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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Oceania,
islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of
Australia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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41 00 S,
174 00 E |
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Map references:
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Oceania
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Area:
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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 |
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Area - comparative:
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about the
size of Colorado |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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15,134 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the
continental margin |
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Climate:
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temperate
with sharp regional contrasts |
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Terrain:
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predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m |
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Natural resources:
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natural
gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold,
limestone |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 5.6%
permanent crops: 6.99%
other: 87.41% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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2,850 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes are common, though usually not severe;
volcanic activity |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna
hard-hit by species introduced from outside |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine
Life Conservation |
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Geography - note:
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about 80%
of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the
southernmost national capital in the world |
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Population:
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4,035,461
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 21.4% (male 441,836/female 421,065)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,356,095/female
1,343,728)
65 years and over: 11.7% (male 206,650/female
266,087) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
33.65 years
male: 32.92 years
female: 34.4 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.02%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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13.9
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.53
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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3.83
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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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.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 78.66 years
male: 75.67 years
female: 81.78 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.79
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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1,400
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than
200 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
New Zealander(s)
adjective: New Zealand |
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Ethnic groups:
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European
69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%,
other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001 census)
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Religions:
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Anglican
14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%,
Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other
Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26%
(2001 census) |
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Languages:
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English
(official), Maori (official) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA% |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: New Zealand
abbreviation: NZ |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Wellington |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Dependent areas:
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Cook
Islands, Niue, Tokelau |
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Independence:
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26
September 1907 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Waitangi
Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty
over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) |
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Constitution:
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consists
of a series of legal documents, including certain acts
of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments, as well as The
Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal
charter; adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January
1987 |
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Legal system:
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based on
English law, with special land legislation and land
courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction with reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 |
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Legislative branch:
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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 17 September 2005 (next to
be held not later than 15 November 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NZLP
41.1%, NP 39.1%, NZFP 5.72%, Green Party 5.3%, Maori
2.12%, UF 2.67%, ACT New Zealand 1.51%, Progressive
1.16%; seats by party - NZLP 50, NP 48, NZFP 7, Green
Party 6, Maori 4, UF 3, ACT New Zealand 2, Progressive 1
note: results of 2005 election saw the total
number of seats increase to 121 because the Maori Party
won one more electorate seat than its entitlement under
the party vote |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note - Judges
appointed by the Governor-General |
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Political parties and leaders:
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ACT New
Zealand [Rodney HIDE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS
and Rod DONALD]; Maori Party [Whatarangi WINIATA];
National Party or NP [Don BRASH]; New Zealand First
Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party
or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Party [James (Jim)
ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$92.51
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.8%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $23,200 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 4.6%
industry: 27.4%
services: 68% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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2.05
million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 10%, industry 25%, services 65% (1995) |
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Unemployment rate:
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4.2%
(2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 0.3%
highest 10%: 29.8% (1991 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.4%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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22.4% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $38.29 billion
expenditures: $36.12 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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22.1% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat,
barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool,
beef, lamb and mutton, dairy products; fish |
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Industries:
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food
processing, wood and paper products, textiles,
machinery, transportation equipment, banking and
insurance, tourism, mining |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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5.9%
(2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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38.39
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 31.6%
hydro: 57.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 10.7% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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35.71
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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42,160
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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132,700
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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30,220
bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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119,700
bbl/day (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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89.62
million bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production:
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6.504
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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6.504
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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58.94
billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Current account balance:
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$-3.647
billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$19.85
billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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dairy
products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery
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Exports - partners:
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Australia
21%, US 14.4%, Japan 11.3%, China 5.7%, UK 4.7% (2004)
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Imports:
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$19.77
billion (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery
and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum,
electronics, textiles, plastics |
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Imports - partners:
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Australia
22.4%, US 11.3%, Japan 11.2%, China 9.7%, Germany 5.2%
(2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$4.805
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$47.34
billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA,
$99.7 million |
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Currency (code):
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New
Zealand dollar (NZD) |
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Currency code:
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NZD |
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Exchange rates:
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New
Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221
(2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001), 2.2012 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 July -
30 June |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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1.765
million (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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2.599
million (2003) |
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Telephone system:
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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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 124,
FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998) |
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Radios:
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3.75
million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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41 (plus
52 medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power
repeaters) (1997) |
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Televisions:
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1.926
million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.nz |
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Internet hosts:
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474,395
(2003) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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36 (2000)
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Internet users:
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2.11
million (2003) |
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Railways:
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total:
3,898 km
narrow gauge: 3,898 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km
electrified) (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
92,382 km
paved: 59,124 km (including at least 169 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 33,258 km (2002) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 2,213
km; liquid petroleum gas 79 km; oil 160 km; refined
products 304 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Auckland,
Lyttelton, Tauranga, Wellington, Whangarei |
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Merchant marine:
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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) |
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Airports:
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116 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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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.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
70
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 39 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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New
Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand
Air Force |
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Military service age and obligation:
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17 years
of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot
be deployed until the age of 18 (2001) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 17-49: 984,700 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 17-49: 809,519 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males:
29,738 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$1.147
billion (FY03/04) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1% (FY02)
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Disputes - international:
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asserts a
territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) [see
Antarctica] |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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