In the Maori language (te reo Maori), New Zealand is called Aotearoa, meaning ‘Land of the Long White Cloud.’ Aotearoa originates from the legend of Polynesian explorer Kupe and his wife Hine te Aparangi, who saw a long white cloud formation on an ocean voyage and knew land must have lain beneath.

Traditionally, the name Aotearoa related only to the North Island of New Zealand, but it has since evolved into the official Maori name for the entire country. These days, many non-Indigenous New Zealanders use its Maori and English names interchangeably.

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