Many people today only started dreaming of visiting New Zealand after discovering it was the beautiful filming place of the Lord of the Rings series. However, ignoring the two islands in the Pacific Ocean is not a modern thing. The remote lands of New Zealand were the last large, livable lands to be discovered, inhabited, and colonized.

Since the Polynesians (the first humans in New Zealand who would become known as the Māori) were the most modern humans to settle in an uninhabited land, it is no surprise New Zealand has always been ahead of its time. Despite its late settlement, New Zealand has been one of the most rapidly modernizing nations in the world. New Zealand was the first country to introduce full democracy, women's suffrage, state pensions, and state housing. New Zealand has a history unlike any other nation, from its late inhabitation to its unusually respectful colonization, involving hundreds of Māori chiefs signing an agreement to allow European settlement.

Although New Zealand was the last inhabited country and one of the most isolated developed regions in the world, it has been significantly involved in historical events, adding even more interest to its complex and rich history.

Intrigued? Pick up this book to learn more about the following:

• Extinct animals that used to call New Zealand home;
• The arrival of the Polynesians and what that meant for the region;
• The early European explorations and who is credited with discovering the island nation;
• Colonization efforts and their impact on the Māori;
• How New Zealand was run under European control;
• The progressive changes that took place;
• And so much more!