Under the Royal Titles Act (1953), Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of New Zealand and is represented as head of state by the Governor-General Anand Satyanand. New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. The shield is topped with the St Edward's Crown, and beneath the shield are two silver fern leaves and a scroll bearing the words "New Zealand". The shield is now supported by two figures, a blonde Pākehā (European) woman holding the New Zealand flag, and a Māori warrior holding a taiaha (Māori staff). Since being granted its own arms in 1911, New Zealand's arms have remained similar to the current design, with minor changes in 1956. When New Zealand became a Dominion in 1907, it was decided that a new Coat of Arms was required, and a design competition was held. Until 1911, New Zealand used the same national coat of arms as the United Kingdom. Its closest neighbours to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga. New Zealand is notable for its geographic isolation, being separated from Australia to the northwest by the Tasman Sea, approximately 2000 kilometres (1250 miles) across.
NEW ZEALAND B AND B ASSOCIATION FREE
The Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue, which are self-governing but in free association Tokelau and the Ross Dependency (New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica). In Māori, New Zealand has come to be known as Aotearoa, which is usually translated into English as The Land of the Long White Cloud. New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two large islands – the North Island and the South Island – and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands.