New Zealand

§1. New Zealand Introduction

Background:
  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.

§2. New Zealand Geography

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 km²
  land: 268,021 km²
  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
  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

Land use:
  arable land: 5.54%
  permanent crops: 6.92%
  other: 87.54% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  2,850 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive
  species

Environment - international agreements:
  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

Geography - note:
  about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost
  national capital in the world

§3. New Zealand People

Population:
  4,076,140 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 21.1% (male 439,752/female 419,174)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,374,850/female 1,361,570)
  65 years and over: 11.8% (male 210,365/female 270,429) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 33.9 years
  male: 33.2 years
  female: 34.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.99% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  13.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  3.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  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 (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 5.76 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.59 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.81 years
  male: 75.82 years
  female: 81.93 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.79 children born/woman (2006 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)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (2003 est.)

§4. New Zealand Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: New Zealand
  abbreviation: NZ

Government type:
  parliamentary democracy

Capital:
  Wellington

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)

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 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

Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120
  seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies
  including seven Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from
  party lists, all 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
    5.72%, Green Party 5.3%, Maori 2.12%, UF 2.67%, ACT New Zealand 1.51%,
    Progressive 1.16%; 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 [Don BRASH]; 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC,
  ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS,
  EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
  IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest),
  NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
  UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador L. John WOOD
  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

§5. New Zealand Economy

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), broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the
  industrial sector, and contained inflationary pressures. Per capita income
  has risen for six consecutive years and was more than $24,000 in 2005 in
  purchasing power parity terms. New Zealand is heavily dependent on trade -
  particularly in agricultural products - to drive growth. Exports are equal
  to about 22% of GDP. Thus far the economy has been resilient, and the Labor
  Government promises that expenditures on health, education, and pensions
  will increase proportionately to output.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $97.59 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $97.53 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  2.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $24,200 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 4.7%
  industry: 27.8%
  services: 67.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  2.13 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 10%, industry 25%, services 65% (1995)

Unemployment rate:
  4% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 0.3%
  highest 10%: 29.8% (1991 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  36.2 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  23.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $43.1 billion
  expenditures: $37.57 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  21.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, lamb and
  mutton, dairy products; fish

Industries:
  food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery,
  transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining

Industrial production growth rate:
  0.8% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  39.82 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  37.03 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  31,740 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  151,900 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  30,220 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
  119,700 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
  89.62 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  4.773 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  4.773 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  37.38 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-8.137 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $22.21 billion (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery

Exports - partners:
  Australia 20.9%, US 14.4%, Japan 11.2%, China 5.7%, UK 4.7% (2004)

Imports:
  $24.57 billion (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics,
  textiles, plastics

Imports - partners:
  Australia 22.4%, US 11.3%, Japan 11.2%, China 9.7%, Germany 5.2% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $5.498 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $57.67 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
  ODA, $99.7 million

Currency (code):
  New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Exchange rates:
  New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221
  (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

§6. New Zealand Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  1,800,500 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  3.027 million (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international systems
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 64; submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; 8
    satellite earth stations - 1 InMarSat (Pacific Ocean), 7 other

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Internet country code:
  .nz

Internet hosts:
  751,719 (2005)

Internet users:
  3.2 million (2005)

§7. New Zealand Transportation

Airports:
  117 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  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 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 71
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 30
  under 914 m: 39 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 2,213 km; liquid petroleum gas 79 km; oil 160 km; refined products 304
  km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 3,898 km
  narrow gauge: 3,898 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 92,662 km
  paved: 59,109 km (including 169 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 33,553 km (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 125,916 GRT/121,394 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 2, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2,
    roll on/roll off 2
  foreign-owned: 4 (Australia 2, Germany 1, Isle of Man 1)
  registered in other countries: 6 (The Bahamas 1, Marshall Islands 1, Panama
    1, UK 1, Vanuatu 2) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Auckland, Lyttelton, Tauranga, Wellington, Whangarei

§8. New Zealand Military

Military branches:
  New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force

Military service age and obligation:
  17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed
  until the age of 18 (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 17-49: 984,700 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 17-49: 809,519 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 29,738 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $1.147 billion (FY03/04)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1% (FY02)

§9. New Zealand Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) [see
  Antarctica]


<Factbook 2006>
