New Zealand Parliament: Is it a Democracy?

Introduction

New Zealand is a large island about the size of Colorado that is situated southwest of Australia, in the south Pacific. The Island is considered to belong to the volcanic “ring of fire”, that circulates the Pacific Ocean. The Island has a varied myriad of geography ranging from flat, sheep strewn plains to impressive mountains (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, New Zealand). Along with the geography, the climate also ranges from subtropical to temperate (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, New Zealand). The population of 4 million is mostly made up of people that claim a British ancestry, although 15% of the population classify themselves as indigenous Polynesians or Maori (Keith Jackson, “New Zealand"). More than three quarters of the population increase in the twentieth century is a result of population growth instead of immigration (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs). The nation’s culture is also being broadened due to a resurgence of Maori culture and through globalisation. New Zealand is ruled under a Parliamentary Democracy, although it is also included as a dominion of the United Kingdom.

History

Early Settlement

New Zealand is considered to be one of the last places on earth to be colonized by humans (Wilmshurst, 2011, Abstract). Through archealogical evidence, it is known that New Zealand was settled in the 1300’s by Eastern Polynesians (Mein Smith 2005, p. 6). Specifically, radio carbon dating(Wilmshurst 2011, 1815–1820), capricious mitochondrial DNA in the Maori population (Murray-McIntosh 1998, 9047–52) and signs of deforestation (McGlone, M. 1999, 5–0) all point towards this conclusion. It is also suggested through the evidence that this concluded an extended succession of c...

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Wilmshurst, Janet M.; Hunt, Terry L.; Lipo, Carl P.; Anderson, Atholl J. (2011). "High-precision radiocarbon dating shows recent and rapid initial human colonization of East Polynesia". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108 (5): 1815–1820. doi:10.1073/pnas.1015876108