World Facts Index > New Zealand > Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington
 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 of New Zealand
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Location:
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Oceania, islands in the
South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia |
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Coordinates:
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41 00 S, 174 00 E |
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Area:
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total: 268,680 sq km
note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty
Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
water: NA sq km
land: NA sq km |
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Area comparative:
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about the size of Colorado |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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15,134 km |
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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf:
200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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temperate with sharp
regional contrasts |
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Terrain:
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predominately mountainous
with some large coastal plains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Cook 3,764 m |
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Natural resources:
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natural gas, iron ore,
sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone |
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes are common,
though usually not severe; volcanic activity |
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Environment current issues:
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deforestation; soil
erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from
outside |
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Geography - note:
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about 80% of the population
lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the
world
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Population of New Zealand
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Population:
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4,173,460 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 21.1% (male 439,752/female 419,174)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,374,850/female 1,361,570)
65 years and over: 11.8% (male 210,365/female 270,429) |
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Median age:
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33.9 years |
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Growth rate:
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0.99% |
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Infant mortality:
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5.76 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 78.81 years
male: 75.82 years
female: 81.93 years |
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Fertility rate:
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1.79 children born/woman |
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Nationality:
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noun: New Zealander(s)
adjective: New Zealand |
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Ethnic groups:
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European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander
4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% |
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Religions:
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Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%,
Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%,
unspecified 17.2%, none 26% |
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Languages:
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English (official), Maori (official) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 99%
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Government
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Country name:
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conventional short form: New Zealand
abbreviation: NZ |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Wellington |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Dependent areas:
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Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau |
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Independence:
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26 September 1907 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi
established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) |
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Constitution:
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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 |
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Legal system:
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based on English law, with special land
legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
February 1952); represented by Governor General Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August
2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999); Deputy
Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since July 2002)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: 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. |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called
Parliament (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies
including seven Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists,
all to serve three-year terms) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note - Judges
appointed by the Governor-General |
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Political parties and leaders:
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ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE]; Green Party [Jeanette
FITZSIMONS]; Maori Party [Whatarangi WINIATA]; National Party or NP [Don BRASH]; New
Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Helen
CLARK]; Progressive Party [James (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE] |
Economy
Over the past 20 years the government has transformed 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 - and broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the
industrial sector. Per capita income has risen for eight consecutive years and
reached $27,300 in 2007 in purchasing power parity terms. Consumer and
government spending have driven growth in recent years, and exports picked up
in 2006 after struggling for several years. Exports were equal to about 22% of
GDP in 2007, down from 33% of GDP in 2001. Thus far the economy has been
resilient, and the Labor Government promises that expenditures on health,
education, and pensions will increase proportionately to output. Inflationary
pressures have built in recent years and the central bank raised its key rate
13 times since January 2004 to finish 2007 at 8.25%. A large balance of
payments deficit poses another challenge in managing the economy.
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GDP:
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$112.4 billion (2007 est.) |
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GDP growth rate:
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2.2% |
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GDP per capita:
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$27,200 |
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GDP composition by sector:
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agriculture: 4.3%
industry: 27.3%
services: 68.4% |
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Inflation rate:
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3% |
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Labor force:
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2.13 million |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services 65%, industry 25%, agriculture 10% |
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Unemployment:
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3.7% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $43.1 billion
expenditures: $37.57 billion |
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Electricity production by source:
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fossil fuel: 31.6%
hydro: 57.8%
other: 10.7%
nuclear: 0% |
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Industries:
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food processing, wood and paper products,
textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining |
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Agriculture:
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wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits,
vegetables; wool, beef, dairy products; fish |
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Exports:
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dairy products, meat, wood and wood
products, fish, machinery |
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Export partners:
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Australia 19.7%, US 14.3%, Japan 9.6%, China 5.6%, UK
4.7%, South Korea 4.1% |
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Imports:
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machinery and equipment, vehicles and
aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics |
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Import partners:
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Australia 26.3%, US 11.3%, Japan 10.5%, China 5.8%,
Singapore 5% |
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Currency:
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New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |