NEW ZEALANDThe country I choose for my report is New Zealand. New Zealand is made up of two islands. The North and South Islands. It is located in the South Pacific, near Australia. New Zealand's first inhabitants came from eastern Polynesia by canoe during the 10th century. These people were called Maori. According to a Maori legend, a man arrived in New Zealand around 950 AD, but this cannot be proven. The Māori subsisted on native fruits, vegetables, and animals on the island, and they also imported plants and livestock from Polynesia. The Māori were generally peaceful, but they sometimes fought wars over the best land. They lived in earthen structures similar to the adobes of Mexico. The first European to sight New Zealand was Abel Tasman in 1642. The Maori people prevented him from landing on the islands. They attacked his ship in boats and killed four of his sailors. He never returned to New Zealand. In 1769, an English explorer, Captain James Cook, was sent to New Zealand for a scientific investigation. He mapped all the northern and southern islands and wrote reports on trade and colonization. These reports were good and attracted many people to New Zealand, including French, Italian and American explorers. In the 18th century there were 180,000 Māori on the North and South Islands of New Zealand. In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British and the Maori. This gave the British the right to colonize the islands and trade with the Māori people. In 1907, the islands were declared dominion by Great Britain. In 1935, it was declared an independent country and was named New Zealand. The current government and standard of living in New Zealand are very similar to those in the United States. At one time, New Zealanders' annual income was even better than that of the United States and Britain. The people of New Zealand enjoy freedom of religion. The main religion in New Zealand is Christianity, although there are Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, Amish and many others. The Maori religion is also a major religion. New Zealanders have a mix of British and Australian accents. New Zealand's main exports are wool and dairy products. There are more than 100,000 sheep in New Zealand.