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Background:
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 The
Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In
1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain,
the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to
Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that
same year, the British began the first organized colonial
settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended
with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of
New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and
supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's
full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by
the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to
address longstanding Maori grievances. |
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Location:
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Oceania, islands
in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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41 00 S, 174 00 E |
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Map references:
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Oceania |
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Area:
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total:
268,680 sq km
note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands,
Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec
Islands
water: NA sq km
land: NA sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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about the size of
Colorado |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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15,134 km |
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Climate:
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temperate with
sharp regional contrasts |
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Terrain:
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predominately
mountainous with some large coastal plains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m |
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Natural resources:
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natural gas, iron
ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone |
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Land use:
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arable land:
5.8%
permanent crops: 6.44%
other: 87.76% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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2,850 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes are
common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation;
soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species
introduced from outside |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life
Conservation |
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Geography - note:
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about 80% of the
population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost
national capital in the world |
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Population:
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3,993,817 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
21.7% (male 443,211; female 422,507)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,337,383; female 1,325,683)
65 years and over: 11.6% (male 203,084; female 261,949)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
33.4 years
male: 32.6 years
female: 34.1 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.05% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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14.04
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.54 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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4.05 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
5.96 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 6.83 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 78.49 years
male: 75.5 years
female: 81.61 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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1,200 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100
(2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: New
Zealander(s)
adjective: New Zealand |
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Ethnic groups:
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New Zealand
European 74.5%, Maori 9.7%, other European 4.6%, Pacific
Islander 3.8%, Asian and others 7.4% |
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Religions:
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Anglican 24%,
Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist
2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33% (1986) |
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Languages:
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English
(official), Maori (official) |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA% |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: New Zealand
abbreviation: NZ |
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Government type:
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parliamentary
democracy |
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Capital:
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Wellington |
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Administrative divisions:
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13 regions;
Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne-Hawke's Bay,
Manawatu-Wanganui, Nelson-Marlborough, Northland, Otago,
Southland, Taranaki, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast |
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Dependent areas:
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Cook Islands,
Niue, Tokelau |
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Independence:
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26 September 1907
(from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Waitangi Day
(Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New
Zealand), 6 February (1840) |
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Constitution:
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consists of a
series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK
and New Zealand Parliaments and The Constitution Act 1986
which is the principal formal charter |
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Legal system:
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based on English
law, with special land legislation and land courts for the
Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Dame Silvia CARTWRIGHT (since
4 April 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since
10 December 1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN
(since NA July 2002)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor
general on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor
general appointed by the monarch; following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a
majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the
governor general |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral House
of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats; 69
members elected by popular vote in single-member
constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, and 51
proportional seats chosen from party lists, all to serve
three-year terms)
elections: last held 27 July 2002 (next to be held NA
2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - NZLP 52, NP 27, NZFP 13, ACT New Zealand 9, Green
Party 9, UF 8, other 2 |
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Judicial branch:
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High Court; Court
of Appeal |
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Political parties and leaders:
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ACT New Zealand
[Richard PREBBLE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS and Rod
DONALD]; National Party or NP [Don BRASH]; New Zealand First
Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or
NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Coalition [James (Jim)
ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador L. John WOOD
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227
telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800
chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC
20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Charles J. SWINDELLS
embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington
mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467,
Box 1, APO AP 96531-1034
telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000
FAX: [64] (4) 472-3478
consulate(s) general: Auckland |
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Economy - overview:
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Over the past 20
years the government has transformed New Zealand from an
agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market
access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can
compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes
(but left behind many at the bottom of the ladder), broadened
and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial
sector, and contained inflationary pressures. Per capita
income has been rising and is now 80% of the level of the four
largest EU economies. New Zealand is heavily dependent on
trade - particularly in agricultural products - to drive
growth, and it has been affected by the global economic
slowdown and the slump in commodity prices. Thus far the
economy has been resilient, and growth should continue at the
same level in 2004. Expenditures on health, education, and
pensions will increase proportionately. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $85.26 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.4% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $21,600 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
8%
industry: 25%
services: 67% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.8% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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1.92 million
(2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services 65%,
industry 25%, agriculture 10% (1995) |
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Unemployment rate:
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5.1% (2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$29.2 billion
expenditures: $31.2 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2002) |
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Industries:
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food processing,
wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation
equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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37.51 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
31.6%
hydro: 57.8%
other: 10.7% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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34.88 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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42,160 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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132,700 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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6.504 billion cu
m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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6.504 billion cu
m (2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat, barley,
potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, dairy
products; fish |
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Exports:
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$15.86 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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dairy products,
meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery |
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Exports - partners:
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Australia 20.3%,
US 15.6%, Japan 11.5%, UK 4.8%, China 4.6%, South Korea 4.4%
(2002) |
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Imports:
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$16.06 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and
equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics,
textiles, plastics |
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Imports - partners:
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Australia 22.1%,
US 13.7%, Japan 12%, China 8%, Germany 5.2% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$38.1 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, $99.7
million |
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Currency:
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New Zealand
dollar (NZD) |
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Currency code:
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NZD |
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Exchange rates:
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New Zealand
dollars per US dollar - 1.72 (2003), 2.16 (2002), 2.38 (2001),
2.2 (2000), 1.89 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 July - 30 June |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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1.765 million
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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2.449 million
(2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: excellent domestic and international systems
domestic: NA
international: country code - 64; submarine cables to
Australia and Fiji; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(Pacific Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 124, FM 290,
shortwave 4 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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41 (plus 52
medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power repeaters)
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.nz |
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Internet hosts:
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432,957 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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1.908 million
(2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
3,898 km
narrow gauge: 3,898 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km
electrified) (2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
92,053 km
paved: 57,809 km (including at least 190 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 34,244 km (2000) |
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Waterways:
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1,609 km
note: of little importance in satisfying total
transportation requirements |
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Pipelines:
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gas 2,213 km;
liquid petroleum gas 79 km; oil 160 km; refined products 304
km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Auckland,
Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga, Wellington |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 10
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 77,523 GRT/108,352 DWT
registered in other countries: 8 (2003 est.)
foreign-owned: Australia 1, Isle of Man 1
by type: bulk 3, cargo 2, container 1, petroleum tanker
2, roll on/roll off 2 |
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Airports:
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113 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 46
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 5 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 67
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 37 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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New Zealand Army,
Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force |
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Military manpower - military age:
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20 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 1,033,464 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 868,984 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
27,157 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$1.147 billion
(FY03/04) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1% (FY02) |
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Disputes - international:
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territorial claim
in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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