Background: 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.

Area
Total: 268,680 km²
Land: 268,670 km²
Comparative: about the size of Colorado
Comparative note: Includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 15,134 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: Temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Terrain: Predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Cook 3,764 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 2%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 53%
Forests and woodland: 38%
Other: 7%

Irrigated land: 2,800 km² (1989 est.)

Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: New Zealander(s)
Adjective: New Zealand

Ethnic groups:

Languages: English (official), Maori

Religions:

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside
Current issues Natural hazards: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe
International agreements: party to_Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified_Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
International agreements note: About 80% of the population lives in cities

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
All ages:

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.01 years (1996 est.), 76.65 years (1995 est.)
Male: 73.96 years (1996 est.), 73.08 years (1995 est.)
Female: 80.21 years (1996 est.), 80.42 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1980 est.)
Total population: 99%

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: New Zealand Abbreviation: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
Note: There may be a new administrative structure of 16 regions (Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wanganui-Manawatu, Wellington, West Coast) that are subdivided into 57 districts and 16 cities* (Ashburton, Auckland*, Banks Peninsula, Buller, Carterton, Central Hawke's Bay, Central Otago, Christchurch*, Clutha, Dunedin*, Far North, Franklin, Gisborne, Gore, Grey, Hamilton*, Hastings, Hauraki, Horowhenua, Hurunui, Hutt*, Invercargill*, Kaikoura, Kaipara, Kapiti Coast, Kawerau, Mackenzie, Manawatu, Manukau*, Marlborough, Masterton, Matamata Piako, Napier*, Nelson*, New Plymouth, North Shore*, Opotiki, Otorohanga, Palmerston North*, Papakura*, Porirua*, Queenstown Lakes, Rangitikei, Rodney, Rotorua, Ruapehu, Selwyn, Southland, South Taranaki, South Waikato, South Wairarapa, Stratford, Tararua, Tasman, Taupo, Tauranga, Thames Coromandel, Timaru, Upper Hutt*, Waikato, Waimakariri, Waimate, Waipa, Wairoa, Waitakere*, Waitaki, Waitomo, Wanganui, Wellington*, Western Bay of Plenty, Westland, Whakatane, Whangarei) Dependent Areas:Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau

Independence: 26 September 1907 (from U.K.)

National holiday: Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty)

Constitution: No formal, written constitution; consists of various documents, including certain acts of the U.K. 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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) is a hereditary monarch, represented by Governor General Sir Michael HARDIE BOYS (since 21 March 1996)
Head of government: Prime Minister James BOLGER (since 29 October 1990); Deputy Prime Minister Donald McKINNON (since 2 November 1990)
Cabinet: Executive Council; appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch: Unicameral House of Representatives:(commonly called Parliament) elections last held 6 November 1993 (next to be held NA November 1996; results_NP 35.2%, NZLP 34.7%, Alliance 18.3%, New Zealand First 8.3%; seats_(99 total) NP 50, NZLP 45, Alliance 2, New Zealand First Party 2

Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal

International organization participation: ANZUS (U.S. suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), OECD, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Flag description: Blue with the flag of the U.K. 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

Economy overview: Since 1984 the government has been reorienting an agrarian economy dependent on a guaranteed British market toward a more industrialized, open, free market economy that can compete on the global scene. The government has hoped that dynamic growth would boost real incomes, broaden and deepen the technological capabilities of the industrial sector, reduce inflationary pressures, and permit the expansion of welfare benefits. The initial results were mixed:inflation is down from double-digit levels, but growth was sluggish in 1988-91. In 1992-93, growth picked up to 3% annually, a sign that the new economic approach was beginning to pay off. Business confidence strengthened in 1994, and export demand picked up in the Asia-Pacific region, resulting in 6.2% growth. Growth continued strong in 1995, and inflation remains among the lowest in the industrial world. The government announced its first budget surplus in 16 years in FY94/95 and forecasts a surplus of $5.0 billion in FY97/98. The government intends to use the surplus to reduce the debt, increase social spending, and cut taxes_by $1.35 billion over two years beginning in 1996. Per capita GDP now is up to the levels of the big West European economies.

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Agriculture products: Accounts for 7.3% of GDP and 10.4% of the work force; livestock predominates_wool, meat, dairy products all export earners; crops_wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; surplus producer of farm products; fish catch reached a record 503,000 metric tons in 1988

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate 1.9% (1990; accounts for 25.9% of GDP

Labor force: 1,634,500 (September 1995)
By occupation Services: 64.6%
By occupation Industry: 25.0%
By occupation Agriculture: 10.4% (1994)

Unemployment rate:

Budget
Revenues: $22.18 billion (FY95/96 est.), $18.94 billion (FY94/95)
Expenditures: $20.28 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96 est.), $18.82 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY94/95)
Note: Surplus $120 million (FY94/95)

Fiscal year: 1 July_30 June

Exports:
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external: $38.5 billion (September 1994)

Electricity
Capacity: 7,520,000 kW
Production: 30.5 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 8,401 kWh (1993)

Telephone system: 1.7 million telephones (1986 est.); excellent international and domestic systems
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: submarine cables extend to Australia and Fiji; 2 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $556 million, 1% of GDP (FY93/94), $792 million, 2% of GDP (FY90/91)

Airports: 113
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 21 (1995 est.)
With paved runways under 914 m: 50

Pipelines: Petroleum products 160 km; natural gas 1,000 km; condensate (liquified petroleum gas_LPG) 150 km

Waterways: 1,609 km; of little importance to transportation

Merchant marine
Total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 162,220 GRT/213,749 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 1, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 3, railcar carrier 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 5 (1995 est.)