Auckland was occupied by the M膩ori in the 14th Century and the region was appreciated for its rich and fertile land. Villages were created in and around the volcanic peaks. The beginning of the use of firearms started towards the end of the eighteenth century, which caused an imbalance of power between the tribes and lead to an intertribal warfare that started in 1807. This caused the tribes without new weapons to flee and hide elsewhere. Because of this, the region had a very small number of M膩ori when European settlement began. The area of land that Auckland was established on was then given to the Governor by the local Maori as a sign of kindness and also in the hope that all the urbanization would bring more opportunities for his tribe. During the 1860s, Auckland was a base against the M膩ori King Movement. This and road building process towards the south, enabled European New Zealander influence to spread through Auckland. Rapid urbanization took place throughout the 19th century, paving the way for the present-day city.

The culture of Auckland is a blend of the beautiful M膩ori culture with influences from the Pacific Islands, Europe and Asia. The huge student population keep the vibe of the city fresh and buzzing. Music is a huge part of the culture of New Zealand and the same can be witnessed in Auckland. There are live music shows happening through the week. Other festivals of arts and culture like the lantern festival, Auckland Heritage Festival are also celebrated. The sub groups organize and celebrate the festivals of their countries as well. The people are very passionate about sports, particularly cricket, rugby and netball.

Auckland is home to 1,454,300 people, which amounts to 32% of New Zealand’s population. It is one of the country’s most cosmopolitan cities with residents who come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Europeans take up the majority (59%), followed by Asians (23.1%), Pacific Islanders (14.6%) and Māori (10.7%). The rest comprise of Middle Easterners, Latin Americans, Africans and others. While Christianity is the followed by a large chunk of the population (48.5%), around 37.8% are irreligious and the remaining follow non-Christian religions. There are numerous employment and leisure opportunities, so the people are overall happy and content. This is evident by the fact that Auckland ranks high on the ‘quality of life’ surveys and is 9th on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s World’s Most Liveable Cities list.