1996 Edition

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

Location

41 00 S, 174 00 E -- Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia Flag ----

Area

comparative area

about the size of Colorado

land area

268,670 sq km

note

includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

total area

268,680 sq km

Climate

temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Coastline

15,134 km

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 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, Tropical Timber 94

natural hazards

earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity

Geographic coordinates

41 00 S, 174 00 E

Geographic note

about 80% of the population lives in cities

International disputes

territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)

Irrigated land

2,800 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

2%

forest and woodland

38%

meadows and pastures

53%

other

7%

permanent crops

0%

Location

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone

Terrain

predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains

highest point

Mount Cook 3,764 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 23% (male 420,900; female 400,159) 15-64 years: 65% (male 1,161,522; female 1,154,536) 65 years and over: 12% (male 177,182; female 233,684) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

15.78 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

7.72 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

6.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

English (official), Maori

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.21 years (1996 est.)

male

73.96 years

total population

77.01 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)

total population

99%

Nationality

adjective

New Zealand

noun

New Zealander(s)

Net migration rate

3.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

3,547,983 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.12% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

all ages

0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

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

Total fertility rate

2.01 children born/woman (1996 est.)

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)

Capital

Wellington

Constitution

no formal, written constitution; consists of various documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments; Constitution Act 1986 was to have come into force 1 January 1987, but has not been enacted

Data code

NZ

Dependent areas

Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Lionel John WOOD

consulate(s) general

Apia (Western Samoa), Los Angeles

telephone

[1] (202) 328-4800

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council was appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister

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) and Deputy Prime Minister Donald McKINNON (since 2 November 1990) were appointed by the governor general

FAX

[64] (4) 472-3537

consulate(s) general

Auckland

Flag

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

House of Representatives (commonly called Parliament)

elections last held 6 November 1993 (next must be called by 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

Independence

26 September 1907 (from UK)

International organization participation

ANZUS (US 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

Judicial branch

High Court; Court of Appeal

Legal system

based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

abbreviation

NZ

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

New Zealand

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

National Party (NP, government), James BOLGER; New Zealand Labor Party (NZLP, opposition), Helen CLARK; Alliance, Jim ANDERTON; Democratic Party, Dick RYAN; New Zealand Liberal Party, Hanmish MACINTYRE and Gilbert MYLES; Green Party, no official leader; Mana Motuhake, Sandra LEE; Socialist Unity Party (SUP, pro-Soviet), leader NA; New Zealand First, Winston PETERS; United New Zealand (UNZ), Clive MATTHEWSON; Conservative Party (formerly Right of Centre Party), Trevor ROGERS; Association of Consumers and Taxpayers, New Zealand (ACT), Richard PREBBLE; Christian Democrats, Graeme LEE; Christian Heritage Party (CH), Rev. Graham CAPILL

note

the New Zealand Liberal, New Labor, Democratic, and Mana Motuhake parties formed a coalition called the Alliance Party in September 1991; the Green Party joined the coalition in May 1992; the National Party government formed a coalition with the United New Zealand Party in February 1996; the coalition will be valid through the 1996 elections

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Josiah Horton BEEMAN

embassy

29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington

mailing address

P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, FPO AP 96531-1001

telephone

[64] (4) 472-2068

Agriculture

wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, meat, dairy products; fish catch reached a record 503,000 metric tons in 1988

Budget

expenditures

$20.28 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96 est.)

revenues

$22.18 billion

Currency

1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

donor

ODA, $98 million (1993)

Economic 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.

Electricity

capacity

7,520,000 kW

consumption per capita

8,401 kWh (1993)

production

30.5 billion kWh

Exchange rates

New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.5138 (January 1996), 1.5235 (1995), 1.6844 (1994), 1.8495 (1993), 1.8584 (1992), 1.7265 (1991)

Exports

$13.41 billion (1995)

commodities

wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fish, cheese, chemicals, forestry products, fruits and vegetables, manufactures

partners

Australia 20%, Japan 15%, US 12%, UK 6%

External debt

$38.5 billion (September 1994)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $62.3 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

7.3%

industry

25.9%

services

66.8% (1990)

GDP per capita

$18,300 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

5.5% (1995 est.)

Imports

$13.62 billion (1995)

commodities

machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, consumer goods

partners

Australia 21%, US 18%, Japan 16%, UK 6%

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (FY95/96)

Labor force

1,634,500 (September 1995)

by occupation

services 64.6%, industry 25.0%, agriculture 10.4% (1994)

Unemployment rate

6.1% (October 1995)

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $556 million, 1% of GDP (FY93/94)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

927,212

males fit for military service

780,976

males reach military age (20) annually

27,433 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 64, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios

3.215 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system

excellent international and domestic systems

domestic

NA

international

submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones

1.7 million (1986 est.)

Television broadcast stations

14 (1986 est.)

Televisions

1.53 million (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

113

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

8

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

31

with paved runways over 3 047 m

2

with paved runways under 914 m

50

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

21 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

54,142 km (including 141 km of expressways)

total

93,348 km

unpaved

39,206 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine

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.)

total

17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 162,220 GRT/213,749 DWT

Pipelines

petroleum products 160 km; natural gas 1,000 km; condensate (liquefied petroleum gas - LPG) 150 km

Ports

Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga, Wellington

Railways

narrow gauge

3,973 km 1.067-m gauge (504 km electrified)

total

3,973 km

Waterways

1,609 km; of little importance to transportation