New Zealand's prime minister has taken the lead in a new campaign to get the country back on world maps. Global giants like Starbucks and Ikea don't include New Zealand on some maps, so the government created a quirky conspiracy story to raise awareness about the country. Owen Poland has the story.

OWEN POLAND AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND "I'm reporting from downtown Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, which certainly does exist in the minds of the one point four million people who live here.The trouble is that map makers around the world are leaving us off their maps so the prime minister has teamed up with a high profile New Zealand comedian to tell the world that we still exist."

(Rhys Darby) "Your Majesty I'll keep this brief, New Zealand is being left off world maps all over the World"

(Prime Minister) "I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation."

(Rhys Darby) "I don't think so, I've been searching the internets for the last 30 seconds and it's everywhere, this is a major conspiracy, I'm going to get behind it."

OWEN POLAND AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND "The reality is that New Zealand is actually bigger than Great Britain and we also have a lake that's the size of Singapore. The nation is also proud of the fact that we have a world champion rugby team and that Donald's Trump's new deputy chief of staff is a New Zealander. So who better to blame for the map conspiracy than our nearest neighbour - and long time rivals – Australia."

OWEN POLAND AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND "The advertising campaign is targeting the US, UK and Australian markets and underscores the fact that tourism is hugely important to New Zealand because it accounts for 20 percent of export earnings and more than 8 percent of all jobs."

(Rhys Darby) "Well I do have one more theory, we're quite a fiddly looking shaped country a bit like a half eaten lamb chop, perhaps people are just leaving us off thinking we're a mistake." 

(Prime Minister) "Rhys I've got to go." 

(Rhys Darby) "I know you're short of time, OK, do you want me home to report back to the nation because I can be there in three movies and meal."

(Prime Minister) "Look Rhys, you might be onto something, but we're going to need some help."

OWEN POLAND AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND The scary thing for most New Zealanders is that the country sits on top of one of the world's most active volcanic zones - which is why we have so many extinct volcanoes like the one behind me – and the big worry is that a new volcano could literally blow Auckland off the map. Owen Poland in Auckland for CGTN.