Map of New Zealand | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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. New Zealand assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.


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

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 S 174 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 268,838 km²
Land: 264,537 km²
Water: 4,301 km²
Note: includes Antipodes Islands Auckland Islands Bounty Islands Campbell Island Chatham Islands and Kermadec Islands
Rank: 76
Comparative: almost twice the size of North Carolina; about the size of Colorado

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 large coastal plains

Elevation
Mean elevation: 388 m
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
Agricultural land: 43.2%
Forest: 31.4%
Other: 25.4%

Irrigated land: 7,210 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: earthquakes are common though usually not severe; volcanic activity
Volcanism: significant volcanism on North Island; Ruapehu 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

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


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Population: 4,474,549 (July 2016 est.)
Rank: 126
Growth rate: 0.8% (2016 est.)
Growth rate rank: 137
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: New Zealander
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

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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 19.76%
15-24 years: 13.56%
25-54 years: 40.05%
55-64 years: 11.7%
65 years and over: 14.94% (2016 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 54%
Youth dependency ratio: 31.1%
Elderly dependency ratio: 22.9%
Potential support ratio: 4.4%

Median age
Total: 37.8 years
Male: 36.9 years
Female: 38.7 years
Rank: 63

Population growth rate: 0.8% (2016 est.)
Rank: 137

Birth rate: 13.3 births/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 148

Death rate: 7.4 deaths/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 115

Net migration rate: 2.2 migrant(s)/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 44

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 86.3% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.05% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: Auckland 1.344 million; WELLINGTON (capital) 383,000 (2015)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Antarctic Seals Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male/female
25-54 years: 1 male/female
55-64 years: 0.95 male/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth: 27.8
Note: median age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.5 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 5 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.9 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 183

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.2 years
Male: 79.1 years
Female: 83.3 years
Rank: 28

Total fertility rate: 2.03 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Rank: 116

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 2.74 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 2.3 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 30.6% (2014)
Rank: 34

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 6.4% of GDP (2014)
Rank: 16

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 19 years
Male: 18 years
Female: 20 years

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: New Zealand
Abbreviation: NZ
Etymology: Dutch explorer Abel TASMAN was the first European to reach New Zealand in 1642; he named it Staten Landt but Dutch cartographers renamed it Nova Zeelandia in 1645 after the Dutch province of Zeeland; British explorer Captain James COOK subsequently anglicized the name to New Zealand when he mapped the islands in 1769

Government type: parliamentary democracy (New Zealand Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital
Name: Wellington
Geographic coordinates: 41 18 S 174 47 E
Time difference: UTC+12
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 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: (1) 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 2014 (2016)

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

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of New Zealand
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II ; represented by Governor General Dame Patricia Lee REDDY (since 28 September 2016)
Head of government: Prime Minister John KEY ; 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
Electionsappointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament
Elections: last held on 20 September 2014
Election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 47% Labor Party 25.1% Green Party 10.7% NZ First 8.7% Maori 1.3% ACT Party .7% United Future .2% other 6.3%; seats by party - National Party 60 Labor Party 32 Green Party 14 NZ First 11 Maori 2 ACT Party 1 United Future 1

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court ; 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: United Future New Zealand [Peter DUNNE]

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) ICCt 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 SICA (observer) Sparteca SPC UN UN Security Council (temporary) UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMISS UNTSO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Timothy John GROSER
In the us chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 328-4,800
In the us FAX: [1] 667-5,227[1] (202) 667-5,227
In the us consulate general: Honolulu Los Angeles New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mark GILBERT note - also accredited to Samoa
From the us embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace Thorndon Wellington
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 1190 Wellington; PSC 467 Box 1 APO AP 96,531-1034
From the us telephone: [64] 462-6,000
From the us FAX: [64] 499-0490
From the us consulate general: Auckland

Flag 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 symbols: Southern Cross constellation (four five-pointed stars) kiwi (bird) silver fern; national colors: black white red (ochre)

National anthem
Name: 'God Defend New Zealand'
Lyrics and 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 ; 'God Save the Queen' normally 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

National heritage


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Economy overview:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 70

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 99

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2015 US dollars
Rank: 51

Gross national saving:
Rank: 90

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 57.6%
Government consumption: 18.8%
Investment in fixed capital: 22.9%
Investment in inventories: 0.1%
Exports of goods and services: 28.3%
Imports of goods and services: -27.7%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4.3%
Industry: 26.3%
Services: 69.4%

Agriculture products: dairy products sheep beef poultry fruit vegetables wine seafood wheat and barley

Industries: agriculture forestry fishing logs and wood articles manufacturing mining construction financial services real estate services tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 1.3% (2015 est.)
Rank: 129

Labor force: 2.501 million (2015 est.)
Rank: 115
By occupation agriculture: 7%
By occupation industry: 19%
By occupation services: 74%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 62

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index: 36.2 (1997)
Rank: 85

Budget
Revenues: $66.54 billion
Expenditures: $66.02 billion
Surplus or deficit: 0.3% of GDP (2015 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 32

Taxes and other revenues: 38.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 48

Public debt:
Rank: 126

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Note: this is the fiscal year for tax purposes

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 63

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 107

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 133

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 60

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 55

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 33

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 45

Current account balance:
Rank: 171

Exports:
Rank: 60
Commodities: dairy products meat and edible offal logs and wood articles fruit crude oil wine
Partners: China 17.5% Australia 16.9% US 11.8% Japan 6% (2015)

Imports:
Rank: 60
Commodities: petroleum and products mechanical machinery vehicles and parts electrical machinery textiles
Partners: China 19.4% Australia 11.8% US 11.7% Japan 6.6% Germany 4.7% Thailand 4.2% (2015)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 68

Debt external:
Rank: 53

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 50

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $59.08 billion (31 December 2009)
Rank: 41

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100%
Production: 43 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Production rank: 57
Consumption: 40 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 56
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 181
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 186
Installed generating capacity: 9.7 million kW (2014 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 57
Generation sources fossil fuels: 29% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 183
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 160
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 55.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 43
Generation sources other renewable sources: 15.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 18

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 41,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 61
Crude oil exports: 34,090 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 53
Crude oil imports: 104,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 47
Crude oil proven reserves: 67.2 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 78

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 119,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 70
Products consumption: 160,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption rank: 64
Products exports: 5,345 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 94
Products imports: 46,360 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 84

Natural gas
Production: 5.241 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Production rank: 51
Consumption: 5.387 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 58
Exports: 0 m³ (2014 est.)
Exports rank: 160
Imports: 0 m³ (2014 est.)
Imports rank: 116
Proven reserves: 36.9 billion m³ (1 January 2016 es)
Proven reserves rank: 68

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 37 million Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 70

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1.85 million
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 42
Fixed lines rank: 62
Mobile cellular total: 5.6 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126
Mobile cellular rank: 116

Telephone system
General assessment: excellent domestic and international systems
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 160 per 100 persons
International: country code - 64; the Southern Cross submarine cable system provides links to Australia Fiji and the US; satellite earth stations - 8 (2015)

Broadcast media: state-owned Television New Zealand operates multiple TV networks and state-owned Radio New Zealand operates 3 radio networks and an external shortwave radio service to the South Pacific region; a small number of national commercial TV and radio stations and many regional commercial television and radio stations are available; cable and satellite TV systems are available (2008)

Internet
Country code: .nz
Users total: 3.916 million
Users percent of population: 88.2%
Users rank: 77

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 87

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription; 3 years of secondary education required; must be a citizen of NZ the UK Australia Canada or the US and resident of NZ for the previous 5 years (2013)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 6
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 123
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 15,304,409
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 999,384,961 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: ZK (2016)

Airports: 123 (2013)
Rank: 48
With paved runways total: 39
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 23
With paved runways under 914 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 84
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 33
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 48

Heliports

Pipelines: condensate 331 km; gas 1936 km; liquid petroleum gas 172 km; oil 288 km; refined products 198 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 4,128 km
Narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 42

Roadways
Total: 94,902 km
Paved: 62,759 km
Unpaved: 32,143 km
Rank: 50

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 15
By type: bulk carrier 3 cargo 3 chemical tanker 1 container 1 passenger/cargo 5 petroleum tanker 2
Foreign owned: 7
Registered in other countries: 5 (2010)
Rank: 101

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Auckland Lyttelton Manukau Harbor Marsden Point Tauranga Wellington


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Disputes international: asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: significant consumer of amphetamines