> Which country's capital city got its name from the first Duke of Wellington, whowas the victor of the Battle of Waterloo?And the answer: New Zealand.Wellington [https://www.askqotd.com/wellington-new-zealand/] is the capital ofNew Zealand, which was once a British colony. The city takes its name from theBritish leader Arthur Wellesley, who was the first Duke of Wellington and one ofthe victors of the Battle of Waterloo. However, long before Europeans settled inWellington, the area was a cultural center of the indigenous Māori people.Photo credit: Outbreak Observatory[https://www.outbreakobservatory.org/outbreakthursday-1/6/11/2020/new-zealand-declares-itself-covid-free].First settled by the Māori between 1250 and 1300, New Zealand is not only hometo gorgeous sites but also to an abundance of culture. With a patchwork historyof Māori, European, Pacific Island, and Asian influences, New Zealand'spopulation of five million people is a melting pot of cultures. More simply,native New Zealanders are known as "Kiwis" for the small flightless bird nativeonly to the nation. Māori history and culture are essential parts of New Zealand's nationalconception. Several centuries before Christopher Columbus took to the seas, theMāori people voyaged thousands of miles over the rough Pacific Ocean in small,sea-going canoes. Finding home in Aotearoa (the indigenous language name for NewZealand), the Māori became the first inhabitants of what is now known as NewZealand. Some thousand years later, the pioneer spirit and connection to naturallandscape has all but left Kiwis' cultural consciousness – instead, it's foundhome in progressive politics and great ecological awareness. In fact, over 30%of the country is protected under national reserve. The first country to see the sunrise has quite a lot going for it. Learn moreabout New Zealand here[https://www.gorentals.co.nz/explore/blog/new-zealand-facts/]. Did You Know?In 1982, there was a 22:1 sheep to human ratio in New Zealand. That's 22 sheepfor every person! But the number has been steadily declining[https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/380454/sheep-outnumber-new-zealanders-by-just-five-to-one] over the years, down to 5:1 today. (Five sheep per person is still a lot, by ourcalculations...)