Realm of New Zealand

Entire area (or realm) in which the King of New Zealand is head of state

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The Realm of New Zealand is the area over which the monarch of New Zealand is head of state. The realm is not a federation but is a collection of states and territories united under its monarch. New Zealand is an independent and sovereign state that has one territorial claim in Antarctica (the Ross Dependency), one dependent territory (Tokelau), and two associated states (the Cook Islands and Niue).[1] The Realm of New Zealand encompasses the three autonomous jurisdictions of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, and Niue.[2]

The Ross Dependency has no permanent inhabitants, while Tokelau, the Cook Islands and Niue have indigenous populations. The United Nations formally classifies Tokelau as a non-self-governing territory; the Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing. The governor-general of New Zealand represents the monarch throughout the Realm of New Zealand, though the Cook Islands have an additional king's representative.

The four states and territories form an informal currency union but not a customs union; each is in its own customs zone.[3][4][5]

## Overview

[edit]

The monarch of New Zealand, personally represented by the governor-general of New Zealand, is the head of state throughout the Realm of New Zealand. The New Zealand monarchy is unitary throughout all jurisdictions in the realm with the headship of state being a part of all equally.[6] The 1983 Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand define the exact scope of the realm.[7]

The Pacific islands of the Cook Islands and Niue became New Zealand's first colonies in 1901 and then protectorates. From 1965 the Cook Islands became self-governing, as did Niue from 1974. Tokelau came under New Zealand control in 1925 and remains a non-self-governing territory.[8]

The Ross Dependency comprises that sector of the Antarctic continent between 160° east and 150° west longitude, together with the islands lying between those degrees of longitude and south of latitude 60° south.[9] The British (imperial) government took possession of this territory in 1923 and entrusted it to the administration of New Zealand.[10] Neither Russia nor the United States recognises this claim, and the matter remains unresolved (along with all other Antarctic claims) by the Antarctic Treaty, which serves to mostly smooth over these differences.[11] The area is uninhabited, apart from scientific bases.[12]

New Zealand nationality law treats all parts of the realm equally, so most people born in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and the Ross Dependency before 2006 are New Zealand citizens. Further conditions apply for those born from 2006 onwards.[13]

The locations of New Zealand (with its major and outlying islands annotated), Niue, Tokelau, and the Cook Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The Ross Dependency in Antarctica is also shaded.

Area  | Representative of the King  | Head of the government  | Legislature  | Capital (or largest settlement)  | Population (year)  | Land area

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km2 | sq mi
Sovereign state
New Zealand | Governor-General of New Zealand | Prime Minister | New Zealand Parliament (House of Representatives)  | Wellington | 5,287,500 (2025)[14] | 268,680  | 103,740
Associated states
Cook Islands | King's Representative | Prime Minister | Cook Islands Parliament | Avarua | 17,459 (2016)[15] | 236  | 91
Niue | Representative of the King[Note 1] | Prime Minister | Niue Assembly | Alofi | 1,784 (2017)[16] | 260  | 100
Dependent territories
Ross Dependency | Governor[Note 1] | N/A | None[Note 2] | None (Scott Base) | Scott Base: 10–85
McMurdo Station: 200–1,000
(2016–2018; varies according to season)[12] | 450,000  | 170,000
Tokelau | Governor-General of New Zealand | Ulu-o-Tokelau | General Fono | None (Fakaofo)  | 1,499 (2016)[17] | 10  | 4

1. ^ a b The Governor-General of New Zealand is also the Representative of the King of Niue and the Governor of the Ross Dependency, but they are separate posts.
2. ^ Legislation for the Ross Dependency is enacted by the New Zealand Parliament, though practically this is limited due to the Antarctic Treaty System.

## Governor-general

[edit]

Main article: Governor-General of New Zealand

The governor-general represents the head of state—currently Charles III, in his capacity as the King of New Zealand—in the area of the realm. Essentially, governors-general take on all the dignities and reserve powers of the head of state. Dame Cindy Kiro took office on 21 October 2021, following the end of Dame Patsy Reddy's term on 28 September 2021.[18]

## Entities within the Realm

[edit]

### Cook Islands and Niue

[edit]

Further information: Political status of the Cook Islands and Niue

Associated states in relation to New Zealand:

1. New Zealand
2. Niue
3. The Cook Islands

Both the Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing states in free association with New Zealand. The details of their free association arrangement are contained in several documents, such as their respective constitutions, the 1983 Exchange of Letters between the governments of New Zealand and the Cook Islands, and the 2001 Joint Centenary Declaration. As such, the New Zealand Parliament is not empowered to unilaterally pass legislation in respect of these states. In foreign affairs and defence issues New Zealand acts on behalf of these countries, but only with their advice and consent.[19]

As the governor-general is resident in New Zealand, the Cook Islands Constitution provides for the distinct position of King's Representative. Appointed by the Cook Islands Government, this position is de jure not subordinate to the governor-general and acts as the local representative of the King in right of New Zealand. Since 2013, Sir Tom Marsters is the King's Representative to the Cook Islands.[20]

According to Niue's Constitution of 1974, the governor-general of New Zealand acts as the King's Representative, and exercises the "executive authority vested in the Crown".[21]

In the Cook Islands and Niue, the New Zealand high commissioner is the diplomatic representative from New Zealand. Catherine Graham is the New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands, and Helen Tunnah 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.[22][23] 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, rather than the head of state.[24]

### New Zealand

[edit]

New Zealand is a sovereign state. At the United Nations, the country is identified in the General Assembly as simply "New Zealand", not as the Realm of New Zealand.[25]

New Zealand proper consists of the following island groups:[26]

* the North Island, South Island, Stewart Island, and the neighbouring coastal islands such as the Solander Islands, all contained within the 16 regions of New Zealand;
* the Chatham Islands to the east, contained within the Chatham Islands Territory;
* the Kermadec Islands and the Three Kings Islands to the north and the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands to the south, all outside local authority boundaries and inhabited only by a small number of research and conservation staff;
* the Ross Dependency, which forms a part of Antarctica, according to the New Zealand government, is constitutionally a part of New Zealand.[27] However, New Zealand's claim to this part of Antarctica is recognised by only four other countries.[28] In addition, New Zealand's claim to sovereignty is subject to the Antarctic Treaty, which it signed in 1959.[29]

#### Tokelau

[edit]

Tokelau has a lesser degree of self-government than the Cook Islands and Niue; it has been moving toward free association status. New Zealand's representative in Tokelau is the administrator of Tokelau (since 2022, Don Higgins),[30] who has the power to overturn rules passed by the General Fono (parliament). In referendums conducted in 2006 and 2007 by New Zealand at the United Nations' request, the people of Tokelau failed to reach the two-thirds majority necessary to attain a system of governance with equal powers to that of the Cook Islands and Niue.[31]

## Future of the Realm

[edit]

See also: Republicanism in New Zealand

A 2016 poll showed 59 per cent of the population supported changing New Zealand's system of government from a monarchy to a republic, with a New Zealand resident as head of state.[32] Should New Zealand become a republic, it would retain the Ross Dependency and Tokelau as dependent territories and the Realm of New Zealand would continue to exist without New Zealand, the Ross Dependency and Tokelau.[33] This would not be a legal hurdle to a New Zealand republic as such, and both the Cook Islands and Niue would retain their free association with New Zealand. Rights to abode and citizenship, codified in New Zealand legislation by the Citizenship Act 1977, would not change.[34]

However, a New Zealand republic would present the issue of continued allegiance to the monarch in the Cook Islands and Niue.[35] Thus, a number of options for the future of the Realm of New Zealand exist should New Zealand become a republic with the Cook Islands and Niue either:

* remaining in free association with New Zealand, but retaining the King or Queen as their head of state;
* having the "republican" New Zealand head of state as their head of state and becoming independent states;
* having their own heads of state, but retaining their status of free association with New Zealand.[33]

## See also

[edit]

* New Zealand portal

* Dominion of New Zealand
* History of Nauru – a country where New Zealand was nominal co-trustee during a period of League of Nations mandate and later UN Trust Territory
* History of Samoa – a country formerly under New Zealand administration as League of Nations mandate and UN Trust Territory
* Monarchy of the Cook Islands
* Monarchy of New Zealand
* Monarchy of Niue
* Pitcairn Islands – New Zealand is involved in several aspects of Pitcairn governance, such as law enforcement and the Pitcairn Supreme Court. The UK high commissioner to New Zealand is governor of Pitcairn.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ New Zealand's Constitution, New Zealand government, retrieved 20 November 2009
2. ^ Frame, Alex (1992). "Fundamental Rights in the Realm of New Zealand: theory and practice" (PDF). Victoria U. Wellington L. Rev. 22: 85.
3. ^ Tokelau Customs Regulations 1991
4. ^ Niue Customs Act 1966, Niue Customs Tariff Act 1982
5. ^ Cook Islands Customs Legislation and Tariffs
6. ^ "Tokelau: A History of Government" (PDF). Wellington: Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau. 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
7. ^ "Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand (SR 1983/225)". New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office. 1983. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
8. ^ Fraenkel, Ron (20 June 2012). "Pacific Islands and New Zealand". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
9. ^ Wheeler, Ralph Hudson (1966). "The Ross Dependency". In McLintock, Alexander Hare (ed.). An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Wellington. Retrieved 22 November 2016.`{{cite encyclopedia}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
10. ^ "Antarctica and the Southern Ocean". New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
11. ^ "Who owns Antarctica?". Australian Department of the Environment and Energy. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
12. ^ a b "Stations and Ships" (PDF), U.S. Antarctic Program Participant Guide, 2016–2018, p. 65, retrieved 26 July 2020, "The austral winter population ranges from 150 to 200, with the summer population varying between 800 – 1,000"
13. ^ "Check if you're a New Zealand citizen". New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
14. ^ "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
15. ^ "Cook Islands Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, 2016 Census". Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
16. ^ "Niue Household and Population Census 2017" (PDF). niue.prism.spc.int. Niue Statistics Office. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
17. ^ Final population counts: 2016 Tokelau Census (PDF) (Report). Statistics New Zealand. November 2016. p. 3.
18. ^ "Dame Cindy Kiro to be next Governor-General of New Zealand – Ardern". Radio New Zealand. 24 May 2021. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
19. ^ McDonald, Caroline J. (4 June 2020). "An Exemplary Leader?: New Zealand and Decolonization of the Cook Islands and Niue". The Journal of Pacific History. 55 (3): 394–417\. doi:10.1080/00223344.2020.1761781. ISSN 0022-3344. S2CID 219932547.
20. ^ "Queen's Rep reappointed". Cook Islands News. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
21. ^ "Niue Constitution Act 1974". New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
22. ^ "Cook Islands High Commission". www.mfat.govt.nz. New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
23. ^ "High Commission for Niue, Wellington, New Zealand". www.mfat.govt.nz. New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
24. ^ Lloyd, Lorna (2007). Diplomacy with a Difference: the Commonwealth Office of High Commissioner, 1880–2006. Brill. p. 172\. ISBN 978-90-474-2059-0.
25. ^ McIntyre, W. David (2001). A guide to the contemporary Commonwealth. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave. p. 11. ISBN 9781403900951.
26. ^ Diamond, Jared (1990). Towns, D; Daugherty, C; Atkinson, I (eds.). New Zealand as an archipelago: An international perspective (PDF). Wellington: Conservation Sciences Publication No. 2. Department of Conservation. pp. 3–8.
27. ^ New Zealand and Antarctica. NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 2010
28. ^ "Did you know that seven countries have claims in Antarctica?". Norwegian Polar Institute. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
29. ^ "The Antarctic Treaty". Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
30. ^ "New Administrator of Tokelau announced". The Beehive. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
31. ^ "Tokelau decolonisation high on agenda". The New Zealand Herald. NZPA. 17 May 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
32. ^ "Nearly 60 per cent of Kiwis want the British Monarchy out – poll". Stuff.co.nz. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
33. ^ a b Townend, Andrew (2003). "The Strange Death of the Realm of New Zealand: The Implications of a New Zealand Republic for the Cook Islands and Niue". Victoria University of Wellington Law Review. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
34. ^ Quentin-Baxter & McLean 2017, p. 114.
35. ^ Quentin-Baxter & McLean 2017, p. 115.

## Sources

[edit]

* Quentin-Baxter, Alison; McLean, Janet (2017). This Realm of New Zealand: The Sovereign, the Governor-General, the Crown. Auckland University Press. ISBN 978-1-869-40875-6.

## External links

[edit]

* Letters Patent constituting the office of Governor-General of New Zealand – gives explanation for the term "Realm of New Zealand"
* NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade:
* Country profile: Cook Islands
* Country profile: Niue
* About Tokelau

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Commonwealth realms and dominions

Current|

* Antigua and Barbuda (monarchy)
* Australia (monarchy)
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1 Annexed by Canada in 1949
2 Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965, but this was not recognised internationally. Declared itself a republic in 1970.

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Administrative divisions of the Realm of New Zealand

| Countries  |  New Zealand |  |  |  Cook Islands |  Niue

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|
|
|
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Regions | 11 non-unitary regions  | 5 unitary regions  | Chatham Islands |  | Kermadec Islands
NZ Subantarctic Islands
Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands |  Tokelau | Ross Dependency | 15 islands | 14 villages
Territorial authorities | 11 cities and 50 districts  | 1 metropolitan area, 1 city, and 3 districts
Notes  | Seven districts lie in more than one region  | These combine the regional and the territorial authority levels in one  | Special territorial authority  | New Zealand outlying islands outside any regional authority (the outlying Solander Islands form a part of the Southland Region)  | Non-self-governing territory of New Zealand  | New Zealand's Antarctic dependency | States in free association with New Zealand

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Languages of the Realm of New Zealand

Major language|

* English
* New Zealand English

Indigenous languages|

| New Zealand|

* New Zealand Māori
* Moriori

|

Cook Islands|

* Cook Islands Māori
* Penrhyn
* Pukapukan
* Rakahanga-Manihiki

Niue|

* Niuean

Tokelau|

* Tokelauan

Sign languages|

* New Zealand Sign Language

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