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- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- New Zealand
- Geography
-
-
- Location:
- Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
- Map references:
- Oceania
- Area:
- total area:
- 268,680 sq km
- land area:
- 268,670 sq km
- comparative area:
- about the size of Colorado
- note:
- includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell
- Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
- Land boundaries:
- 0 km
- Coastline:
- 15,134 km
- Maritime claims:
- continental shelf:
- 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
- exclusive economic zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 12 nm
- International disputes:
- territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
- Climate:
- temperate with sharp regional contrasts
- Terrain:
- predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
- Natural resources:
- natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 2%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 53%
- forest and woodland:
- 38%
- other:
- 7%
- Irrigated land:
- 2,800 sq km (1989 est.)
- Environment:
- current issues:
- deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species
- introduced from outside
- natural hazards:
- earthquakes are common, though usually not severe
- international agreements:
- party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
- Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous
- Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical
- Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea,
- Marine Life Conservation
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- New Zealand
- Geography
- Note:
- about 80% of the population lives in cities
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- New Zealand
- People
-
-
- Population:
- 3,407,277 (July 1995 est.)
- Age structure:
- 0-14 years:
- 23% (female 381,027; male 401,285)
- 15-64 years:
- 65% (female 1,109,402; male 1,111,079)
- 65 years and over:
- 12% (female 234,339; male 170,145) (July 1995 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 0.52% (1995 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 15.14 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Death rate:
- 8.03 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- -1.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 76.65 years
- male:
- 73.08 years
- female:
- 80.42 years (1995 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 1.99 children born/woman (1995 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- New Zealander(s)
- adjective:
- New Zealand
- Ethnic divisions:
- European 88%, Maori 8.9%, Pacific Islander 2.9%, other 0.2%
- Religions:
- Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist
- 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33% (1986)
- Languages:
- English (official), Maori
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
- total population:
- 99%
- Labor force:
- 1,603,500 (June 1991)
- by occupation:
- services 66.6%, industry 22.6%, agriculture 10.8% (1992)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- New Zealand
- Government
-
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- New Zealand
- Abbreviation:
- NZ
- Digraph:
- NZ
- Type:
- parliamentary democracy
- Capital:
- Wellington
- Administrative divisions:
- 93 counties, 9 districts*, and 3 town districts**; Akaroa, Amuri, Ashburton,
- Bay of Islands, Bruce, Buller, Chatham Islands, Cheviot, Clifton, Clutha,
- Cook, Dannevirke, Egmont, Eketahuna, Ellesmere, Eltham, Eyre, Featherston,
- Franklin, Golden Bay, Great Barrier Island, Grey, Hauraki Plains, Hawera*,
- Hawke's Bay, Heathcote, Hikurangi**, Hobson, Hokianga, Horowhenua, Hurunui,
- Hutt, Inangahua, Inglewood, Kaikoura, Kairanga, Kiwitea, Lake, Mackenzie,
- Malvern, Manaia**, Manawatu, Mangonui, Maniototo, Marlborough, Masterton,
- Matamata, Mount Herbert, Ohinemuri, Opotiki, Oroua, Otamatea, Otorohanga*,
- Oxford, Pahiatua, Paparua, Patea, Piako, Pohangina, Raglan, Rangiora*,
- Rangitikei, Rodney, Rotorua*, Runanga, Saint Kilda, Silverpeaks, Southland,
- Stewart Island, Stratford, Strathallan, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupo,
- Tauranga, Thames-Coromandel*, Tuapeka, Vincent, Waiapu, Waiheke, Waihemo,
- Waikato, Waikohu, Waimairi, Waimarino, Waimate, Waimate West, Waimea, Waipa,
- Waipawa*, Waipukurau*, Wairarapa South, Wairewa, Wairoa, Waitaki, Waitomo*,
- Waitotara, Wallace, Wanganui, Waverley**, Westland, Whakatane*, Whangarei,
- Whangaroa, Woodville
- note:
- there may be a new administrative structure of 16 regions (Auckland, Bay of
- Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland,
- Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wanganui-Manawatu, Wellington,
- West Coast) that are subdivided into 57 districts and 16 cities* (Ashburton,
- Auckland*, Banks Peninsula, Buller, Carterton, Central Hawke's Bay, Central
- Otago, Christchurch*, Clutha, Dunedin*, Far North, Franklin, Gisborne, Gore,
- Grey, Hamilton*, Hastings, Hauraki, Horowhenua, Hurunui, Hutt*,
- Invercargill*, Kaikoura, Kaipara, Kapiti Coast, Kawerau, Mackenzie,
- Manawatu, Manukau*, Marlborough, Masterton, Matamata Piako, Napier*,
- Nelson*, New Plymouth, North Shore*, Opotiki, Otorohanga, Palmerston North*,
- Papakura*, Porirua*, Queenstown Lakes, Rangitikei, Rodney, Rotorua, Ruapehu,
- Selwyn, Southland, South Taranaki, South Waikato, South Wairarapa,
- Stratford, Tararua, Tasman, Taupo, Tauranga, Thames Coromandel, Timaru,
- Upper Hutt*, Waikato, Waimakariri, Waimate, Waipa, Wairoa, Waitakere*,
- Waitaki, Waitomo, Wanganui, Wellington*, Western Bay of Plenty, Westland,
- Whakatane, Whangarei)
- Dependent areas:
- Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
- Independence:
- 26 September 1907 (from UK)
- National holiday:
- Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangi established British
- sovereignty)
- Constitution:
- no formal, written constitution; consists of various documents, including
- certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments; Constitution Act 1986
- was to have come into force 1 January 1987, but has not been enacted
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- New Zealand
- Government
- Legal system:
- based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for
- Maoris; 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
- Dame Catherine TIZARD (since 12 December 1990)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister James BOLGER (since 29 October 1990); Deputy Prime Minister
- Donald McKINNON (since 2 November 1990)
- cabinet:
- Executive Council; appointed by the governor general on recommendation of
- the prime minister
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- House of Representatives:
- (commonly called Parliament) elections last held 6 November 1993 (next to
- be held NA November 1996); results - NP 35.2%, NZLP 34.7%, Alliance 18.3%,
- New Zealand First 8.3%; seats - (99 total) NP 50, NZLP 45, Alliance 2, New
- Zealand First Party 2
- Judicial branch:
- High Court, Court of Appeal
- Political parties and leaders:
- National Party (NP, government), James BOLGER; New Zealand Labor Party
- (NZLP, opposition), Helen CLARK; Alliance, Sandra LEE; Democratic Party,
- Dick RYAN; New Zealand Liberal Party, Hanmish MACINTYRE and Gilbert MYLES;
- Green Party, no official leader; Mana Motuhake, Martin RATA; Socialist Unity
- Party (SUP, pro-Soviet), Kenneth DOUGLAS; New Zealand First, Winston PETERS
- note:
- the New Labor, Democratic, and Mana Motuhake parties formed a coalition
- called the Alliance Party, Sandra LEE, president, in September 1991; the
- Green Party joined the coalition in May 1992
- Member of:
- ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC,
- AsDB, Australia Group, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
- ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
- INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), OECD, PCA,
- SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR,
- UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Lionel John WOOD
- chancery:
- 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 328-4800
- consulate(s) general:
- Apia (Western Samoa), Los Angeles
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Josiah Horton BEEMAN
- embassy:
- 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, FPO AP 96531-1001
- telephone:
- [64] (4) 472-2068
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- New Zealand
- Government
- FAX:
- [64] (4) 472-3537
- consulate(s) general:
- Auckland
- Flag:
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- New Zealand
- Economy
-
-
- Overview:
- Since 1984 the government has been reorienting an agrarian economy dependent
- on a guaranteed British market to a more industrialized, open free market
- economy that can compete on the global scene. The government has hoped that
- dynamic growth would boost real incomes, broaden and deepen the
- technological capabilities of the industrial sector, reduce inflationary
- pressures, and permit the expansion of welfare benefits. The initial results
- were mixed: inflation is down from double-digit levels, but growth was
- sluggish in 1988-91. In 1992-93, growth picked up to 3% annually, a sign
- that the new economic approach was beginning to pay off. Business confidence
- strengthened in 1994, and export demand picked up in the Asia-Pacific
- region, resulting in 6.2% growth. Inflation remains among the lowest in the
- industrial world.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power parity - $56.4 billion (1994 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 6.2% (1994)
- National product per capita:
- $16,640 (1994 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 1.6% (FY93/94)
- Unemployment rate:
- 7.5% (December 1994)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $18.94 billion
- expenditures:
- $18.82 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95)
- note:
- surplus $120 million (FY94/95)
- Exports:
- $11.2 billion (1994)
- commodities:
- wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fish, cheese, chemicals, forestry products, fruits
- and vegetables, manufactures
- partners:
- Australia 20%, Japan 15%, US 12%, UK 6%
- Imports:
- $10.4 billion (1994)
- commodities:
- machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, consumer goods
- partners:
- Australia 21%, US 18%, Japan 16%, UK 6%
- External debt:
- $38.5 billion (September 1994)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 1.9% (1990); accounts for about 20% of GDP
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 7,520,000 kW
- production:
- 30.5 billion kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 8,401 kWh (1993)
- Industries:
- food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery,
- transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- New Zealand
- Economy
- Agriculture:
- accounts for about 9% of GDP and about 11% of the work force; livestock
- predominates - wool, meat, dairy products all export earners; crops - wheat,
- barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; surplus producer of farm
- products; fish catch reached a record 503,000 metric tons in 1988
- Economic aid:
- donor:
- ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $526 million
- Currency:
- 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
- Exchange rates:
- New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.5601 (January 1995), 1.6844 (1994),
- 1.8495 (1993), 1.8584 (1992), 1.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990)
- Fiscal year:
- 1 July - 30 June
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- New Zealand
- Transportation
-
-
- Railroads:
- total:
- 4,716 km
- narrow gauge:
- 4,716 km 1.067-m gauge (113 km electrified; 274 km double track)
- Highways:
- total:
- 92,648 km
- paved:
- 49,547 km
- unpaved:
- gravel, crushed stone 43,101 km
- Inland waterways:
- 1,609 km; of little importance to transportation
- Pipelines:
- petroleum products 160 km; natural gas 1,000 km; condensate (liquified
- petroleum gas - LPG) 150 km
- Ports:
- Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga, Wellington
- Merchant marine:
- total:
- 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 165,504 GRT/218,699 DWT
- ships by type:
- bulk 6, cargo 2, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 3, railcar carrier 1,
- roll-on/roll-off cargo 5
- Airports:
- total:
- 102
- with paved runways over 3,047 m:
- 2
- with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:
- 8
- with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
- 28
- with paved runways under 914 m:
- 41
- with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m:
- 2
- with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
- 21
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- New Zealand
- Communications
-
-
- Telephone system:
- 2,110,000 telephones; excellent international and domestic systems
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- NA
- international:
- submarine cables extend to Australia and Fiji; 2 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean)
- earth stations
- Radio:
- broadcast stations:
- AM 64, FM 2, shortwave 0
- radios:
- NA
- Television:
- broadcast stations:
- 14
- televisions:
- NA
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- New Zealand
- Defense Forces
-
-
- Branches:
- New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 883,668; males fit for military service 742,871; males reach
- military age (20) annually 27,162 (1995 est.)
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $792 million, 2% of GDP (FY90/91)
-