Statistical information New Zealand 1992

New Zealand in the World
top of pageBackground: The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand withdrew from a number of defense alliances during the 1970s and 1980s. In recent years the government has sought to address longstanding native Maori grievances.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaTotal: 268,680 km²
Land:268,670 km²; includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands,
Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Comparative: about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 15,134 km
Maritime claimsContinental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
ElevationNatural 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%; includes irrigated 1%
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 3,347,369 (July 1992), growth rate 0.7% (1992)
Nationality: noun - New Zealander(s; adjective - New Zealand
Ethnic groups: European 88%, Maori 8.9%, Pacific Islander 2.9%, other 0.2%
Languages: English (official), Maori
Religions: Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 9% (1986)
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 16 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 80 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: none; abbreviated NZ
Government 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
Dependent areas:
(3) Cook Islands,
Niue,
TokelauIndependence: 26 September 1907 (from UK)
National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
Constitution:
no formal, written constitution; consists of various documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments;
Constitution Act 1986 was to 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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 18
House of Representatives:last held on 27 October 1990 (next to be held
October 1993); results - NP 49%, NZLP 35%, Green Party 7%, NLP 5%; seats - (97 total) NP 67, NZLP 29, NLP 1
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Representatives (commonly called
Parliament)
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, C, CCC, CP, COCOM, (cooperating country), EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, LORCS, MTCR, OECD, PCA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG,
UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:Ambassador - Denis Bazely Gordon McLEAN;
Chancery at 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20,008; telephone (202) 328-4,800; there are New Zealand Consulates General in Los Angeles and New
York
US:Ambassador Della M. NEWMAN; Embassy at 29 Fitzherbert Terrace,
Thorndon, Wellington (mailing address is P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, FPO AP 96,531-1001); telephone 64 (4) 722-068; FAX 64 (4) 723-537; there is a US Consulate General in Auckland
Diplomatic representationFlag description
: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overviewSince 1984 the government has been reorienting an agrarian economy dependent on a guaranteed British market to an open free market economy that can compete on the global scene. The government has hoped that dynamic growth would boost real incomes reduce inflationary pressures and permit the expansion of welfare benefits. The results have been mixed: inflation is down from double-digit levels, but growth has been sluggish and unemployment, always a highly sensitive issue, has exceeded 10% since May 1991. In 1988, GDP fell by 1%, in 1989 grew by a moderate 2.4%, and was flat in 1990-91.
GDP: purchasing powerequivalent - $46.2 billion, per capita $14,000; real growth rate - 0.4% (1991 est.)
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for about 9% of GDP and 10% of the work force; livestock predominates - wool, meat, dairy products all export earners; crops - wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, and vegetables; surplus producer of farm products; fish catch reached a record 503,000 metric tons in 1988
Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 1.9% (1990; accounts for about 20% of GDP
Labor force: 1,603,500 (June 1991); services 67.4%, manufacturing 19.8%, primary production 9.3% (1987)
Organized labor: 681,000 members; 43% of labor force (1986)
Unemployment rate: 10.7% (September 1991)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $17.6 billion; expenditures $18.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $9.4 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
Commodoties: wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fruit, fish, cheese, manufactures, chemicals, forestry products
Partners:EC 18.3%, Japan 17.9%, Australia 17.5%, US 13.5%, China 3.6%,
South Korea 3.1%
Imports: $8.4 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
Commodoties: petroleum, consumer goods, motor vehicles, industrial equipment
Partners: Australia 19.7%, Japan 16.9%, EC 16.9%, US 15.3%, Taiwan 3.0%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.8245 (March 1992), 1.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 7,800,000 kW capacity; 28,000 million kWh produced, 8,500 kWh per capita (1990)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $792 million, 2% of GDP (FY92)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports:
118 total, 118 usable; 34 with permanent-surface runways; none
with runways over 3,659 m; 2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 43
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: natural gas 1,000 km; petroleum products 160 km; condensate 150 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 1,609 km; of little importance to transportation
Merchant marine:
18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 182,206
GRT/246,446 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 5 roll-on/roll-off, 1 railcar carrier, 4 oil tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 bulk
Civil air: about 40 major transport aircraft
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs