New Zealand

parliamentary democracyIndependence 26 September 1907 (from UK)

New Zealand as the 2003 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 125 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalWellington

Position41 00 S, 174 00 E

Area268,680 sq km

LocationOceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

Populationas each edition published it

3.95 million July 2003 est. · 3.3m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.09% 2003 est. · 0.61% in 1993

Median ageyears

33.1 years 2002 · 38.1 yrs in 2025

Life expectancyyears at birth

78.32 years 2003 est. · 76.11 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.79 children per woman 2003 est. · 2 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

6.07 deaths per 1,000 live births 2003 est. · 10 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$20,100 2002 est. · $14,900 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

3.3% 2002 est. · 3% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

18 fields

Land useshare of 268,680 sq km

arable land 5.8%permanent crops 6.44%other 87.76% (1998 est.)irrigated 2,850 sq km (1998 est.)

Area

268,680sq km

note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islandswater: NA sq kmland: NA sq kmabout the size of Colorado

Coastline

15,134km

land boundaries: 0 kmcontinental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental marginterritorial sea: 12 NMexclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Location

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

Geographic coordinates

41 00 S, 174 00 E

Map references

Oceania

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

Natural hazards

earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity

Environment - current issues

deforestation;
soil erosion;
native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside

Environment - international agreements

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

Geography - note

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

People

19 fields

Population

3,951,307

(July 2003 est.)growth rate: 1.09% (2003 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2003 est.)

Birth

14.14Death

7.54Net migration

4.26

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2003 est.)78.32

75.34 · 81.44Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)6.07

6.96 · 5.14

TotalMale · femaleMedian age years (2002)33.1

32.4 · 33.9

MaleFemale

Ethnic groups

New Zealand European 74.5%Maori 9.7%other European 4.6%Pacific Islander 3.8%Asian and others 7.4%

Religions(1986)

Anglican 24%Presbyterian 18%Roman Catholic 15%Methodist 5%Baptist 2%other Protestant 3%unspecified or none 33% (1986)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1%

(2001 est.)

Age structure

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.)

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:: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1,200 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality

noun:: New Zealander(s)
adjective:: New Zealand

Languages

English (official), Maori (official)

Literacy

definition:: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:: 99% (1980 est.)
male:: NA%
female:: NA%

Government

Parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Silvia CARTWRIGHT (since 4 April 2001); Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since NA July 2002)

19 fields

House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament, 120 seats, elected 27 July 2002one dot, one seat

NZLP 52NP 27NZFP 13ACT New Zealand 9Green Party 9UF 8other 2

Country name

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Capital

Wellington

Administrative divisions

16 regions; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Manawatu-Wanganui, 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 and The Constitution Act 1986 which is the principal formal charter

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 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

Judicial branch

High Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

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

Economy

42 fields

Real growth rate

3.3%

(2002 est.)industrial production growth: 3% (2001 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

2.7%

(2002 est.)

Unemployment rate

5.3%

(2002 est.)

Labor force

1.92million

(2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2001)

agriculture 8%industry 23%services 69% (2001)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

20.3%

Australia

22.1%

15.5%

13.6%

11.5%

Japan

12%

4.6%

China

Germany

5.2%

4.8%

4.4%

South Korea

Exports $15 billion (2002 est.)Imports $12.5 billion (2001 est.)(2002)

Budget

Revenues

$29.2 billionExpenditures

$31.2 billion (2002)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

fossil fuel 31.6%hydro 57.8%other 10.7% (2001)nuclear 0%

Electricity production

37.51 billion (2001)Electricity consumption

34.88 billion (2001)

Economy - overview

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.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $78.4 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $20,100 (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force - by occupation

services 65%, industry 25%, agriculture 10% (1995)

Industries

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

Oil - production

42,160 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

132,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

30,220 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

119,700 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves

89.62 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production

6.504 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

6.504 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

58.94 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products

wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables;
wool, beef, dairy products;
fish

Exports

$15 billion (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery

Imports

$12.5 billion (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics

Debt - external

$33 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $99.7 million

Currency

New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Currency code

NZD

Exchange rates

New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 2.16 (2002), 2.38 (2001), 2.2 (2000), 1.89 (1999), 1.87 (1998)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

2.2 million

(2000)

Internet users

(2000)

Fixed lines

1.92 million

(2000) · country code .nz

Telephone system

general assessment:: excellent domestic and international systems
domestic:: NA
international:: submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

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 users

2.06 million (2002)

Transportation

10 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

Paved 46Unpaved 67

Networkskm

Highways

92,053Railways

3,898Waterways

1,609

Highways: paved: 57,809 km (including at least 190 km of expressways) · unpaved: 34,244 km (2000) · Railways: narrow gauge: 3,898 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2002) · Waterways: note: of little importance in satisfying total transportation requirements