Local name Aotearoa (Maori)
Timezone GMT +12 Area 268 812 km²/103 761 sq mi population total (2002e) 3 893 000 Status Independent member of the Commonwealth Date of independence 1947 Capital Wellington Languages English and Maori (official) Ethnic groups European (mainly British, Australian and Dutch) (87%), Maori (9%) Religions Christian (59%) (Anglican 25%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 16%) Physical features Consists of two principal islands (North and South) separated by the Cook Strait, and several minor islands; North Island mountainous in the centre with many hot springs; peaks rise to 2797 m/9176 ft at Mt Ruapehu; South Island mountainous for its whole length, rising in the Southern Alps to 3753 m/12 313 ft at Mt Cook, New Zealand's highest point; many glaciers and mountain lakes; largest area of level lowland is the Canterbury Plain, E side of South Island; L Taupo, largest natural lake, occupies an ancient volcanic crater; major lakes include Te Anau and Wakatipu. Climate Cool, temperate climate, almost subtropical in extreme N; Mean temperature range, 18°C in N, 9°C in S; lower temperatures in South Island; highly changeable weather, all months moderately wet; average daily temperature 1623°C (Jan), 813°C (Jul) in Auckland; average annual rainfall 1053 mm/41 in; subject to periodic sub-tropical cyclones. Currency 1 New Zealand Dollar (NZD) = 100 cents Economy Farming, especially sheep and cattle; one of the world's major exporters of dairy produce; third largest exporter of wool; kiwi fruit, venison; textiles; timber, food processing; substantial coal and natural gas reserves; hydroelectric power; tourism. GDP (2002e) $78·4 bn, per capita $20 100 Human Development Index (2002) 0·917 History Settled by Maoris from E Polynesia by c.1000 AD; first European sighting by Abel Tasman in 1642, named Staten Landt; later known as Nieuw Zeeland, after the Dutch Province; visited by Captain Cook, 1769; first European settlement, 1792; dependency of New South Wales until 1840; annexed by Britain 1840; outbreaks of war between immigrants and Maoris, 186070; Dominion of New Zealand, 1907; independent within the Commonwealth, 1947; governed by a Prime Minister, a Cabinet and a unicameral, 97-member House of Representatives; elections every 3 years. text-align:center;">| Flag | Coat of Arms |
| Motto: none (formerly "Onward") | |
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Anthem: God Defend New Zealand God Save The Queen1 |
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| Capital |
Wellington 41°17′S 174°47′E |
|---|---|
| Largest city | Auckland2 |
| Official language |
English3, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language |
| Government | Constitutional monarchy |
| - Head of State | Queen Elizabeth II |
| - Governor-General | Anand Satyanand |
| - Prime Minister | Helen Clark |
| Independence | |
| - Water (%) | 2.1% |
| Population | |
| - March 2006 estimate | 4,147,9725 (124th in 2005) |
| - 2006 census | 4,116,9006 |
| - Density |
15/km² (193rd) 39/sq mi |
| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate |
| - Total | 101.685 billion USD7 (58th) |
| - Per capita | 24,797 USD8 (27th) |
| HDI (2003) | 0.933 (high) (19th) |
| Currency | New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
| Time zone | NZST9 (UTC+12) |
| - Summer (DST) | NZDT (Oct-Mar) (UTC+13) |
| Internet TLD | .nz |
| Calling code | +64 |
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1 God Save The Queen is officially a national anthem but is generally used only on regal and vice-regal occasions. 2 Auckland is the largest urban area; (See Independence of New Zealand.) 5 6 Provisional 2006 census night population figure, which has limitations 7 Year to March 2006 GDP was 155.763 billion NZD 8 Year to March 2006 GDP per capita was 37,896 NZD 9 The Chatham Islands have a separate time zone, 45 minutes ahead of the rest of New Zealand |
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New Zealand is a country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean comprising two large islands (the North Island and the South Island) and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands. In Māori, New Zealand is also known as Aotearoa, which is usually paraphrased in English as the Land of the Long White Cloud.
The Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue, which are self-governing, but in free association;
New Zealand, along with Hawai'i and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) form what is known by anthropologists as the Triangle of Polynesia.
New Zealand is notable for its geographic isolation, being separated from Australia to the northwest by the Tasman Sea, some 2000 kilometres (1250 miles) across.
Elizabeth II, as the Queen of New Zealand, is the nominal Head of State and is represented, in her absence, by a non-partisan Governor-General; Political power is held by the democratically-elected Parliament of New Zealand under the leadership of the Prime Minister who is the Head of Government.
History
New Zealand is one of the most recently settled major land masses. New Zealand's Māori name, Aotearoa, is usually translated as "Land of the long white cloud", reputedly referring to the cloud the explorers saw on the horizon as they approached. linguistic evidence, in particular the innovations uniquely shared by the Moriori and Māori languages, indicates that they moved there from New Zealand.
The first Europeans known to have reached New Zealand were led by Abel Janszoon Tasman, who sailed up the west coasts of the South and North Islands in 1642. Staten Landt appeared on Tasman's first maps of New Zealand, but this was changed by Dutch cartographers to Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland, some time after Hendrik Brouwer proved the supposedly South American land to be an island in 1643. Captain James Cook subsequently called the archipelago New Zealand (a slight corruption, as Zealand is not an alternative spelling of Zeeland, a province in the Netherlands, but of Sjælland, the island in Denmark that includes Copenhagen), although the Māori names he recorded for the North and South Islands (as Aehei No Mouwe and Tovy Poenammu respectively) were rejected, and the main three islands became known as North, Middle and South, with the Middle Island being later called the South Island, and the earlier South Island becoming Stewart Island.
Concerned about the exploitation of Māori by Europeans, the British Colonial Office appointed James Busby as British Resident to New Zealand in 1832. In 1834, Busby convened the United Tribes of New Zealand to select a flag and declare their independence, which led to the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand. Increasing French interest in the region led the British to annex New Zealand by Royal Proclamation in January 1840. The Treaty was signed in February, and in recent years it has come to be seen as the founding document of New Zealand. Disputes over land sales and sovereignty caused the New Zealand land wars, which took place between 1845 and 1872.
New Zealand was initially administered as a part of the colony of New South Wales, and it became a separate colony in November 1840. New Zealand was involved in a Constitutional Convention in March 1891 in Sydney, New South Wales, along with the Australian colonies. New Zealand lost interest in joining Australia in a federation following this convention.
In 1893 New Zealand became the first nation to grant women the right to vote on the same basis as men;
New Zealand became an independent dominion on 26 September 1907, by Royal Proclamation. it was taken up upon the Statute's adoption by the New Zealand Parliament in 1947.
New Zealand was one of the first to join the Allies when it declared war on Germany on the 3rd of September, along with France, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada after the invasion of Poland in World War II. New Zealand troops fought in North Africa, Greece, Crete, Italy and in the Pacific.
In 1951, Australia, New Zealand and the United States formally became allies with the signing of the ANZUS Treaty. As a result, US warships could no longer enter New Zealand ports without declaring themselves to be free of nuclear weapons or power. As such a declaration would be against US Government policy, effectively the ships were banned from New Zealand. The United States suspended its obligations to New Zealand under the ANZUS Treaty.
Government
New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. Under the New Zealand Royal Titles Act (1953), Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of New Zealand and is represented as head of state by the Governor-General, Anand Satyanand.
New Zealand is the only country in the world in which all the highest offices in the land have been occupied simultaneously by women, between March 2005 and August 2006 - The Sovereign Queen Elizabeth II, Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright, Prime Minister Helen Clark, Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Margaret Wilson and Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias.
The New Zealand Parliament has only one chamber, the House of Representatives, which usually seats 120 Members of Parliament.
There is no written constitution: the Constitution Act 1986 is the principal formal statement of New Zealand's constitutional structure. In addition to the parties in formal coalition, New Zealand First and United Future provide confidence and supply in return for their leaders being ministers outside cabinet. The Greens, New Zealand First and United Future all vote against the government on some legislation.
Major political parties:
Labour Party (50 seats) National Party (48 seats)Minor political parties (in Parliament):
ACT New Zealand (2 seats) Green Party (6 seats) Jim Anderton's Progressive Party (1 seat) Māori Party (4 seats) New Zealand First (7 seats) United Future (3 seats)The highest court in New Zealand is the Supreme Court of New Zealand, which was established in 2004 following the passage of the Supreme Court Act 2003. New Zealand's judiciary also includes the High Court, which deals with serious criminal offences and civil matters, and the Court of Appeal, as well as subordinate courts.
Foreign relations and the military
New Zealand maintains a strong profile on environmental protection, human rights and free trade, particularly in agriculture.
New Zealand is a member of the following geo-political organisations: APEC, East Asia Summit, Commonwealth of Nations, OECD and the United Nations.
For its first hundred years, New Zealand followed the United Kingdom's lead on foreign policy. However New Zealand came under the influence of the United States of America for the generation following the war (although New Zealand does still have a good working relationship with the UK).
New Zealand has traditionally worked closely with Australia, whose foreign policy followed a similar historical trend. In turn, many Pacific Islands such as Western Samoa have looked to New Zealand's lead. The American influence on New Zealand was weakened by the disappointment with the Vietnam War, the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior by France, and by disagreements over environmental and agricultural trade issues and New Zealand's nuclear-free policy.
New Zealand is a party to the ANZUS security treaty between Australia, New Zealand and the United States. In 1986 the United States announced that it was suspending its treaty security obligations to New Zealand pending the restoration of port access. The New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987 prohibits the stationing of nuclear weapons on the territory of New Zealand and the entry into New Zealand waters of nuclear armed or propelled ships. This legislation remains a source of contention and the basis for the United States' continued suspension of treaty obligations to New Zealand.
In addition to the various wars between iwi, and between the British settlers and iwi, New Zealand has fought in the Second Boer War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency (and committed troops, fighters and bombers to the subsequent confrontation with Indonesia), the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the Afghanistan War, and briefly sent a unit of army engineers to help with rebuilding Iraqi infrastructure.
The New Zealand military has three branches: the New Zealand Army, the Royal New Zealand Navy, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. New Zealand considers its own national defence needs to be modest; New Zealand has contributed forces to recent regional and global peacekeeping missions, including those in Cyprus, Somalia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Sinai, Angola, Cambodia, the Iran/Iraq border, Bougainville and East Timor.
Local government and external territories
The early European settlers divided New Zealand into provinces. As a result, New Zealand has no separately represented subnational entities such as provinces, states or territories, apart from its local government. Since 1876, local government has administered the various regions of New Zealand.
Today New Zealand has 12 regional councils for the administration of environmental and transport matters and 74 territorial authorities that administer roading, sewerage, building consents, and other local matters.
As a major South Pacific nation, New Zealand has a close working relationship with many Pacific Island nations, and continues a political association with the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau.
Geography
New Zealand comprises two main islands (called the North and South Islands in English, Te-Ika-a-Maui and Te Wai Pounamu in Māori) and a number of smaller islands. The dramatic and varied landscape of New Zealand has made it a popular location for the production of television programmes and films, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the Last Samurai.
Flora and fauna
Because of its long isolation from the rest of the world and its island biogeography, New Zealand has extraordinary flora and fauna. About 80% of the New Zealand flora occurs only in New Zealand, including more than 40 endemic genera. Instead, New Zealand's forests were inhabited by a diverse range of birds including the flightless moa (now extinct), and the kiwi, kakapo, and takahē, all endangered by human actions. Reptiles present in New Zealand include skinks, geckos and tuatara.
New Zealand has led the world in clearing offshore islands of introduced mammalian pests and reintroducing rare native species to ensure their survival.
Economy
New Zealand has a modern developed economy with an estimated GDP of $101.685 billion (2005).
New Zealand is a country heavily dependent on trade, particularly in agricultural products, as almost 20% of the country's output is exported (by comparison it is 21% for the United Kingdom, 49% for Finland and 83% for Belgium). This leaves New Zealand particularly vulnerable to slumps in commodity prices and global economic slowdowns.
Traditionally, New Zealand enjoyed a high standard of living with stable commodity exports, based not least on a strong relationship with the United Kingdom. In 1973 the United Kingdom joined the then European Community and began to adhere to its trade policy and at the same time other factors such as the oil crises undermined the viability of the New Zealand economy. This lead to a protracted and very severe economic crisis, during which living standards in New Zealand fell behind those of Australia and Western Europe.
Since 1984, successive governments have engaged in major macroeconomic restructuring, transforming New Zealand from a highly protectionist and regulated economy to a liberalised free-trade economy. Pursuant to this policy, during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the New Zealand Government sold a number of former government owned enterprises including its telecommunications company, railway network, a number of radio stations, and two financial institutions. However, the New Zealand Government continues to own a number of significant businesses, collectively known as State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).
The current New Zealand government's economic objectives are centred on pursuing free-trade agreements and building a "knowledge economy".
In recent years, New Zealand has been perceived as a vigorous economy and attracted international attention. After the economic restructuring of the 1980s, the New Zealand economy sank into a recession starting with the sharemarket crash in October 1987. However in 1993 the economy rebounded smartly and apart from a smaller recession in the late 1990s, New Zealand enjoyed a substantial economic boom up until 2005.
Ongoing economic challenges for New Zealand include a current account deficit of 9% of GDP (), slow development of non-commodity exports, tepid growth of labour productivity, and an unofficial poverty rate of about twenty percent.
Demographics
New Zealand has a population of about 4.1 million. New Zealanders of European descent are collectively known as Pākehā - this term is used variously and some Māori use it to refer to all non-Māori New Zealanders. Most European New Zealanders are of British and Irish ancestry with smaller percentages of Dutch, South Slav, and/or Italian ancestry.
Culture
Contemporary New Zealand has a diverse culture with influences from English, Scottish, Irish, and Māori cultures, along with those of other European cultures and – more recently – Polynesian (including Samoan, Tongan, Niuean, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian, and Hawaiian), southern Asian (Indian), Southeast Asian (Filipino, Malaysian, Cambodian, and Vietnamese), and east Asian (Chinese, Korean, and Japanese) cultures. Cultural links between New Zealand and the United Kingdom are maintained by a common language, sustained migration from the United Kingdom and the fact that many young New Zealanders spend time in the United Kingdom on their "overseas experience" (OE).
New Zealand's landscape has appeared in a number of television programmes and films. The television series The Tribe is set and filmed in New Zealand. New Zealand director Peter Jackson shot the epic The Lord of the Rings film trilogy in various locations around the country, taking advantage of the spectacular and relatively unspoiled landscapes, and Mount Taranaki was used as a stand-in for Mount Fuji in The Last Samurai. New Zealand has also become a popular filming site for Indian movie makers.
New Zealand music is a vibrant expression of the culture of New Zealand. As the largest nation in Polynesia, New Zealand's music is influenced by the indigenous Māori and immigrants from the Pacific region. The origins of New Zealand's musical culture lie in its British colonial history, with contributions from Europe and America. Local artists have mixed these styles with local influences to create music that is uniquely New Zealand in style.
Sports
New Zealand's national sport is rugby union, with other popular sports including, cricket, netball, lawn bowling, soccer (perhaps surprisingly, the most popular football code in terms of participation in New Zealand) and rugby league. In the latter, New Zealand enjoyed an extraordinary magic 45 minutes when winning four successive gold medals at the 2005 world championships. See, for example, New Zealand Olympic medallists and New Zealand at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Rugby union
Rugby union is closely linked to New Zealand's national identity. New Zealand's national sporting colours are black and white (silver). The silver fern is a national emblem worn by New Zealanders representing their country in sport and also features as the name of New Zealand's highly successful national netball team, the Silver Ferns.
Yachting and the America's Cup
New Zealand is one of the leading nations in world yachting, especially open-water long-distance or round-the-world races. In 2000, Team New Zealand successfully defended the trophy they had won in 1995 in San Diego, which made them the only team outside the United States to successfully defend a challenge, but in 2003 they lost to a team headed by Ernesto Bertarelli of Switzerland, whose Alinghi syndicate was skippered by Russell Coutts, the former skipper of Team New Zealand.
Team New Zealand will compete for the America's Cup at the next regatta in Valencia in 2007.
Public holidays
There are two types of public holidays in New Zealand:
Statutory Holidays, which are legislated by law; political rights and civil liberties both rated 1 (the highest score available) Press freedom - 12th freest in the world at 2.00 GDP per capita - 27th highest in the world at I$24,769 Human Development Index - 19th highest in world at 0.933 Income Equality - 53rd most equal in world at 36.2 (Gini Index) Literacy Rate - Equal first with a ranking of 99.9% Unemployment rate - 22nd lowest in the world at 3.40% Corruption - 2nd equal least corrupt in world at 9.6 on index Economic Freedom - 9th equal freest at 1.84 on index
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