New Zealand

[Country map of New Zealand]

Map ©1996 NGS Cartographic Division. Developed in association with GeoSystems Global Corp. World Map

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 AntipodesIslands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 15,134 km

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.)


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)


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 wasto have come into force 1 January 1987, but has not been enacted

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


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 weremixed: 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 growthrate: 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

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

Currency: 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June


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


Flag by Dream Maker Software, Inc.
Information obtained from CIA, The World Factbook 1995