Chatham Islands
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The Chatham Islands are a remote group of islands located far off the east coast of New Zealand, with a small permanent population that has developed its own distinct culture and identity. These islands are significant to New Zealand as part of its territory and are notable for their isolation, unique ecosystems, and the indigenous Moriori people who have inhabited them for centuries.
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The Chatham Islands (/ˈtʃætəm/ CHAT-əm; Moriori: Rēkohu, lit. 'Misty Sun'; Māori: Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about 800 km (430 nmi) east of New Zealand's South Island, administered as part of New Zealand, and consisting of about 10 islands within an approximate 60 km (30 nmi) radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island (Rangiauria). They include New Zealand's easternmost point, the Forty-Fours. Some of the islands, formerly cleared for farming, are now preserved as nature reserves to conserve some of the unique flora and fauna.
The first human inhabitants of the Chatham Islands were the Moriori. They are descended from the Polynesians who settled New Zealand and from whom the Māori also descended. A group of the Polynesians migrated from mainland New Zealand to the Chatham Islands, probably in the 15th century.