New Zealand

The people of New Zealand are called New Zealanders. About 80 percent of the population is classified as European; the majority are of British descent. Almost 15 percent of the population report Maori (native) ancestry. The Maori are a Polynesian group with a distinctive culture and a well-ordered social system. The non-Maori Polynesian population is about 4 percent. Chinese and Indians total almost 1 percent of the population.