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.
Geography
New Zealand
Location:
Oceania, islands in the South
Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Geographic coordinates:
41 00 S, 174 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 268,680 sq km
land: 268,021 sq km water: NA note:
includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell
Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Area - comparative:
about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
15,134 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200
nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental
margin
Climate:
temperate with sharp regional
contrasts
Terrain:
predominately mountainous with
some large coastal plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific
Ocean 0 m highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, iron ore, sand,
coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
total: 36.3 years
male: 35.6 years female: 37.1 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.971% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
14.09 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (2008
est.)
Net migration rate:
2.62 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83
male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.99 deaths/1,000
live births male: 5.62 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.24
years male: 78.33 years female: 82.25 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.11 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,400 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: New Zealander(s)
adjective: New Zealand
Ethnic groups:
European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%,
Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified
3.8% (2001 census)
Religions:
Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic
12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%,
other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001
census)
Languages:
English (official), Maori
(official), Sign Language (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 99% male:
99% female: 99% (2003 est.)
Government
New Zealand
Country name:
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: New Zealand
abbreviation: NZ
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Wellington
geographic coordinates: 41 28 S, 174 51 E time
difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in
October; ends third Sunday in March note: New Zealand is
divided into two time zones, including Chatham Island
Administrative divisions:
16 regions and 1 territory*;
Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's
Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland,
Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast
Dependent areas:
Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
Independence:
26 September 1907 (from UK)
National holiday:
Waitangi Day (Treaty of
Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February
(1840); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of
troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at
Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)
Constitution:
consists of a series of legal
documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments,
as well as The Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal
charter; adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January 1987
Legal system:
based on English law, with
special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen
ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General
Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006) head of government:
Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999); Deputy Prime Minister
Michael CULLEN (since July 2002) cabinet: Executive Council
appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime
minister elections: 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
Legislative branch:
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; to
serve three-year terms) elections: last held 17 September 2005
(next to be held not later than 15 November 2008) election
results: percent of vote by party - NZLP 41.1%, NP 39.1%, NZFP 5.7%,
Green Party 5.3%, Maori 2.1%, UF 2.7%, ACT New Zealand 1.5%, Progressive
1.2%, other 1.3%; seats by party - NZLP 50, NP 48, NZFP 7, Green Party 6,
Maori 4, UF 3, ACT New Zealand 2, Progressive 1 note: results
of 2005 election saw the total number of seats increase to 121 because the
Maori Party won one more electorate seat than its entitlement under the
party vote
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal;
High Court; note - judges appointed by the Governor-General
Political parties and leaders:
ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE];
Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS]; Maori Party [Whatarangi WINIATA];
National Party or NP [John KEY]; New Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston
PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Party
[James (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE]
chief of mission:
Ambassador Roy N. FERGUSON chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW,
Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800
FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227 consulate(s) general: Los
Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador William P. McCORMICK 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) 499-0490 consulate(s)
general: Auckland
Flag description:
blue with the flag of the UK in
the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in
white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the
Southern Cross constellation
Government - note:
while not an official symbol,
the Kiwi, a small native flightless bird, represents New Zealand
Economy
New Zealand
Economy - overview:
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 - and
broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial
sector. Per capita income has risen for eight consecutive years and
reached $27,800 in 2007 in purchasing power parity terms. Consumer and
government spending have driven growth in recent years, and exports picked
up in 2006 after struggling for several years. Exports were equal to about
22% of GDP in 2007, down from 33% of GDP in 2001. Thus far the economy has
been resilient, and the Labor Government promises that expenditures on
health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately to output.
Inflationary pressures have built in recent years and the central bank
raised its key rate 13 times since January 2004 to finish 2007 at 8.25%. A
large balance of payments deficit poses another challenge in managing the
economy.
dairy products, meat, wood and
wood products, fish, machinery
Exports - partners:
Australia 20.5%, US 13.1%,
Japan 10.3%, China 5.4%, UK 4.9% (2006)
Imports:
$29.83 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment,
vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics
Imports - partners:
Australia 20.5%, China 12.3%,
US 11.8%, Japan 9.2%, Germany 4.4%, Singapore 4.4% (2006)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $259 million (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$18.99 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$50.02 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$63.12 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$40.62 billion (2005)
Currency (code):
New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Currency code:
NZD
Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars per US
dollar - 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004),
1.7221 (2003)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
note: this is the fiscal year for tax purposes
Communications
New Zealand
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.729 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.53 million (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment:
excellent domestic and international systems domestic: NA
international: country code - 64; the Southern Cross submarine
cable system provides links to Australia, Fiji, and the US; satellite
earth stations - 8 (1 Inmarsat - Pacific Ocean, 7 other)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4
(1998)
Radios:
3.75 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
41 (plus about 700 repeaters)
(1997)
Televisions:
1.926 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.nz
Internet hosts:
1.433 million (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
36 (2000)
Internet users:
3.2 million (2006)
Transportation
New Zealand
Airports:
121 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 41 over
3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m:
11 914 to 1,523 m: 26 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 80 1,524
to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 46
(2007)
Pipelines:
condensate 331 km; gas 1,896
km; liquid petroleum gas 172 km; oil 288 km; refined products 260 km
(2007)
Railways:
total: 4,128 km
narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified)
(2006)
Roadways:
total: 92,931 km
paved: 59,783 km (includes 171 km of expressways)
unpaved: 33,148 km (2003)
Merchant marine:
total: 11 ships (1000
GRT or over) 108,667 GRT/89,458 DWT by type: bulk carrier 3,
cargo 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1) registered in other
countries: 8 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Cook Islands 1, Dominica 3,
France 1, UK 1) (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Auckland, Lyttelton, Marsden
Point, Tauranga, Wellington, Whangarei
Military
New Zealand
Military branches:
New Zealand Defense Force
(NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air
Force (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary
military service; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no
conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49:
1,009,298 females age 16-49: 997,134 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 833,073
females age 16-49: 822,807 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 16-49: 31,834
females age 16-49: 30,243 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
New Zealand
Disputes - international:
asserts a territorial claim in
Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
