Overseas Territories
New Zealand administers Tokelau (formerly known as the Tokelau Islands) as a non self-governing colonial territory. In February 2006 a UN-sponsored referendum was held in Tokelau on whether to become a self-governing state, but this failed to achieve the two-thirds majority required to pass. Samoa was a New Zealand protectorate from 1918 to full independence in 1962. However New Zealand retains some responsibilities for former colonies Niue and the Cook Islands which are in free association with New Zealand. Citizens of all three countries hold New Zealand citizenship and the associated rights to healthcare and education in New Zealand.
New Zealand has also claimed part of Antarctica known as the Ross Dependency since 1923.
Read more about this topic: Foreign Relations Of New Zealand
Famous quotes containing the word territories:
“Imperialism is capitalism at that stage of development at which the dominance of monopolies and finance capitalism is established; in which the export of capital has acquired pronounced importance; in which the division of the world among the international trusts has begun, in which the division of all territories of the globe among the biggest capitalist powers has been completed.”
—Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870–1924)