New Zealand Flag
Flags of the World > New Zealand Flag
Brief History.At least 1,200 years ago, Maori from Polynesia came to New Zealand. Europeans first saw New Zealand in 1642 when the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman named it, although he did not claim the land for his country. In 1841, it was made a full colony of Britain. Though promises were made to the Maoris that they would retain possession of their lands, they were instead displaced by British newcomers and their growing settlements. The Maori population dwindled to such an alarming extent that by the 1890s, there were reportedly less than 50,000 of them left in the country. In 1907, the country became an independent member of the British Commonwealth.
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