Legend:
 Definition
 Field
Listing
 Rank
Order
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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
contiguous zone: 24 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: 5.54%
permanent crops: 6.92%
other: 87.54% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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2,850 sq km (2003)
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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 invasive species |
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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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4,115,771 (July 2007 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 20.8% (male 437,547/female 417,698)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 1,393,057/female 1,378,358)
65 years and over: 11.9% (male 214,189/female
274,922) (2007 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 34.2 years
male: 33.5 years
female: 35 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.95% (2007 est.)
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Birth rate:
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13.61 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.54 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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3.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.011 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.779 male(s)/female
total population: 0.987 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 5.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.48 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 78.96 years
male: 75.97 years
female: 82.08 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.79 children born/woman (2007 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), Sign Language
(official) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.) |
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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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name: Wellington
geographic coordinates: 41 28 S, 174 51 E
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of
Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in
October; ends third Sunday in March
note: New Zealand is divided into two time zones,
including Chatham Island |
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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); ANZAC Day
(commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of troops of
the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I
at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915) |
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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 Anand SATYANAND
(since 23 August 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since
10 December 1999); Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN
(since 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; 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 5.7%, Green Party 5.3%, Maori 2.1%, UF
2.7%, ACT New Zealand 1.5%, Progressive 1.2%, other 1.3%;
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]; Maori Party [Whatarangi WINIATA]; National
Party or NP [John KEY]; 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, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, NAM
(guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, 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 Roy N. FERGUSON
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 William P. McCORMICK
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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Government - note:
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while not an official symbol, the Kiwi, a small native
flightless bird, represents New Zealand
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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
eight consecutive years and reached $26,000 in 2006 in
purchasing power parity terms. Consumer and government
spending have driven growth in recent years, and exports
picked up in 2006 after struggling for several years.
Exports are equal to about 24% of GDP, down from 33 percent
of GDP in 2001. 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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$106.9 billion (2006 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$98.39 billion (2006 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.5% (2006 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$26,200 (2006 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 4.3%
industry: 26.9%
services: 68.8% (2006 est.)
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Labor force:
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2.199 million (2006 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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3.8% (2006 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%: NA
highest 10%: NA (1991 est.) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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36.2 (1997)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.4% (2006 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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23% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $45.04 billion
expenditures: $40.98 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
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Public debt:
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21.2% of GDP (2006 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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1.2% (2006 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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41.59 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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38.55 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2005)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2005)
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Oil - production:
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27,860 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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150,600 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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15,720 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports:
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140,900 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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51.48 million bbl (1 January 2005)
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Natural gas - production:
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3.913 billion cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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3.913 billion cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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24.44 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
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Current account balance:
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-$9.373 billion (2006 est.) |
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Exports:
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$22.49 billion (2006 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 20.5%, US 13.1%, Japan 10.3%, China 5.4%, UK 4.9%
(2006) |
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Imports:
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$24.61 billion (2006 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 20.5%, China 12.3%, US 11.8%, Japan 9.2%, Germany
4.4%, Singapore 4.4% (2006)
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Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, NA (2006 est.)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$14.07 billion (2006 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$45.81 billion (2006 est.) |
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
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$63.12 billion
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
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$NA |
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$40.62 billion (2005)
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Currency (code):
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New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
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Exchange rates:
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New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203
(2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March
note: this is the fiscal year for tax purposes |
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Airports:
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121 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 41
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 26
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 80
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 31
under 914 m: 46 (2007) |
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Pipelines:
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condensate 224 km; gas 1,693 km; liquid petroleum gas 45 km;
oil 280 km; refined products 288 km (2006) |
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Railways:
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total: 4,128 km
narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km
electrified) (2006) |
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Roadways:
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total: 92,931 km
paved: 59,783 km (includes 171 km of expressways)
unpaved: 33,148 km (2003) |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 108,667 GRT/89,458
DWT
by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 1, passenger/cargo 4,
petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1)
registered in other countries: 8 (Antigua and Barbuda
2, Cook Islands 1, Dominica 3, France 1, UK 1) (2007) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Auckland, Lyttelton, Tauranga, Wellington, Whangarei |
This page was last updated on 15
November, 2007
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