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. 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.

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 S 174 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 268,680 km²
Land: NA km²
Water: NA km²
Note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Comparative: about the size of Colorado

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 15,134 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 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
Extremes highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 5.6%
Permanent crops: 6.99%
Other: 87.41% (2001)

Irrigated land: 2,850 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: earthquakes are common though usually not severe; volcanic activity

Geography
Note: about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world

Population: 3,993,817 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 1.05% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: New Zealander
Adjective: New Zealand

Ethnic groups: New Zealand European 74.5% Maori 9.7% other European 4.6% Pacific Islander 3.8% Asian and others 7.4%

Languages: English (official) Maori (official)

Religions: Anglican 24% Presbyterian 18% Roman Catholic 15% Methodist 5% Baptist 2% other Protestant 3% unspecified or none 33% (1986)

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.7% (male 443,211; female 422,507)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,337,383; female 1,325,683)
65 years and over: 11.6% (male 203,084; female 261,949) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 33.4 years
Male: 32.6 years
Female: 34.1 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.05% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 14.04 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 7.54 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.05 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside
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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.96 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 6.83 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.05 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.49 years
Male: 75.5 years
Female: 81.61 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 1400 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

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

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: New Zealand
Abbreviation: NZ

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Wellington

Administrative divisions: 13 regions; Auckland Bay of Plenty Canterbury Gisborne-Hawke's Bay Manawatu-Wanganui Nelson-Marlborough Northland Otago Southland Taranaki Waikato Wellington West Coast

Dependent areas: (1) Cook Islands Niue Tokelau

Independence: 26 September 1907 (from UK)

National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand) 6 February (1840)

Constitution: 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

Legal system: based on English law with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Silvia CARTWRIGHT (since 4 April 2001)
Head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since NA July 2002)
Cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: none; 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

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 27 July 2002 (next to be held NA 2005)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NZLP 52, NP 27, NZFP 13, ACT New Zealand 9, Green Party 9, UF 8, other 2

Judicial branch: High Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: ACT New Zealand [Richard PREBBLE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS and Rod DONALD]; National Party or NP [Don BRASH]; New Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Coalition [James (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE]

International organization participation: ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986) APEC ARF AsDB ASEAN (dialogue partner) Australia Group BIS C CP EBRD FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU NAM (guest) NSG OECD OPCW PCA PIF Sparteca SPC UN UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMIK UNMISET UNTSO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador L. John WOOD
In the us chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 328-4,800
In the us fax: [1] (202) 667-5,227
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Charles J. SWINDELLS
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] (4) 462-6,000
From the us fax: [64] (4) 499-0490
From the us consulates 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

Economy overview: 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) broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector and contained inflationary pressures. Per capita income has been rising and is now 80% of the level of the four largest EU economies. New Zealand is heavily dependent on trade - particularly in agricultural products - to drive growth and it has been affected by the global economic slowdown and the slump in commodity prices. Thus far the economy has been resilient and growth should continue at the same level in 2004. Expenditures on health education and pensions will increase proportionately.

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,600 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4.8%
Industry: 27.4%
Services: 67.8% (2003 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat barley potatoes pulses fruits vegetables; wool beef dairy products; fish

Industries: food processing wood and paper products textiles machinery transportation equipment banking and insurance tourism mining

Industrial production growth rate: 1.3% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 2.008 million (2003 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 10%
By occupation industry: 25%
By occupation services: 65% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 4.7% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 0.3%
Highest 10: 29.8% (1991 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $32.14 billion
Expenditures: $30.13 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003)

Public debt: 25.6% of GDP (2003)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.8% (2003 est.)

Current account balance: $-3.446 billion (2003)

Exports: $15.86 billion (2003 est.)
Commodities: dairy products meat wood and wood products fish machinery
Partners: Australia 21.8% US 14.6% Japan 11% China 4.9% UK 4.8% (2003)

Imports: $16.06 billion (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment vehicles and aircraft petroleum electronics textiles plastics
Partners: Australia 22.2% US 11.8% Japan 11.8% China 9% Germany 5.3% (2003)

Debt external: $37.46 billion (2003 est.)

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.7229 (2003) 2.1622 (2002) 2.3788 (2001) 2.2012 (2000) 1.8896 (1999)

Electricity
Production: 37.51 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 34.88 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 6.504 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 6.504 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 58.94 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.765 million (2002)
Mobile cellular: 2.599 million (2003)

Telephone system
General assessment: excellent domestic and international systems
Domestic: NA
International: country code - 64; submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .nz
Hosts: 474,395 (2003)
Users: 2.11 million (2003)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.147 billion (FY03/04)
Percent of gdp: 1% (FY02)

Airports: 113 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 46
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 11
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 27
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 70
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 29
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 39 (2004 est.)

Pipelines: gas 2,213 km; liquid petroleum gas 79 km; oil 160 km; refined products 304 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 3,898 km
Narrow gauge: 3,898 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2003)

Merchant marine
Total: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 77,523 GRT/108,352 DWT
By type: bulk 3, cargo 2, container 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2
Foreign owned: Australia 1, Isle of Man 1
Registered in other countries: 8 (2004 est.)

Disputes international: territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)