1987 Edition

Boundary disputes

none; territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)

Climate

temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Coastline

15,184 km

Comparative area

about the size of Colorado

Continental shelf

edge of continental margin or 200 nm

Environment

earthquakes are common, though usually not severe

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Land use

2% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 53% meadows and pastures; 38% forest and woodland; 7% other; includes 1% irrigated

Special notes

none

Terrain

predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains.

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

500 km Kermadec | ; Islands ° South Pacific 2 Ocaan Tasman Sea North Island Aucklan 3 Naw Plymouth ‘Gisborne ELLINGTON Christchurch ‘3. Chetham * Islende South Island See reglonal map X

268,680 km; land area: 268,670 km?

Ethnic divisions

88% European, 8.9% Maori, 2.9% Pacific Islander, 0.2% other

Infant mortality rate

12.5/1,000 (1983)

Labor force

1,416,900 (August 1986); 66.6% services, 21.0% manufacturing, 11.8% primary production; 5.0% unemployment rate (1986)

Language

English (official), Maori

Life expectancy

men 70.5, women 77.0

Literacy

98%

Nationality

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

Organized labor

660,000 members; 41% of labor force (December 1985)

Population

3,307,239 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.88%

Religion

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

Administrative divisions

241 territorial units (128 boroughs, 90 counties, 10 town and district councils); 579 special-purpose bodies

Branches

unicameral legislature (97member House of Representatives, commonly called Parliament); Cabinet responsible to Parliament; three-level court system (magistrates and courts, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeal)

Communists

SUP about 140, other sects, about 200

Dependent areas

Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau

Elections

held at three-year intervals or sooner if Parliament is dissolved by Prime Minister; last election July 1984 Political parties and leaders: New Zealand Labor Party (NZLP; government), David Lange; National Party (NP; opposition), Jim Bolger; Democratic Party, Neil Morrison; New Zealand Party, Steven Greenfield; Socialist Unity Party (SUP; pro-Soviet), Ken Douglas

Government leader

David LANGE, Prime Minister (since July 1984)

Legal system

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Member of

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

National holiday

Waitangi Day, 6 February

Official name

New Zealand

Suffrage

universal age 18 and over

Type

independent state within Commonwealth, recognizing Elizabeth II as head of state Capital; Wellington

Voting strength

(1984 election and one byelection in 1985) Parliament—National Party, 38 seats; Labor Party, 55 seats; Democratic Party, 2 seats

Agriculture

fodder and silage crops, wool, meat, dairy products; food surplus country

Budget

expenditures, $7.3 billion; receipts, $6.0 billion; deficit, $1.3 billion (1984/85)

Electric power

7,593,000 kW capacity; 27,000 million kWh produced, 8,180 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$5.75 billion (f.0.b., FY ending June 1986); beef, wool, dairy products

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

Fishing

catch 138,000 metric tons (1983); exports—130,000 metric tons valued at $300 million (1984)

Imports

$6.2 billion (c.i.f., FY ending June 1986); petroleum, cars, trucks, machinery and electrical equipment, iron and steel, petroleum products

Major industries

food processing, wood and paper products, textile production, machinery, transport equipment, banking and insurance, tourism

Major trade partners

exports—16% Australia, 15% Japan, 15% US, 9% UK (trade year 1982/83); imports—20.5% Japan, 17.2% Australia, 16.5% US, 9.2% UK (1985) Aid; ODA and OOF commitments (1970-84), $380 million

Monetary conversion rate

NZ$1.88=US$1 (14 January 1987)

Natural resources

natural gas, iron, sand, coal, timber

Airfields

205 total, 197 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 51 with runways 1,220-2,489 m

Civil air

about 40 major transport aircraft

Highways

92,648 km total maintained (March 1984); 49,547 km paved, 43,101 km gravel or crushed stone

Inland waterways

1,609 km; of little importance to transportation

Pipelines

1,000 km natural gas; 160 km refined products; 150 km condensate

Ports

3 major

Railroads

4,716 km total (1980); all 1.067meter gauge; 274 km double track; 113 km electrified; over 99% government owned

Telecommunications

excellent international and domestic systems; 2.01 million telephones (60.8 per 100 popl.); 64 AM, 2 FM, 14 TV stations, and about 400 repeaters; submarine cables extend to Australia and Fiji; 1 satellite ground station

Branches

Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Air Force

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 March 1986, $500 million; about 5.1% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 881,000; 753,000 fit for military service; 31,000 reach military age (20) annually