# "New" Zealand **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 13, 2001, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-zealand/57792 "2001-03-13T12:52:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-zealand/57792/1 "2001-03-13T12:52:45Z")
You’ve got your old Mexico, you’ve got your New Mexico. You’ve got your old Jersey, you’ve got your New Jersey. So what’s up with “New” Zealand? Where’s old Zealand? ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-zealand/57792/2 "2001-03-13T13:25:21Z")
The Netherlands. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-zealand/57792/3 "2001-03-13T13:28:22Z")
It’s an island off the coast of Denmark. New Zealand was discovered by the Dutch sailor Abel Tasman (the namesake of Tasmania). Why he chose to name it after a Danish island, I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Aghris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecccb3/32.png) [@Aghris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aghris)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-zealand/57792/4 "2001-03-13T13:39:46Z")
Nope, APB is right. It is a province in The Netherlands, called ‘Zeeland’, which translates to sea-land. Combining those gives you Zealand. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-zealand/57792/5 "2001-03-13T15:18:06Z")
According to [brittanica.com](http://brittanica.com), ZeAland is off the coast of Denmark. ZeEland, as APB says, is in the Netherlands. I got the right spelling, but the wrong origin for New Zealand’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-zealand/57792/6 "2001-03-13T16:34:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guy Propski \* > **It’s an island off the coast of Denmark** Don’t tell the Danes as they believe that Zealand is the heartland of their country, where the majority of the population lives and the capital can be found. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-zealand/57792/7 "2001-03-13T19:50:07Z")
A footnote: On the voyage during which he found NZ, Tasman sailed completely around Australia without seeing it once. How he missed it, I’m not sure, but it doesn’t say a whole lot for my ancestors. Well, the Dutch did a bunch of other clever things. Just ask Coldfire. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-zealand/57792/8 "2001-03-14T01:15:14Z")
How did Mr. Tasman miss it? That’s an easy guess. He was probably sloshed. Some of us remember that Coldfire was once elected “most likely to post while intoxicated.” ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-zealand/57792/9 "2001-03-14T01:57:46Z")
I think the original Polynesian name for NZ is a lot cooled: ‘Aotearota’. Tasman did get around a little on his two voyages to the southern ocean although not too much is known of his second adventure. [This](http://www.vita.org/pacific/dutch/tasman.htm) is an interesting page detailing why he didn’t find Australia on the first voyage (he had clear instructions as to where to sail: left a bit, down a bit, go right, etc.). Or, alternatively, they were too busy watching a live sex show and hand rolling to notice when they passed by Australia.