New Zealand territory

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The New Zealand territory (English: Realm of New Zealand ) is the sovereign region of the Kingdom of New Zealand , in which the New Zealand monarchs by the Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand Act. 1983 headed as heads of state .

The territory includes New Zealand, the self-governing states of the Cook Islands and Niue , the Tokelaus Islands and the Antarctic Ross Sub-area . However, it is not a federation, but a collection of several states and territories that are united by the monarch (currently: Queen Elizabeth II) .

History and formal status

The English King George V commissioned the Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand on May 11, 1917. Through them, the Kingdom of New Zealand received a governor-general who officially represents and represents the monarch. The governors-general also exercise the office of New Zealand commander-in-chief . They command the three military sectors (Royal Navy, Royal Army, and the Royal Air Force of New Zealand) that are designed to defend the territory. Thus, today's New Zealand military is responsible for the entire territory.

The Letters Patent also recorded that the sovereign territory consists of the self-governing states of the Cook Islands and Niue , the islands of Tokelaus and the Antarctic Ross subsidiary area. Its citizens who were born before 2006 are therefore British subjects and New Zealand citizens. At the same time, they have the nationality of their country of birth.

Areas

The Cook Islands

The Cook Islands

The Cook Islands are 15 main islands in free association with New Zealand, which comprise a total of 240 km² of land and 1.8 million km² of sea area. Together they form the self-governing state of the Cook Islands, which has been part of Great Britain since 1888. These islands also include all the smaller islands that are within 10 miles of the coast of the 15 main islands.

On May 13, 1901, King George V gave the order through the Cook, etc, Islands Boundaries and Inclusion in New Zealand Proclamation 1901 , to expand the territorial outer border of his empire so that the area of ​​his colony New Zealand would include the Cook Islands. He gave the New Zealand colony the territorial administration of the Cook Islands and all other areas that belonged to the New Zealand colony by this law.

After the New Zealand colony was replaced on September 26, 1907 by the Dominion of New Zealand and later the Realm of New Zealand, the New Zealand state decided to offer independence to the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands government is, therefore, since August 4, 1965 by the Cook Islands Constitution Act 1964 (Cookinseln- Constitution largely independent of New Zealand) and has its own parliament, which has the right to decide their own laws within the defined Cook Island area. The country also has its own jurisdiction which, under certain circumstances, gives its citizens the opportunity to appeal to the Supreme Court of New Zealand.

The area has been part of New Zealand's territory to date. The Kingdom of New Zealand takes on the external relations as well as the defense of the entire territory to which the Cook Islands belong. The constitution also states, among other things, that all Cook Island citizens are still New Zealand citizens and British subjects, but have a Cook Island nationality which is reserved for them only.

Niue

Location of the island of Niue
Location Tokelaus

Niue is a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand, as well as part of New Zealand's territory, which comprises 261 km² of land. The island nation received its own constitution through the Niue Constitution Act 1974 , which enables it to administer and govern itself .

The constitution stipulates, among other things, that it is the task of the Kingdom of New Zealand not only to provide military protection and external relations, but also, if necessary, to provide economic aid

The Niuean Constitution allows New Zealand authorities and courts to provide assistance or intervene in some cases.

Another aspect of the Constitution, as in all other parts of the territory, is that Niuean citizens are automatically British subjects and New Zealand citizens. The additional Niuean nationality is only reserved for them.

Tokelau

The three atolls that make up Tokelau are located between Samoa and the equator and are extremely difficult to reach as there is no port. For several years there have been negotiations for the release of Tokelau from colonial status, which are also being promoted by the UN . However, Tokelau's financial dependence on New Zealand stands in the way of these efforts.

Antarctic Ross Dependency

Colored in red: The Ross Dependency

The Ross Dependency is an area in Antarctica that was claimed by the British government through the British Settlement Act 1887. It encompasses the entire land and sea area below 60 ° south, between 160 ° east and 150 ° west. In 1923 King George V decided to assign the area to New Zealand territory and to leave the administration of the Ross Dependency to the Kingdom of New Zealand. The New Zealand Parliament is therefore responsible for the legislation, even if the states of Russia and the USA do not recognize the British-New Zealand claim to the area. The territorial claims of these states have not yet been fully clarified.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand (SR 1983/225) (as of August 22, 2006) Contents - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  2. ↑ Citizenship Act 1977 No 61 (as at 01 July 2013), Public Act Contents - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  3. ^ Cook, etc, Islands Boundaries and Inclusion in New Zealand Proclamation 1901 (SR 1901/531) (as at 14 June 1901), Imperial Contents - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  4. ↑ Cook Islands Act 1915 No 40 (as at 01 March 2017), Public Act Schedule 1 Boundary lines enclosing the Cook Islands - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  5. ↑ Cook Islands Constitution Act 1964 No 69 (as at 04 August 1965), Public Act - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  6. ↑ Cook Islands Constitution Act 1964 No 69 (as at 04 August 1965), Public Act - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  7. ↑ Niue Constitution Act 1974 No 42 (as of 01 April 1988), Public Act Schedule 2 The Constitution of Niue (English language version) - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  8. ↑ Niue Constitution Act 1974 No 42 (as at 01 April 1988), Public Act 6 External affairs and defense - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  9. ^ Niue Constitution Act 1974 No 42 (as at 01 April 1988), Public Act 7 Economic and administrative assistance - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  10. ^ Niue Constitution Act 1974 No 42 (as at 01 April 1988), Public Act 4 Constitution of Niue - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  11. ^ Niue Constitution Act 1974 No 42 (as at 01 April 1988), Public Act 5 British nationality and New Zealand citizenship - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  12. ↑ Anke Richter, Alex Webb (photos): Tokelau: The sinking of a South Sea paradise . In: Spiegel Online . August 23, 2004 ( spiegel.de [accessed October 16, 2017]).
  13. ^ British Settlements Act 1887 No 54 (as of September 3, 2007), Imperial Act Contents - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  14. ^ Ross Dependency Boundaries and Government Order in Council 1923 (SR 1923/974) (as at 17 August 1923), Imperial 1 - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  15. ^ Ross Dependency Boundaries and Government Order in Council 1923 (SR 1923/974) (as at 17 August 1923), Imperial 2 - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).
  16. ↑ Ross Dependency. Retrieved October 16, 2017 .
  17. ^ Antarctica and New Zealand . In: Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , accessed October 16, 2017 .
  18. ^ Ross Dependency Boundaries and Government Order in Council 1923 (SR 1923/974) (as at 17 August 1923), Imperial 3 - New Zealand Legislation. Retrieved October 16, 2017 (en-NZ).