| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Oceania |
| Geographical Location |
41° 00' South Latitude
174° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
268,680 sq km |
| Climate |
Temperate with sharp regional contrasts |
| Natural Resources |
Natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone |
|
| Political Information |
 |
|
| Country Name |
New Zealand |
| Capital City |
Wellington |
| Government Type |
Parliamentary democracy |
| 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 |
| Independence Day |
26 September 1907 (from UK) |
|
| Demographical Information |
|
|
| Population |
4,035,461 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
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) |
| Religion |
Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentacostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 census) |
| Languages |
English (official), Maori (official) |
| Population Growth Rate |
1.02% (2005 est.) |
|
| Economical Information |
|
|
| Currency |
New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
| Industries |
Food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining |
| Labor Force |
2.05 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 10%, industry 25%, services 65% (1995) |
| Agriculture Products |
Wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, lamb and mutton, dairy products; fish |
| Export Commodities |
Dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery |
| Export Partners |
Australia 19.6%, US 14.3%, Japan 11.4%, China 6.3%, UK 5.1% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics |
| Import Partners |
Australia 28.6%, Japan 10.7%, US 10%, China 6.6%, Germany 4.2%, Singapore 4.1% (2004) |
|
| Transportation |
|
|
| Railways |
3,898 km |
| Highways |
92,382 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 2,213 km; liquid petroleum gas 79 km; oil 160 km; refined products 304 km (2004) |
| Airports |
116 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga, Wellington |
|
| Communication |
|
|
| Phone Code |
+64 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.nz |
|
| Other |
|
|
| Short History |
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. |
|
