Who was the first person to land on New Zealand?
The dutch explorer Abel Tasman is officially recognised as the first European to ‘discover’ New Zealand in 1642. His men were the first Europeans to have a confirmed encounter with Māori.
What was New Zealand named after?
Zeeland
In December 1642 Dutch navigator Abel Janszoon Tasman was the first European to sight New Zealand’s South Island, and Dutch cartographers named the territory after the Dutch maritime province of Zeeland.
Who were the original natives of New Zealand?
Māori are the tangata whenua, the indigenous people, of New Zealand. They came here more than 1000 years ago from their mythical Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki. Today, one in seven New Zealanders identify as Māori. Their history, language and traditions are central to New Zealand’s identity.
What is the real Māori name for New Zealand?
Aotearoa
Aotearoa was used for the name of New Zealand in the 1878 translation of “God Defend New Zealand”, by Judge Thomas Henry Smith of the Native Land Court—this translation is widely used today when the anthem is sung in Māori.
Did the Danish discover New Zealand?
In December 1642 Dutch navigator Abel Janszoon Tasman was the first European to sight New Zealand’s South Island, and Dutch cartographers named the territory after the Dutch maritime province of Zeeland.
Where is Zeland?
Denmark
Zealand, Danish Sjælland, largest and most populous island of Denmark, lying between the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea, separated from Sweden by The Sound (Øresund) and from Funen (Fyn) island by the Great Belt. Stevns Klint, Zealand, Denmark.
Who were the first people to live in New Zealand?
The Maori (MAUW-ree) were the first people to live in New Zealand. They arrived more than 1,000 years ago. They came in canoes from other islands in the Pacific Ocean .
What are the original natives from New Zealand?
The Māori ( / ˈmaʊri /; Māori pronunciation: [ˈmaːɔɾi] ( listen)) are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand. Māori originated with settlers from eastern Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of waka (canoe) voyages between roughly 1320 and 1350.
Who first came to New Zealand?
The first European explorers to New Zealand were Abel Tasman, who arrived in 1642; Captain James Cook, in 1769; and Marion du Fresne in 1772. Initial contact between Māori and Europeans proved problematic and sometimes fatal, with Tasman having four of his men killed and probably killing at least one Māori – without ever landing.
What are the native people of New Zealand called?
The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. They are Polynesian and make up 15 percent of the country’s population. Te Reo Maori is their native language which is related to Tahitian and Hawaiian .
