New Zealand

Background of New Zealand

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. 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

• Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

• Geographic coordinates: 41 00 S, 174 00 E

• Map references: Oceania
• Area:

total: 267,710 sq km

country comparison to the world: 76

land: 267,710 sq km

water: NA

note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

• Area - comparative:

Area comparison map:

Land boundaries: 0 km

• Coastline:

15,134 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

• Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts
• Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
• Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m

• Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone

• Land use:

arable land: 1.76%

permanent crops: 0.27%

other: 97.98% (2011)

• Irrigated land:

6,193 sq km (2007)

• Total renewable water resources:

327 cu km (2011)

• Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 4.75 cu km/yr (23%/5%/72%)

per capita: 1,200 cu m/yr (2010)

• Natural hazards: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity
• volcanism: significant volcanism on North Island; Ruapehu (elev. 2,797 m), which last erupted in 2007, has a history of large eruptions in the past century; Taranaki has the potential to produce dangerous avalanches and lahars; other historically active volcanoes include Okataina, Raoul Island, Tongariro, and White Island

• Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species

• Environment - international agreements:

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: almost 90% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world

People of New Zealand

• Nationality:

noun: New Zealander(s)

adjective: New Zealand

• Ethnic groups:

European 71.2%, Maori 14.1%, Asian 11.3%, Pacific peoples 7.6%, Middle Eastern, Latin American, African 1.1%, other 1.6%, not stated or unidentified 5.4%

note: based on the 2013 census of the usually resident population; percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic group (2013 est.)

• Languages: English (de facto official) 89.8%, Maori (de jure official) 3.5%, Samoan 2%, Hindi 1.6%, French 1.2%, Northern Chinese 1.2%, Yue 1%, Other or not stated 20.5%, New Zealand Sign Language (de jure official)

note: shares sum to 120.8% due to multiple responses on census (2013 est.)

• Religions: Christian 44.3% (Catholic 11.6%, Anglican 10.8%, Presbyterian and Congregational 7.8%, Methodist, 2.4%, Pentecostal 1.8%, other 9.9%), Hindu 2.1%, Buddhist 1.4%, Maori Christian 1.3%, Islam 1.1%, other religion 1.4% (includes Judaism, Spiritualism and New Age religions, Baha'i, Asian religions other than Buddhism), no religion 38.5%, not stated or unidentified 8.2%, objected to answering 4.1%

note: based on the 2013 census of the usually resident population; percentages add up to more than 100% because people were able to identify more than one religion (2013 est.)

• Population: 4,401,916 (July 2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 127

• Age structure:

0-14 years: 20% (male 450,985/female 429,184)

15-24 years: 13.9% (male 313,711/female 298,427)

25-54 years: 40.4% (male 890,678/female 888,565)

55-64 years: 11.4% (male 245,084/female 255,879)

65 years and over: 14% (male 290,429/female 338,974) (2014 est.)

• population pyramid:

Dependency ratios:

total dependency ratio: 52.5 %

youth dependency ratio

30.7 %

elderly dependency ratio: 21.8 %

potential support ratio: 4.6 (2014 est.)

• Median age:

total: 37.6 years

male: 36.7 years

female: 38.4 years (2014 est.)

• Population growth rate:

0.83% (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 132

• Birth rate:

13.4 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 151

• Death rate: 7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 123

• Net migration rate:

2.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)l

country comparison to the world: 45

• Urbanization:

urban population: 86.2% of total population (2011)

rate of urbanization: 1.09% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

• Major urban areas - population:

Auckland 1.452 million; WELLINGTON (capital) 410,000 (2011)

• Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

• Mother's mean age at first birth: 27.8

note: median age at first birth (2009 est.)

• Maternal mortality rate: 15 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

country comparison to the world: 144

Infant mortality rate:

total: 4.59 deaths/1,000 live births

• country comparison to the world: 184

male: 5.14 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 4.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

• Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 80.93 years

• country comparison to the world: 26

male: 78.88 years

female: 83.08 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.05 children born/woman (2014 est.)

• country comparison to the world: 119

Health expenditures: 10.1% of GDP (2011)

country comparison to the world: 24

• Physicians density: 2.74 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 2.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)

• Drinking water source:

improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2012 est.)

• HIV/AIDS -

adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 163

• HIV/AIDS -

people living with HIV/AIDS:

2,500 (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 137

• HIV/AIDS -

deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 138

• Obesity -

adult prevalence rate:

28.3% (2008)

• country comparison to the world: 34

• Education expenditures:

7.4% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 16

• Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99%

male: 99%

female: 99% (2003 est.)

• School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 19 years

male: 19 years

female: 20 years (2011)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:

total: 17.7%

• country comparison to the world: 69

male: 17.3%

female: 18.1% (2012)

Government of New Zealand

• conventional long form: none
• conventional short form: New Zealand
• abbreviation: NZ
• Government type:

• parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

• Capital:

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)

• 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

• Dependent areas: Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
• Independence: 26 September 1907 (from the UK)
• National holiday: 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)
• Constitution: Constitution Act 1986 (the principal formal charter) adopted and effective 1 January 1987; amended 1999, 2005 (2013)
• Legal system: common law system, based on English model, with special legislation and land courts for the Maori
• International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

• Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Lt. Gen. Sir Jerry MATEPARAE (since 31 August 2011)

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

(For more information visit the World Leaders website Opens in New Window)

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

• Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (usually 120 seats; 70 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, 50 proportional seats chosen from party lists; serve three-year terms)

elections: last held on 26 November 2011 (next to be held not later than November 2014)

election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 48%, Labor Party 27.1%, Green Party 10.6%, NZ First 6.8%, Maori 1.4%, ACT Party 1.1%, Mana 1%, United Future 0.6%, other 3.43%; seats by party - National Party 60, Labor Party 34, Green Party 13, NZ First 8, Maori 3, ACT Party 1, Mana 1, United Future 1

note: results of 2011 election saw the total number of seats decline to 121

• Judicial branch:

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

• Political parties and leaders:

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

• Political pressure groups and leaders: Women's Electoral Lobby or WEL

other: apartheid groups; civil rights groups; farmers groups; Maori; nuclear weapons groups; women's rights groups

• International organization participation:

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), 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, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

• Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Kenneth MOORE (since 5 August 2010)

chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800

FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227

consulate(s) general: New York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), Santa Monica (CA)

• Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Marie C. DAMOUR 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

• National anthem:click on the link
  

name: "God Defend New Zealand"

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/anthems/NZ.mp3

• Lyrics/music: Thomas BRACKEN [English], [[Thomas Henry SMITH [Maori]]]/John Joseph WOODS

note: adopted 1940 as national song, adopted 1977 as co-national anthem; New Zealand has two national anthems with equal status; as a commonwealth realm, in addition to "God Defend New Zealand," "God Save the Queen" serves as a national anthem (see United Kingdom); "God Save the Queen" normally is played only when a member of the royal family or the governor-general is present; in all other cases, "God Defend New Zealand" is played

Disclaimer

This is not the official site of this country. Most of the information in this site were taken from the U.S. Department of State, The Central Intelligence Agency, The United Nations, [1],[2], [3], [4], [5],[6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14],[15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24],[25], [26], [27], [28], [29], [30],[31], [32], [33], [34], and the [35].

Other sources of information will be mentioned as they are posted.