritage and identity1345.