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.
Geography
New Zealand
Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Geographic coordinates:
41 00 S, 174 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 268,680 sq km
land: 268,021 sq km
water: NA
note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Area - 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
highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
total: 33.65 years
male: 32.92 years
female: 34.4 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.02% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
13.9 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
3.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.85 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.66 years
male: 75.67 years
female: 81.78 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.79 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,400 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: New Zealander(s)
adjective: New Zealand
Ethnic groups:
European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001 census)
Religions:
Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentacostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 census)
Languages:
English (official), Maori (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government
New Zealand
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: New Zealand
abbreviation: NZ
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Wellington
Administrative divisions:
16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast
Dependent areas:
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:
unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists, all to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 27 July 2002 (next to be held in 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 [Rodney HIDE]; 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
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
chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800
FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles J. SWINDELLS
embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington
mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP 96531-1034
telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000
FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490
consulate(s) 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
Anthem
New Zealand
The National Anthem of New Zealand
New Zealand
holds a unique position in the world in that it has two national
anthems of equal standing - "God Defend New Zealand"
and "God Save The Queen". (The
lone other example in the world is Denmark, where the royal
and national anthems have equal status in the country.)
"God Defend New Zealand" was written
by Irish-born poet and New Zealand citizen Thomas Bracken
in 1870, and the music composed by John Joseph Woods as a
result of a newspaper contest in 1876. Gaining popularity
in the first half of the twentieth century, it was adopted
as New Zealand's national song in 1940 (New Zealand's centennial
year), but "God Save the Queen" remained the sole
national anthem. A petition in 1976 prompted the government
to seek royal assent to make "God Defend New Zealand"
as a national anthem on equal status with "God Save the
Queen".
God Save the Queen has been New Zealand's official anthem
since 1840, when she became a British colony. The second verse,
which is in a more militaristic vein, has been replaced in
New Zealand with a "Commonwealth verse", usually
used when more than one stanza is needed. Despite being declared
an "official anthem" by the New Zealand government,
along with "God Defend New Zealand", "God Save
the Queen" is rarely sung in the country, "God Defend
New Zealand" is more common.
Words by: Thomas Bracken (God Defend New
Zealand - English)
Thomas Henry Smith (God Defend New Zealand - Maori)
Music by: John Joseph Woods (God Defend
New Zealand)
In use: 1940- (God Defend New Zealand)
1840- (God Save the Queen)
God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Men of ev'ry creed and race
Gather here before Thy face,
Asking Thee to bless this place,
God defend our Free Land.
From dissension, envy, hate,
And corruption guard our State,
Make our country good and great,
God defend New Zealand.
Peace, not war, shall be our boast,
But, should foes assail our coast,
Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our Free Land.
Lord of battles in thy might,
Put our enemies to flight,
Let our cause be just and right,
God defend New Zealand.
Let our love for Thee increase,
May Thy blessings never cease,
Give us plenty, give us peace,
God defend our Free Land.
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame,
God defend New Zealand.
May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto Thee,
God defend our Free Land.
Guide her in the nations' van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy Glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand.
God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen!
Economy
New Zealand
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
risen for six consecutive years and is now more than $23,000
in purchasing power parity terms. New Zealand is heavily dependent
on trade - particularly in agricultural products - to drive
growth. Exports are equal to about 20% of GDP. Thus far the
economy has been resilient, and the Labor Government promises
that expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase
proportionately to output.
GDP:
purchasing power
parity - $92.51 billion (2004 est.)
New Zealand dollars
per US dollar - 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002),
2.3788 (2001), 2.2012 (2000)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Communications
New Zealand
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.765 million (2002)
Telephones - 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)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios:
3.75 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
1.926 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.nz
Internet hosts:
474,395 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
36 (2000)
Internet users:
2.11 million (2003)
Transportation
New Zealand
Railways:
total: 3,898 km
narrow gauge: 3,898 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2003)
Highways:
total: 92,382 km
paved: 59,124 km (including at least 169 km of expressways)
unpaved: 33,258 km (2002)
Pipelines:
gas 2,213 km; liquid petroleum gas 79 km; oil 160 km; refined products 304 km (2004)
total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 77,523 GRT/108,352 DWT
by type: cargo 3, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1, bulk carrier 3
foreign-owned: 2 (Germany 1, Isle of Man 1)
registered in other countries: 5 (2005)
Airports:
116 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 46
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 70
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 39 (2004 est.)
Transnational Issues
New Zealand
Disputes - international:
asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) [see Antarctica]
U.S.A. 
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United Kingdom (U.K.)
Argentina
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Belgium
China (P.R.C.)
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