Realm of New Zealand

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Realm of New Zealand

The term "Realm of New Zealand" is used to refer to the entire area in which the Queen in right of New Zealand

Monarchy in New Zealand

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth Realm, with Elizabeth II of New Zealand as its reigning monarch since February 6, 1952....
is head of state. The Realm comprises the Cook Islands

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in Associated state with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this Pacific Ocean country have a total land area of 240 square kilometres , but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone covers 1.8 million square kilometres of ocean....
, New Zealand

New Zealand

Niue

Niue is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia". Natives of the island call it "the Rock"....
, Tokelau

Tokelau

Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand that consists of three tropical coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean. The United Nations United Nations General Assembly designated Tokelau a United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories....
and New Zealand's Ross Dependency

Ross Dependency

The Ross Dependency comprises an area of Antarctica claimed by New Zealand. It is defined by a Circular sector originating at the South Pole, passing along longitudes 160th meridian east to 150th meridian west, and terminating at latitude 60th parallel south....
in Antarctica. The term is described in letters patent of 1983 constituting the office of Governor-General of New Zealand, in article I.

Governor-General of New Zealand represents the head of state (Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain...
, in her capacity as "Queen of New Zealand") in the area of the Realm.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Realm of New Zealand'

Start a new discussion about 'Realm of New Zealand'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

The term "Realm of New Zealand" is used to refer to the entire area in which the Queen in right of New Zealand

Monarchy in New Zealand

Cook Islands

New Zealand

Niue

Niue is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia". Natives of the island call it "the Rock"....
, Tokelau

Tokelau

Ross Dependency

Governor-General

The Governor-General of New Zealand represents the head of state (Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Anand Satyanand

Anand Satyanand, New Zealand Order of Merit, Queen's Service Order is the Governor-General of New Zealand of New Zealand. He previously worked as a lawyer, judge and ombudsman....
.

Sovereignty within the Realm

Cook Islands and Niue

Both the Cook Islands and Niue are said to be self-governing in free association with New Zealand. The New Zealand Parliament is not empowered to unilaterally pass legislation in respect of these countries. In foreign affairs and defence issues New Zealand acts on behalf of these countries but only with their advice and consent.

As the Governor-General is resident in New Zealand, the Cook Islands Constitution provides for the distinct position of Queen's Representative

Queen's Representative

The Queen's Representative is the formal title given to the representative of Elizabeth II of New Zealand, as Monarchy in New Zealand, in the Cook Islands....
. This individual is not subordinate to the Governor-General and acts as the local representative of the Queen in right of New Zealand. Sir Frederick Goodwin

Frederick Goodwin

Frederick Goodwin may refer to:*Frederick K. Goodwin, psychiatrist*Sir Frederick Goodwin, Queen's Representative in the Cook Islands, 2001?present...
is the Queen's Representative to the Cook Islands.

According to the Niue's Constitution of 1974, the Governor-General of New Zealand acts as the Queen's representative.

In the Cook Islands and Niue the New Zealand High Commissioner

High Commissioner

High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages....
is the diplomatic representative from New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
. , John Bryan is the New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands and Anton Ojala is the New Zealand High Commissioner to Niue.

Despite their close relationship to New Zealand, both the Cook Islands and Niue maintain some diplomatic relations in their own name. Both countries maintain High Commissions in New Zealand and have New Zealand High Commissioners resident in their capitals. In Commonwealth practice, High Commissioners represent their governments, not the Head of State.

New Zealand

New Zealand proper consists of the following island groups:

the North Island
North Island

The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. The island is 113,729 square km in area, making it the List of islands by area....
, South Island
South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major Islands of New Zealand of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. The Maori name for the South Island, Te Wai Pounamu, meaning "The Water/s of Greenstone" , possibly evolved from Te Wahi Pounamu which means "The Place Of Greenstone"....
and neighbouring coastal islands, all contained within the 16 regions of New Zealand
Regions of New Zealand

The region is the top tier of local government in New Zealand. There are 16 regions of New Zealand. Twelve are governed by an elected regional council, while four are governed by Territorial Authorities of New Zealand which also perform the functions of a regional council and thus are known as unitary authority....
the Chatham Islands
Chatham Islands

The archipelago of the Chatham Islands is a territory of New Zealand of about ten islands within a radius. The remote islands, over east of southern New Zealand, have officially belonged to the country since 1842....
to the east, contained within the Chatham Islands Territory
the Kermadec Islands
Kermadec Islands

The Kermadec Islands are an island arc in the South Pacific Ocean. The islands have been part of New Zealand since 1887.The islands lie within 29? to 31.5? south latitude and 178? to 179? west longitude, 800 – 1000 km northeast of New Zealand's North Island, and a similar distance southwest of Tonga....
to the north and sub-Antarctic islands
New Zealand sub-antarctic islands

The five southernmost groups of the New Zealand Outlying Islands form the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic islands. These islands are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites....
to the south, all outside local authority boundaries and inhabited only by a small number of research and conservation staff

Tokelau

Tokelau has a lesser degree of de jure independence than the Cook Islands and Niue have, and had been moving toward free association status. New Zealand's representative in Tokelau is the Administrator

Administrator of the Government

An Administrator in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth of Nations is a person who fulfills a role similar to that of a Governor or a Governor-General....
of Tokelau and has the power to overturn rules passed by the general fono.

Ross Dependency

New Zealand's claim to the Ross Dependency is held in abeyance

Abeyance

Abeyance , a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vesting in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner....
, per the Antarctic Treaty System

Antarctic Treaty System

The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent without a native human population....
. The Governor-General of New Zealand, however, is also the Governor

Governor

A governor is a governing official, usually the Executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state. In federations, a governor may be the title of each appointed or elected politician who governs a constitutive state....
of the Ross Dependency. The Ross Dependency claim includes McMurdo Station

McMurdo Station

McMurdo Station is an American Antarctica research center located on the southern tip of Ross Island on the shore of McMurdo Sound, 1 E6 m miles due south of New Zealand....
, operated by the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.

Summary

Area	Representative of the Queen	Head of the Government	Legislature	Capital	Population	Land Area
New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....	Governor-General Governor-General of New Zealand The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the Monarchy in New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's viceroy representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....	Prime Minister Prime Minister of New Zealand The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand....	House of Representatives New Zealand House of Representatives The New Zealand House of Representatives is the legislature of New Zealand. The House and the Monarchy in New Zealand form the New Zealand Parliament....	Wellington Wellington Wellington is the Capital of New Zealand, situated at the southwestern tip of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. The Wellington Urban Area is the major population centre of the southern North Island and ranks as New Zealand's third most populous Urban areas of New Zealand with residents....	4,107,883	268,680 km²
Cook Islands Cook Islands The Cook Islands are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in Associated state with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this Pacific Ocean country have a total land area of 240 square kilometres , but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone covers 1.8 million square kilometres of ocean....	Queen's Representative Queen's Representative The Queen's Representative is the formal title given to the representative of Elizabeth II of New Zealand, as Monarchy in New Zealand, in the Cook Islands....	Prime Minister Prime Minister of the Cook Islands The Prime Minister of the Cook Islands is the most powerful official within the government of the Cook Islands, a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand....	Parliament of the Cook Islands Parliament of the Cook Islands The Parliament of the Cook Islands or Legislative Council has 24 members, elected for a five year term in single-seat constuencies...	Avarua Avarua Avarua is a town and district in the north of Rarotonga Island. It is equivalent to Te-au-o-tonga, one of three vaka and had its own local government headed by a mayoress until its legal abolishment in February 2008....	21,388	236 km²
Niue Niue Niue is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia". Natives of the island call it "the Rock"....	Representative of the Queen (the Governor-General of New Zealand)	Premier Premier of Niue The Premier of Niue is Niue's head of government. He or she is elected by the Niue Assembly, and forms a Cabinet consisting of him- or herself and three other members of the Assembly....	Niue Assembly Niue Assembly The Niue Assembly is the legislature of Niue. It consists of 20 members, 6 elected on a common roll and 14 representatives of the villages. Members are directly elected by universal suffrage, and serve a three year term....	Alofi Alofi Alofi is the capital city of the Pacific Ocean nation of Niue. It has a population of 614 . It consists of the two villages Alofi North and Alofi South, where the government headquarters are located ....	2,145	260 km²
Tokelau Tokelau Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand that consists of three tropical coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean. The United Nations United Nations General Assembly designated Tokelau a United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories....	Administrator	Ulu-o-Tokelau (Head of the Council of Ongoing Government)	General Fono	None	1,405	10 km²
Ross Dependency Ross Dependency The Ross Dependency comprises an area of Antarctica claimed by New Zealand. It is defined by a Circular sector originating at the South Pole, passing along longitudes 160th meridian east to 150th meridian west, and terminating at latitude 60th parallel south....	Governor	Chief Executive	None	Scott Base Scott Base Scott Base is a base located in Antarctica and is operated by New Zealand. It was named after Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Royal Navy, leader of two United Kingdom expeditions to the Ross Sea area of Antarctica....	Scott Base: 10–80; McMurdo Station McMurdo Station McMurdo Station is an American Antarctica research center located on the southern tip of Ross Island on the shore of McMurdo Sound, 1 E6 m miles due south of New Zealand.... : 200–1000 (seasonally)	450,000 km²

Future of the Realm

Within New Zealand there exists some support for a New Zealand republic

Republicanism in New Zealand

Republicanism in New Zealand is a theoretical political concept, the implimentation of which would result in changing the country's current status as a Commonwealth realm and constitutional monarchy to that of a republic....
. Should New Zealand become a republic, the Realm of New Zealand would continue to exist without New Zealand, the Ross Dependency and Tokelau. This would not be a legal hurdle to a New Zealand republic as such, and both the Cook Islands and Niue would retain their status as associated states with New Zealand, as New Zealand shares its Head of state with the Cook Islands and Niue in the same way the United Kingdom shares its Head of state with the other Commonwealth Realm

Commonwealth Realm

A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 Sovereignty states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as their monarch....
s. However, a New Zealand republic would present the issue of independence to the Cook Islands and Niue. Thus, a number of options for the future of the Realm of New Zealand exist:

A New Zealand republic with the Cook Islands and Niue remaining in free association with New Zealand, but retaining the Queen of New Zealand as their head of state;
A New Zealand republic with the Cook Islands and Niue having a new republican head of state as their head of state;
A New Zealand republic with the Cook Islands and Niue having their own heads of state, but retaining their status of free association with New Zealand.

External links

— gives explanation for "Realm of New Zealand"
(NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
(NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
(NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
(NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Realm of New Zealand

Governor-General

Sovereignty within the Realm

Cook Islands and Niue

New Zealand

Tokelau

Ross Dependency

Summary

Future of the Realm

See also

External links