land . ▁New ▁Zealand ▁is ▁a ▁pre domin antly ▁urban ▁country , ▁with ▁  percent ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁living ▁in ▁an ▁urban ▁area . ▁About ▁  percent ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 ▁main ▁urban ▁areas ▁( pop ulation ▁of ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁or ▁more ) ▁and ▁  percent ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁four ▁largest ▁cities ▁of ▁A uck land , ▁Christ ch urch , ▁Well ington , ▁and ▁Hamilton . ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁population ▁density ▁of ▁around ▁ 1 8 ▁inhabitants ▁per ▁square ▁kilomet re ▁is ▁among ▁the ▁lowest ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁pe op les ▁have ▁been ▁defined ▁by ▁their ▁imm igr ant ▁origin , ▁the ▁on going ▁process ▁of ▁adaptation ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁land , ▁being ▁changed ▁and ▁changing ▁those ▁who ▁came ▁before . ▁This ▁process ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁distinct ▁distribution ▁of ▁culture ▁across ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁Here ▁language ▁and ▁religion ▁are ▁used ▁as ▁markers ▁for ▁the ▁far ▁rich er ▁concept ▁of ▁culture . ▁These ▁metrics ▁unfortunately ▁exclude ▁the ▁political ▁rural - urban ▁divide ▁and ▁also ▁the ▁full ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁Christ ch urch ▁earth qu akes ▁on ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁cultural ▁distribution . ▁ ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁most ▁widely ▁spoken ▁language ▁is ▁English ▁( 8 9 . 8   percent ), ▁however , ▁language , ▁dialect ▁and ▁acc ent ▁var ies ▁spatial ly ▁both ▁within ▁and ▁between ▁eth nic ▁groups . ▁The ▁M ā ori ▁language ▁( 3 . 5   percent ) ▁is