1984 Edition

Agriculture

fodder and silage crops, about one-half of area planted in field crops; main products — wool, meat, dairy products; food surplus country

Aid

bilateral economic aid commitments (ODA and OOF), $507 million (1970-81)

Area

7,692,300 km2; 58% pasture; 6% arable; 2% forest; 34% other Water Limits of territorial waters (claimed):^ nm (fishing 200 nm; prawn and crayfish on continental shelf)

269,063 km2; 50% pasture; 16% forest; 10% park and reserve; 3% cultivated; 1% urban; 20% waste, water, or other; 4 principal islands, 2 minor inhabited islands, several minor uninhabited islands. Water

Branches

bicameral legislature (Federal Parliament — Senate and House of Representatives); Prime Minister and Cabinet responsible to House; independent judiciary

unicameral legislature (92-member House of Representatives, commonly called Parliament); Cabinet responsible to Parliament; three-level court system (magistrates, courts, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeal)

Budget

(1981/82) expenditures, NZ$10.9 million; receipts, NZ$8.8 million; deficit NZ$2.1

Capital

Canberra

Wellington

Coastline

about 25,760 km People

about 15,134 km People

Communists

CPNZ about 300, SUP about

Elections

held at three-year intervals or sooner if Parliament is dissolved by Prime Minister; last election 5 March 1983 Political parties and leaders: government — Australian Labor Party (Robert Hawke); opposition— Liberal Party (Andrew Peacock), National Party (Ian Sinclair), and Australian Democratic Party (Donald L. Chipp)

held at three-year intervals or sooner if Parliament is dissolved by Prime Minister; last election November 1981 Political parties and leaders: National Party (NP; government), Robert D. Muldoon; New Zealand Labor Party (NZLP; opposition), David Lange; Social Credit Political League (Socred), Bruce Beetham; New Zealand Party, Bob Jones; Communist Party of New Zealand (CPNZ; Marxist-Leninist; proAlbania), Richard C. Wolfe; Socialist Unity Party (SUP; pro-Soviet), G. H. "Bill" Andersen

Electric power

6,953,000 kW capacity (1982); 30.6 billion kWh produced (1982), 9,800 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

99% Caucasian, 1% Asian and aborigine

87% European, 9% Maori, 2% Pacific Islander, 2% other

Exports

$5.5 billion (f.o.b., 1981); principal products meat, dairy, fish, wool

Fishing

exports 80,000 metric tons valued at $110 million (1982)

GNP

NZ$24.0 billion (year ending March 1981), NZ$7,585 per capita; real average annual growth (1971-81), 2.2%

Government leader

Robert D. MULDOON, Prime Minister

Government leaders

Sir Ninian STEPHEN, Governor General; Robert HAWKE, Prime Minister

Imports

$5.3 billion (c.i.f., 1981); principal products — petroleum, cars, trucks, iron and steel, petroleum products

Labor force

7.0 million (April 1983); 10.3% unemployment (April 1983)

1,325,000(1981); 29.9% manufacturing, mining, and construction; 24.2% commerce and finance; 21.2% services; 10.7% agriculture; 8.3% transportation and communications; 2% other; unemployment 3.7% (February 1981)

Language

English, native languages

Languages

English (official), Maori

Legal system

based on English common law; constitution adopted 1900; High Court has jurisdiction over cases involving interpretation of the constitution; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; constitution consists of various documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments; legal education at Victoria, Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago Universities; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (economic including fishing 200 nm)

Literacy

98.5%

98%

Major industries

food processing, textile production, machinery, transport equipment; wood and paper products

Major trade partners

(trade year 1981/82) exports— 15.4% Australia, 14.3% UK, 13.0% Japan, 12.7% US; imports— -20.2% Australia, 17.4% Japan, 15.8% US, 9.2% UK

Member of

ADB, ANZUS, ASPAC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth of Nations, DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITU, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WSG Economy

National holiday

Australia Day, 26 January

Waitangi Day, 6 February"

Nationality

noun — Australian(s); adjective — Australian

noun — New Zealander(s); adjective — New Zealand

Official name

Commonwealth of Australia

New Zealand

Organized labor

57% of total employees (December 1982) Government

46% of labor force Government

Other political or pressure groups

Australian Democratic Labor Party (antiCommunist Labor Party splinter group)

Political subdivisions

6 states and 2 territories— Australian Capital Territory (Canberra) and Northern Territory

239 territorial units (boroughs, counties, town and district councils); 657 special-purpose bodies

Population

15,462,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 1.3%

3,238,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 1.1%

Religion

27.7% Anglican, 25.7% Roman Catholic, 25.2% other Protestant

81% Christian, 18% none or unspecified, 1% Hindu, Confucian, and other

Suffrage

universal and compulsory over age

universal age 18 and over

Type

federal parliamentary state recognizing Elizabeth II as sovereign or head of state

independent state within Commonwealth, recognizing Elizabeth II as head of state

Voting strength

(1983 parliamentary election) House of Representatives — Labor Party 75 seats, Liberal-National coalition 50 seats; Senate — Labor Party 30 seats, LiberalCountry coalition 27 seats, Australian Democratic Party 5 seats, independents 2 seats Communist*: 5,000 members (est.)

(1981 election) Parliament— National Party 47 seats; Labor Party, 43 seats; Social Credit, 2 seats