Aoraki (Mount Cook) New Zealand, viewed from Hooker Valley. Credit

New Zealand is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and comprises two large islands (the North Island and the South Island) plus numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands. In the Maori language, New Zealand is also known as Aotearoa, which is usually translated into English as the Land of the Long White Cloud.

The Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue, which are self-governing, but in free association; Tokelau; and the Ross Dependency (New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica).