New Zealand is the country which lies in the South Pacific Ocean. New Zealand became a New Zealand, a country in the Southwest Pacific, consisting of two large islands and a number of much smaller ones. The main islands, separated by the narrow Cook Strait, are mountainous and dissected, the South Island much more so than the more populated North Island. Together they are roughly the same size as the British Isles or Japan but, with 4 million people, have only a fraction of the population.

New Zealand is an egalitarian society, a result of liberal socioeconomic policies generated by successive social democratic governments. As a result, few overt displays of extreme wealth can be seen, and there are no urban ghettos. There is little in the way of class structure: "airs and graces" are not tolerated. Nevertheless, New Zealand society exhibits both regional and rural-urban income disparities. New Zealand has long been considered one of the most favorable countries in the world in which to live.