New Zealand it operates the Scott Base research facility. 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 are New Zealand citizens. New Zealand is located near the centre of the water hemisphere and is made up of two main islands and a number of smaller islands. The two main islands (the North Island, or "Te Ika-a-Māui", and the South Island, or "Te Waipounamu") are separated by Cook Strait, wide at its narrowest point. Besides the North and South Islands, the five largest inhabited
Languages of New Zealand and New Zealand Sign Language. English is spoken by 96.1 percent of the population. It has long been the predominant language and the "de facto" official language. It is the primary language used in parliament, government, the courts, and the education system. Its official status has been presumed and is not codified in statute. In 2018, New Zealand First MP Clayton Mitchell introduced a bill to parliament to statutorily recognise English as an official language. New Zealand English is mostly non-rhotic with the exception of the "southern burr" found principally in Southland and parts of Otago. It is similar to