The culture of New Zealand is largely inherited from British and European custom, interwoven with Maori and

Polynesian tradition. Anisolated Pacific Island nation, New Zealand was comparatively recently settled by humans. Initially Mori only, then bicultural with colonial and rural values, no w New Zealand is a cosmopolitan culture that reflects its changing demographics, is conscious of the natural environment, and is an educated, developed Western society. Mori culture has predominated for most of New Zealand's history of human habitation. Mori voyagers reached the islands of New Zealand some time before 1300, though exact dates are uncertain. Over the ensuing centuries of Mori expansion and settlement,Mori culture diverged from its Polynesian roots. Mori established separate tribes, built fortified villages (P), hunted and fished, traded commodities, developed agriculture, arts and weaponry, and kept a detailed oral history. Regular European contact began approximately 200 years ago, and British immigration proceeded rapidly during the nineteenth century. The colonists had a dramatic effect on the indigenous Maori, bringing Christianity, technology, and the English language. In 1840 Mori leaders signed the Treaty of Waitangi, intended to enable the tribes to live peacefully with the colonists. However after several incidents, the treaty was ignored and the New Zealand land wars broke out from 1845, with Mori suffering a loss of land and identity, while also increasingly becoming a minority group over the following century. Despite such setback s, Mori culture has regained much of its lost influence in recent decades. European New Zealanders (Pkeh), despite their location far from Europe, retained strong cultural ties to "Mother England."
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These ties were weakened by the demise of the British Empire and loss of special access to

British meat and dairy markets. Pkeh began to forge a separate identity influenced by their pioneering history, a rural lifestyle and New Zealand's unique environment. Pkeh culture became prevalent after the land wars, but after sustained political efforts, biculturalism and the Treaty of Waitangi became part of the school curriculum in the late 20th century, to promote understanding between Mori and Pkeh. More recently, New Zealand culture has been broadened by globalization and immigration from the Pacific Islands, East Asia andSouth Asia. European and Mori remain the two largest ethnicities, but the large Polynesian population in Auckland has prompted the observation that Auckland is now the largest Polynesian city in the world.
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However, the country outside of Auckland is still much less heterogeneous, with

big parts of the South Island remaining predominantly of European descent. New Zealand marks two national days of remembrance, Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day, and also celebrates holidays during or close to the anniversaries of the founding dates of each province.
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New Zealand has two

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national anthems of equal status; God Save The Queen and "God Defend New Zealand" often sung with alternating Mori and English verses. calling themselves New Zealanders or Kiwis.
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- the latter of which is

Many citizens prefer to minimise ethnic divisions, simply