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 over 700 smaller islands. Owing to their remoteness, the islands of New Zealand were the last large habitable landmass to be settled by humans. Between about 1280 and 1350, Polynesians began to settle in the islands and then developed a distinctive Māori culture. Additionally New Zealand's mountain ranges, wild rivers and grassy fields provided the perfect setting for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.
