New Zealand

===Local government and external territories===
{{Main|Local government in New Zealand|Realm of New Zealand}}
[[File:NZ Regional Councils and Territorial Authorities 2017.svg|thumb|Map of regions (coloured) and territorial authorities (outlined) in New Zealand|alt=A map of New Zealand divided into regions and territorial authorities with labels]]
The early European settlers divided New Zealand into [[Provinces of New Zealand|provinces]], which had a degree of autonomy.<ref name="nine_provinces">{{cite web |url= http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/pdf/hoc_fr_bulletins/31_bulletin.pdf |title=New Zealand's Nine Provinces (1853–76) |work=Friends of the Hocken Collections |publisher=University of Otago |date=March 2000 |access-date=13 January 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110205012614/http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/pdf/hoc_fr_bulletins/31_bulletin.pdf |archive-date=5 February 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Because of financial pressures and the desire to consolidate railways, education, land sales, and other policies, government was centralised and the provinces were abolished in 1876.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |editor-first=Alexander |editor-last=McLintock |title=Provincial Divergencies |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/provinces-and-provincial-districts/3 |access-date=7 January 2011 |date=April 2009 |orig-year=1966 |encyclopedia=An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand |archive-date=20 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120183114/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/provinces-and-provincial-districts/3 |url-status=live }}</ref> The provinces are remembered in [[Public holidays in New Zealand|regional public holidays]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Swarbrick |first1=Nancy |chapter=Public holidays |chapter-url=http://teara.govt.nz/en/public-holidays |title=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |access-date=25 June 2017 |date=September 2016 |archive-date=6 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606043650/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/public-holidays |url-status=live }}</ref> and sporting rivalries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Overview – regional rugby |url=http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/regional-rugby/overview |publisher=[[New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage]] |date=September 2010 |access-date=13 January 2011 |archive-date=22 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822104629/http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/regional-rugby/overview |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since 1876, various councils have administered local areas under legislation determined by the central government.<ref name="nine_provinces" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dollery |first1=Brian |last2=Keogh |first2=Ciaran |last3=Crase |first3=Lin |title=Alternatives to Amalgamation in Australian Local Government: Lessons from the New Zealand Experience |date=2007 |journal=Sustaining Regions |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=50–69 |url= http://www.anzrsai.org/system/files/f8/f9/f39/f40/o186//Dollery%20sustaining%20regions%20article.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070829001212/http://www.anzrsai.org/system/files/f8/f9/f39/f40/o186//Dollery%20sustaining%20regions%20article.pdf |archive-date=29 August 2007}}</ref> In 1989, the government reorganised local government into the current two-tier structure of [[Regions of New Zealand|regional councils]] and [[territorial authorities]].<ref name="Sancton2000">{{cite book |title=Merger mania: the assault on local government |first=Andrew |last=Sancton |date=2000 |publisher=[[McGill-Queen's University Press]] |page=84 |isbn=0-7735-2163-1}}</ref> The [[List of former territorial authorities in New Zealand|249 municipalities]]<ref name="Sancton2000" /> that existed in 1975 have now been consolidated into 67 territorial authorities and 11 regional councils.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.stats.govt.nz/~/media/Statistics/Methods%20and%20Services/Tables/Subnational%20population%20estimates/subpopest2001-10.ashx |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110610051916/http://www.stats.govt.nz/~/media/Statistics/Methods%20and%20Services/Tables/Subnational%20population%20estimates/subpopest2001-10.ashx |archive-date=10 June 2011|title=Subnational population estimates at 30 June 2010 (boundaries at 1 November 2010) |date=26 October 2010 |publisher=[[Statistics New Zealand]] |access-date=2 April 2011}}</ref> The regional councils' role is to regulate "the natural environment with particular emphasis on [[Resource Management Act 1991|resource management]]",<ref name="Sancton2000" /> while territorial authorities are responsible for sewage, water, local roads, building consents, and other local matters.{{sfn|Smelt|Jui Lin|2009|p=33}}<ref name="glossary">{{cite web |title=Glossary |url=http://www.localcouncils.govt.nz/lgip.nsf/wpgurl/Resources-Glossary-Index |publisher=Department of Internal Affairs |access-date=28 August 2016 |archive-date=9 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709203038/https://www.localcouncils.govt.nz/lgip.nsf/wpgurl/Resources-Glossary-Index |url-status=live }}</ref> Five of the territorial councils are [[Unitary authority|unitary authorities]] and also act as regional councils.<ref name="glossary" /> The territorial authorities consist of 13 city councils, 53 [[Districts of New Zealand|district]] councils, and the [[Chatham Islands]] Council. While officially the Chatham Islands Council is not a unitary authority, it undertakes many functions of a regional council.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chatham Islands Council Act 1995 No 41 |url=http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1995/0041/latest/whole.html |date=29 July 1995 |publisher=[[New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office]] |access-date=8 August 2017 |archive-date=8 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808233555/http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1995/0041/latest/whole.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Realm of New Zealand, one of 15 [[Commonwealth realm]]s,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gimpel |first1=Diane|title=Monarchies|date=2011 |publisher=ABDO Publishing Company |isbn=978-1-617-14792-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/monarchies0000gimp_v0v5/page/22 22] |url= https://archive.org/details/monarchies0000gimp_v0v5|url-access=registration |access-date=18 November 2016}}</ref> is the entire area over which the king or queen of New Zealand is [[sovereign]] and comprises New Zealand, [[Tokelau]], the [[Ross Dependency]], the [[Cook Islands]], and [[Niue]].<ref name="GG constitution" /> The Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing states in [[Associated state|free association]] with New Zealand.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.gov.nu/wb/pages/system-of-government-fakatokaaga-he-fakatufono.php |title=System of Government |publisher=Government of Niue |access-date=13 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101113024046/http://www.gov.nu/wb/pages/system-of-government-fakatokaaga-he-fakatufono.php |archive-date=13 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Government of the Cook Islands |title=Government – Structure, Personnel |url=http://www.ck/govt.htm#con |access-date=13 January 2010 |archive-date=20 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120200425/http://www.ck/govt.htm#con |url-status=live }}</ref> The New Zealand Parliament cannot pass legislation for these countries, but with their consent can act on behalf of them in foreign affairs and defence. Tokelau is classified as a [[United Nations list of non-self-governing territories|non-self-governing territory]], but is administered by a council of three elders (one from each Tokelauan [[atoll]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Tokelau Government |url=http://www.tokelau.org.nz/Tokelau+Government.html |publisher=Government of Tokelau |access-date=16 November 2016 |archive-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113221641/http://www.tokelau.org.nz/Tokelau+Government.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Ross Dependency is New Zealand's [[Territorial claims in Antarctica|territorial claim in Antarctica]], where it operates the [[Scott Base]] research facility.<ref>{{cite web |title=Scott Base |url=http://www.antarcticanz.govt.nz/scott-base |publisher=[[Antarctica New Zealand]] |access-date=13 January 2010 |archive-date=29 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329071421/https://www.antarcticanz.govt.nz/scott-base |url-status=live }}</ref> [[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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Citizenship Act 1977 No 61 |url=http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1977/0061/latest/whole.html |publisher=Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office |access-date=26 May 2017 |date=1 December 1977 |archive-date=25 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225182504/http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1977/0061/latest/whole.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Refn|A person born on or after 1 January 2006 acquires New Zealand citizenship at birth only if at least one parent is a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident. All persons born on or before 31 December 2005 acquired citizenship at birth (''[[jus soli]]'').<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Citizenship-Check-if-you're-a-New-Zealand-citizen?OpenDocument |title=Check if you're a New Zealand citizen |publisher=Department of Internal Affairs |access-date=20 January 2015 |archive-date=23 September 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140923112222/http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Citizenship-Check-if-you%E2%80%99re-a-New-Zealand-citizen?OpenDocument |url-status=live}}</ref>|group=n}}