New Zealand

mean elevation:

388 m

elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point:

Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m

agricultural land:

43.2%;

• arable land 1.8%;
• permanent crops 0.3%;
• permanent pasture 41.1%

forest:

31.4%

other:

25.4% (2011 est.)

• deforestation;
• soil erosion;
• native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species

noun:

New Zealander(s)

adjective:

New Zealand

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.86 male(s)/female

total population:

0.99 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

New Zealand

abbreviation:

NZ

etymology:

• Dutch explorer Abel TASMAN was the first European to reach New Zealand in 1642;
• he named it Staten Landt, but Dutch cartographers renamed it Nova Zeelandia in 1645 after the Dutch province of Zeeland;
• British explorer Captain James COOK subsequently anglicized the name to New Zealand when he mapped the islands in 1769

name:

Wellington

geographic coordinates:

41 18 S, 174 47 E

time difference:

UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April

note: New Zealand has two time zones - New Zealand standard time (12 hours in advance of UTC), and Chatham Islands time (45 minutes in advance of New Zealand standard time)

• 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)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of New Zealand

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

3 years

chief of state:

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Patricia Lee REDDY (since 28 September 2016)

head of government:

Prime Minister John KEY (since 19 November 2008); Deputy Prime Minister Simon William ENGLISH (since 19 November 2008)

cabinet:

Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister

elections/appointments:

• the monarchy is hereditary;
• governor general appointed by the monarch;
• following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general;
• deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general

description:

unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (usually 120 seats; 70 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies, including 7 Maori constituencies, by simple majority vote and 50 directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 3-year terms)

elections:

last held on 20 September 2014 (next to be held by September 2017)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - National Party 47%, Labor Party 25.1%, Green Party 10.7%, NZ First 8.7%, Maori 1.3%, ACT Party .7%, United Future .2%, other 6.3%;
• seats by party - National Party 60, Labor Party 32, Green Party 14, NZ First 11, Maori 2, ACT Party 1, United Future 1

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court (consists of 5 justices including the chief justice);
• note - the Supreme Court in 2004 replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London as the final appeals court

judge selection and term of office:

justices appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the attorney-general; justices appointed for life

subordinate courts:

• Court of Appeal;
• High Court;
• tribunals and authorities;
• district courts;
• specialized courts for issues related to employment, environment, Maori lands, and military

• ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE]
• Green Party [Russel NORMAN and Metiria TUREI]
• Jim Anderton's Progressive Party [James (Jim) ANDERTON]
• Mana Party [Hone HARAWIRA]
• Maori Party [Tariana TURIA and Dr. Pita SHARPLES]
• New Zealand First Party or NZ First [Winston PETERS]
• New Zealand Labor Party [Phil GOFF]
• New Zealand National Party [John KEY]
• United Future New Zealand [Peter DUNNE]

ADB, ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF, SICA (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission:

Ambassador Timothy John GROSER (since 28 January 2016)

chancery:

37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 328-4800

FAX:

[1] (202) 667-5227[1] (202) 667-5227

consulate(s) general:

Honolulu (HI), Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Mark GILBERT (since 9 February 2015) note - also accredited to Samoa

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

• 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

agriculture:

7%

industry:

19%

services:

74% (2006 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

general assessment:

excellent domestic and international systems

domestic:

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 160 per 100 persons

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) (2015)

• state-owned Television New Zealand operates multiple TV networks and state-owned Radio New Zealand operates 3 radio networks and an external shortwave radio service to the South Pacific region;
• a small number of national commercial TV and radio stations and many regional commercial television and radio stations are available;
• cable and satellite TV systems are available (2008)

number of registered air carriers:

6; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 123

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

15,304,409

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

999,384,961 mt-km (2015)

• condensate 331 km;
• gas 1,936 km;
• liquid petroleum gas 172 km;
• oil 288 km;
• refined products 198 km (2013)

total:

4,128 km

narrow gauge:

4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (503 km electrified) (2014)

country comparison to the world: 42

total:

94,902 km

paved:

62,759 km (includes 199 km of expressways)

unpaved:

32,143 km (2012)

country comparison to the world: 50

total:

15

by type:

bulk carrier 3, cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, container 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 2

foreign-owned:

7 (Germany 2, Hong Kong 1, South Africa 1, Switzerland 2, UK 1)

registered in other countries:

5 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Cook Islands 2, Samoa 1) (2010)

country comparison to the world: 101

• 17 years of age for voluntary military service;
• soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18;
• no conscription;
• 3 years of secondary education required;
• must be a citizen of NZ, the UK, Australia, Canada, or the US, and resident of NZ for the previous 5 years (2013)