Legend:
 Definition
 Field
Listing
 Rank
Order
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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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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental
margin
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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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,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, 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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3,951,307 (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 21.9% (male 443,837; female 423,118)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 1,318,751; female 1,307,796)
65 years and over: 11.6% (male 199,722; female 258,083) (2003
est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 33.1 years
male: 32.4 years
female: 33.9 years (2002)
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Population growth rate:
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1.09% (2003 est.)
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Birth rate:
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14.14 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.54 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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4.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 6.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 6.96 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 78.32 years
male: 75.34 years
female: 81.44 years (2003 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.79 children born/woman (2003 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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16 regions; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne, Hawke's
Bay, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki,
Tasman, Waikato, Manawatu-Wanganui, 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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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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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]; Alliance (a coalition of the New
Labor Party, Democratic Party, New Zealand Liberal Party, and Mana
Motuhake) [James (Jim) ANDERTON]; 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]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ABEDA, ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August
1986), APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner),
Australia Group, C, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA,
Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK,
UNMISET, UNMOP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
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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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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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Since 1984 the government has accomplished major economic
restructuring, transforming 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. While per capita incomes have been rising, however, they
remain below the level of the four largest EU economies, and there is
some government concern that New Zealand is not closing the gap. 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 New
Zealand economy has been relatively resilient, although growth may
slow to 2.5% in 2003.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $78.4 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.3% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $20,100 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 8%
industry: 23%
services: 69% (2001) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 0.3%
highest 10%: 29.8% (1991 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.7% (2002 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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5.3% (2002 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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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 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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Oil - exports:
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30,220 bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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119,700 bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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89.62 million bbl (37257) |
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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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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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58.94 billion cu m (37257) |
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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 billion (2002 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 15.5%, Japan 11.5%, UK 4.8%, China 4.6%, South
Korea 4.4% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$12.5 billion (2001 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 13.6%, Japan 12%, China 8%, Germany 5.2% (2002)
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Debt - external:
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$33 billion (2002 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 - 2.16 (2002), 2.38 (2001), 2.2
(2000), 1.89 (1999), 1.87 (1998)
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Fiscal year:
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1 July - 30 June
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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: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 69,685 GRT/106,627 DWT
note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag
of convenience: Australia 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 2, container 1, petroleum tanker
2, roll on/roll off 1 |
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Airports:
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113 (2002) |
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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
914 to 1,523 m: 28
under 914 m: 5 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
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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: 26
under 914 m: 39 (2002) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2002)
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Disputes - international:
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territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) |
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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