NZ Citizenship Test cheat sheet

Kupe is the legendary Polynesian navigator credited in many Māori traditions with the first discovery of Aotearoa; the Great Fleet migration traditions describe later arrivals from Hawaiki around the 13th–14th centuries.

Abel Tasman sighted the South Island in December 1642 and named it Staten Landt; he never landed after a fatal clash at Golden Bay (Mohua).

James Cook's first voyage reached New Zealand in October 1769 at Tūranganui-a-Kiwa (Poverty Bay); Cook circumnavigated and charted the islands, and his later voyages (1773, 1777) brought sealers, whalers and traders.

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on 6 February 1840 at Waitangi; over 500 Māori rangatira signed at about 50 locations, and the Māori-language text (Te Tiriti) differs materially from the English text.

Hōne Heke's flagstaff at Kororāreka (Russell) was cut down four times, leading to the Northern War (1845–46) and the Battle of Ruapekapeka.

The New Zealand Wars (1840s–1870s) included the Taranaki and Waikato campaigns; the 1863 New Zealand Settlements Act enabled confiscation of Māori land (raupatu).

The 1893 Electoral Act gave women the vote, making New Zealand the first self-governing country where women could vote in parliamentary elections; Kate Sheppard led the suffrage campaign.

The 1840s–70s gold rushes (Coromandel, Otago 1861, West Coast 1864) drove settlement and the 1865 move of the capital from Auckland to Wellington.

Anzac Day (25 April) commemorates the Gallipoli landings of 1915; the Treaty of Waitangi is commemorated on 6 February as Waitangi Day, a public holiday since 1974.

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy; the monarch (King Charles III) is head of state, represented by the Governor-General, who acts on ministerial advice.

Parliament is unicameral: the House of Representatives, currently 120 seats (with possible overhang), elected under MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) since 1996.

Under MMP each voter has two votes: an electorate vote for a local candidate and a party vote that determines each party's overall share of seats; the threshold is 5% of the party vote or one electorate seat.

The Prime Minister is the leader of the party able to command a majority in the House; the Cabinet is drawn from ministers and is collectively responsible to Parliament.

General elections are held at least every three years; the Governor-General dissolves Parliament and calls elections on the Prime Minister's advice.

The Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is not directly enforceable in domestic law unless incorporated by statute; the Waitangi Tribunal (established 1975) hears claims about Crown breaches of the Treaty.

The Treaty has two versions: the Māori text grants rangatiratanga (chieftainship) to Māori and kāwanatanga (governance) to the Crown; the English text cedes sovereignty and guarantees possession of lands and taonga.

The judiciary is independent; the Supreme Court of New Zealand, established in 2004, is the final court of appeal, replacing appeals to the Privy Council.

The Bill of Rights Act 1990 affirms rights such as freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial but is not entrenched; the Human Rights Act 1993 prohibits discrimination on grounds including sex, race, age and disability.

New Zealand comprises two main islands (Te Ika-a-Māui/North Island and Te Waipounamu/South Island) plus Stewart Island/Rakiura and many smaller islands, in the South Pacific about 1,600 km southeast of Australia.

The highest mountain is Aoraki/Mount Cook (3,724 m) in the Southern Alps; the longest river is the Waikato; the largest lake by area is Lake Taupō, a volcanic caldera.

The country sits on the boundary of the Pacific and Australian plates, producing the Taupō Volcanic Zone, geothermal areas (Rotorua), and frequent earthquakes and fault lines such as the Alpine Fault.

The climate is temperate maritime: mild, moist and changeable, with prevailing westerlies, a wet West Coast and drier east; seasons are opposite to the Northern Hemisphere.

Native biodiversity includes kiwi, kākāpō, tuatara, kea, wētā and kauri; introduced pests (possums, stoats, rats) are a major threat, and the Predator Free 2050 programme targets their eradication.

The national flag is blue with the Union Jack in the canton and four red Southern Cross stars; the silver fern and kiwi are national emblems; 'God Defend New Zealand' is the national anthem alongside 'God Save the King'.

The Māori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as 'land of the long white cloud'; the name 'New Zealand' derives from the Dutch province of Zeeland.

New Zealand's exclusive economic zone is one of the largest in the world; the country has significant hydroelectric and wind generation and a high share of renewable electricity.

Voting in general elections is open to citizens and permanent residents aged 18 or over who have lived in New Zealand continuously for at least one year (with some residency exceptions).

The minimum age to buy alcohol is 18; to obtain a driver licence learner stage is 16, restricted at 16 years 6 months, and full licence at 18 (or 17.5 with an approved course).

New Zealand has a public health system funded through taxes; eligible residents receive subsidised or free public hospital care, and ACC covers injuries from accidents.

Driving is on the left; the speed limit is generally 50 km/h in urban areas and 100 km/h on the open road unless posted otherwise; seatbelts are compulsory for all occupants.

The Human Rights Act 1993 makes it unlawful to discriminate on grounds including sex, marital status, religious belief, race, disability, age and sexual orientation in employment and services.

Freedom of expression, freedom of religion and the right to a fair trial are affirmed in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.

New Zealand has no compulsory military service; jury service is a civic duty for those aged 18 and over who are on the electoral roll.

Emergency services are reached on 111 (police, fire, ambulance); income tax is progressive and GST is 15% on most goods and services.

Te reo Māori is an official language alongside English and New Zealand Sign Language (since 2006 and 1987 respectively); local government is provided by regional and territorial authorities.

Kupe is the legendary Polynesian navigator credited in many Māori traditions with the first discovery of Aotearoa; the Great Fleet migration traditions describe later arrivals from Hawaiki around the 13th–14th centuries.

Abel Tasman sighted the South Island in December 1642 and named it Staten Landt; he never landed after a fatal clash at Golden Bay (Mohua).

James Cook's first voyage reached New Zealand in October 1769 at Tūranganui-a-Kiwa (Poverty Bay); Cook circumnavigated and charted the islands, and his later voyages (1773, 1777) brought sealers, whalers and traders.

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on 6 February 1840 at Waitangi; over 500 Māori rangatira signed at about 50 locations, and the Māori-language text (Te Tiriti) differs materially from the English text.

Hōne Heke's flagstaff at Kororāreka (Russell) was cut down four times, leading to the Northern War (1845–46) and the Battle of Ruapekapeka.

The New Zealand Wars (1840s–1870s) included the Taranaki and Waikato campaigns; the 1863 New Zealand Settlements Act enabled confiscation of Māori land (raupatu).

The 1893 Electoral Act gave women the vote, making New Zealand the first self-governing country where women could vote in parliamentary elections; Kate Sheppard led the suffrage campaign.

The 1840s–70s gold rushes (Coromandel, Otago 1861, West Coast 1864) drove settlement and the 1865 move of the capital from Auckland to Wellington.

Anzac Day (25 April) commemorates the Gallipoli landings of 1915; the Treaty of Waitangi is commemorated on 6 February as Waitangi Day, a public holiday since 1974.

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy; the monarch (King Charles III) is head of state, represented by the Governor-General, who acts on ministerial advice.

Parliament is unicameral: the House of Representatives, currently 120 seats (with possible overhang), elected under MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) since 1996.

Under MMP each voter has two votes: an electorate vote for a local candidate and a party vote that determines each party's overall share of seats; the threshold is 5% of the party vote or one electorate seat.

The Prime Minister is the leader of the party able to command a majority in the House; the Cabinet is drawn from ministers and is collectively responsible to Parliament.

General elections are held at least every three years; the Governor-General dissolves Parliament and calls elections on the Prime Minister's advice.

The Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is not directly enforceable in domestic law unless incorporated by statute; the Waitangi Tribunal (established 1975) hears claims about Crown breaches of the Treaty.

The Treaty has two versions: the Māori text grants rangatiratanga (chieftainship) to Māori and kāwanatanga (governance) to the Crown; the English text cedes sovereignty and guarantees possession of lands and taonga.

The judiciary is independent; the Supreme Court of New Zealand, established in 2004, is the final court of appeal, replacing appeals to the Privy Council.

The Bill of Rights Act 1990 affirms rights such as freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial but is not entrenched; the Human Rights Act 1993 prohibits discrimination on grounds including sex, race, age and disability.

New Zealand comprises two main islands (Te Ika-a-Māui/North Island and Te Waipounamu/South Island) plus Stewart Island/Rakiura and many smaller islands, in the South Pacific about 1,600 km southeast of Australia.

The highest mountain is Aoraki/Mount Cook (3,724 m) in the Southern Alps; the longest river is the Waikato; the largest lake by area is Lake Taupō, a volcanic caldera.

The country sits on the boundary of the Pacific and Australian plates, producing the Taupō Volcanic Zone, geothermal areas (Rotorua), and frequent earthquakes and fault lines such as the Alpine Fault.

The climate is temperate maritime: mild, moist and changeable, with prevailing westerlies, a wet West Coast and drier east; seasons are opposite to the Northern Hemisphere.

Native biodiversity includes kiwi, kākāpō, tuatara, kea, wētā and kauri; introduced pests (possums, stoats, rats) are a major threat, and the Predator Free 2050 programme targets their eradication.

The national flag is blue with the Union Jack in the canton and four red Southern Cross stars; the silver fern and kiwi are national emblems; 'God Defend New Zealand' is the national anthem alongside 'God Save the King'.

The Māori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as 'land of the long white cloud'; the name 'New Zealand' derives from the Dutch province of Zeeland.

New Zealand's exclusive economic zone is one of the largest in the world; the country has significant hydroelectric and wind generation and a high share of renewable electricity.

Voting in general elections is open to citizens and permanent residents aged 18 or over who have lived in New Zealand continuously for at least one year (with some residency exceptions).

The minimum age to buy alcohol is 18; to obtain a driver licence learner stage is 16, restricted at 16 years 6 months, and full licence at 18 (or 17.5 with an approved course).

New Zealand has a public health system funded through taxes; eligible residents receive subsidised or free public hospital care, and ACC covers injuries from accidents.

Driving is on the left; the speed limit is generally 50 km/h in urban areas and 100 km/h on the open road unless posted otherwise; seatbelts are compulsory for all occupants.

The Human Rights Act 1993 makes it unlawful to discriminate on grounds including sex, marital status, religious belief, race, disability, age and sexual orientation in employment and services.

Freedom of expression, freedom of religion and the right to a fair trial are affirmed in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.

New Zealand has no compulsory military service; jury service is a civic duty for those aged 18 and over who are on the electoral roll.

Emergency services are reached on 111 (police, fire, ambulance); income tax is progressive and GST is 15% on most goods and services.

Te reo Māori is an official language alongside English and New Zealand Sign Language (since 2006 and 1987 respectively); local government is provided by regional and territorial authorities.