1988 Edition

Boundary disputes

none; territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)

Climate

temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Coastline

15,134 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

Labor force

50,469 (1980 est); Javanese and Tonkinese laborers were imported for plantations and mines in preWorld War II period; immigrant labor now coming from Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia; est. 8% unemployment

Land use

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

Language

French; Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Religion

over 60% Roman Catholic, 30% Protestant, 10% other

Special notes

none

Terrain

predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains.

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

268,680 km2; land area: 268,670 km2

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

4 islands or island group dependencies (lie des Pins, lies Loyaute, lie Huon, Island of New Caledonia) and 32 municipalities

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

Branches

administered by High Commissioner, responsible to French Ministry for Overseas France and Council of Government; 46-seat Territorial Assembly

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)

Capital

Noumea

Wellington

Communists

number unknown; Palita extreme left party; some politically active Communists deported during 1950s; small number of North Vietnamese

SUP about 140, other sects, about 200

Dependent areas

Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau

Elections

Assembly elections every five years, last in November 1984; referendum on New Caledonian independence scheduled for 1987

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)

Government leaders

Fernand WIBAUX, French High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government (since 1985); Kanak Provisional Government — JeanMarie TJIBAOU, President (since December 1984)

Legal system

French law

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

EIB (associate), WFTU, WMO

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, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WSG

National holiday

Waitangi Day, 6 February

Official name

Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies

New Zealand

Political parties

white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR) — Conservative; Melanesian proindependence Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS); Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS)

Suffrage

universal

universal age 18 and over

Type

French overseas territory; represented in French parliament by two deputies and one senator

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

Voting strength

(1984 election) Territorial Assembly— RPCR, 34 seats; LKS, 6 seats; splinter groups, 2 seats; FLNKS boycotted the election

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

Agriculture

large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, maize, wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef

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

Aid

ODA and OOF commitments (1970-84), $380 million

Budget

revenues, $187.1 million; expenditures, $168.3 million (1981)

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

Electric power

400,000 kW capacity; 2,200 million kWh produced, 14,800 kWh per capita (1986)

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

Exports

$217.8 million (1983); 95% nickel metal (95%), nickel ore

$5.75 billion (f.o.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)

GDP

$24.1 billion (FY ending March 1985), $7,420 per capita; real growth rate 1.1% (1975-85); 17.5% average inflation rate (FY ending March 1987 est.)

GNP

$1.21 billion, $8,050 per capita (1983)

Imports

$350 million (1983); fuels and minerals, machines and electrical equipment

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

Industry

nickel mining

Major industries

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

Major trade partners

exports — 54.9% France; imports— 32.5% France (1980)

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)

Monetary conversion rate

127.05 francs CFP=US$1 (December 1982)

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

Natural resources

nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper

natural gas, iron, sand, coal, timber

Airfields

29 total, 28 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

205 total, 197 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 51 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

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

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

about 40 major transport aircraft

Highways

5,448 km total; 558 km paved, 2,251 km improved earth, 2,639 km unimproved earth

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

Inland waterways

none

1,609 km; of little importance to transportation

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

Pipelines

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

Ports

1 major (Noumea), 21 minor

3 major

Railroads

none

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

Telecommunications

32,000 telephones (21 per 100 popl.); 5 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV stations; 1 satellite ground station Defense Forces Defense is the responsibility of France Kermedec Itlindi '• South Pacific Ocean Chflhmm Ttsmtn 5" ^i, North Island Auckland N«w Plymouth/ fGJ.bom. ^ELLINGTON ^BE?'.74B X Grey mouth 'Chrittchurch South Island Dun*din Se« rctlonal map \

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 Defense Forces