|RConstitution:|N Independent country within the Commonwealth of Nations, recognizing the British sovereign as head of state.
|RNational holiday:|N Waitangi Day, February 6.
|RNature and climate:|N Two main islands and a number of smaller islands.
The two main islands are mountainous. Highest peak on South Island is Mount Cook reaching 3764 m.a.s.l. and on North Island Ruapehu, reaching 2797 m.a.s.l.
South Island is dominated by the South Alps, a mountainchain with many glaciers in north-south direction. East of this chain are vast plains.
The North Island have many volcanoes of which some have had eruptions in modern times. Earthquakes also appears. In the centre of the island is an area with hot lakes and geysers.
The natural forests of beeches, pine trees, cedars, cypresses and palms was devastated by the Europeans. New forests of European trees have been planted, but most area is pasture and fields.
There are very few mammals, but many species of birds of which many are endemic.
New Zealand have a warmtempered maritim climate with an average temperature between 14 and 18°C in January and between 5 and 11°C in July. In the mountains though, below 0°C in July.
North Island have a percipitation between 1000 and 2000 mm and on the west side of South Island between 2000 and 5000 mm while the eastern part of South Island have between 500 and 1000 mm.
|RPeople:|N 88% European, 9% Maori (Polynesian) and 3% Melanesian.
|REconomy:|N 11% of the labour force is occupied in agriculture and mining, 41% in industry and trade and 47% in services and government.
The economy is strongly dependent on world market prices on meat, diaries and wool as New Zealand is the world's biggest exporter of lambs-meat and butter and wool and the second biggest exporter of wool.
Stockraizing is evidently very important.
The most important crops are grain, fruits and vegetables.
Forestry is also very important. More than 20% of the total area is forested and timber is processed to paper, paper pulp and a number of wood products.
New Zealand also have many minerals such as oil, gas, iron, coal, sand and phosphates all of which is processed within the country.
Most important industry are food processing, textiles, machinery, fish and forest products.
|RHistory:|N The first known inhabitants on the islands of New Zealand were Maori migrants from Polynesia.
The Dutch Abel Tasman was the first European to visit New Zealand in 1642 and James Cook surveyed the coasts 1969 to 1770.
During the 19th century it became a refuge for whalers and sealhunters and in 1840 the British sovereignty was recognized and the islands became a Crown colony.
There were heavy fighting between the Maoris and the British 1845 to 1847 and between 1860 and 1870 but after that came a time of increased European settlements and economic growth.
In the 1880:s New Zealand got a parlamentarian government. This government is remarkable for being one of the first to create a welfare state that regulates labour practice, old-age pensions, public-sector medical care and other social services. Also most mines, forests, power plants and transportation facilities are publicly owned.
In 1907 New Zealand became an independent dominion within the Commonwealth.
The Maori people that since 1870 have separate areas to live in, have four members of parliament.
Several Pacific dependencies are administrated by New Zealand.
