Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1952)

Governor-General: Anand Satyanand (2006)

Prime Minister: Helen Clark (1999)

Land area: 103,483 sq mi (268,021 sq km); total area: 103,738 sq mi (268,680 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 4,076,140 (growth rate: 1.0%); birth rate: 13.8/1000; infant mortality rate: 5.8/1000; life expectancy: 78.8; density per sq mi: 39

Capital (2003 est.): Wellington, 342,500 (metro. area), 165,100 (city proper)

Largest cities: Auckland, 369,300 (metro. area), 359,500 (city proper); Christchurch, 334,100

Monetary unit: New Zealand dollar

Languages: English, Maori (both official)

Ethnicity/race: European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Pacific Islander 4.4%, Asian 5.7%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001)

Religions: Anglican 15%, Roman Catholic 12%, Presbyterian 11%, Methodist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Baptist 1%, other Christian 9%, none 26% (2001)

Literacy rate: 99% (1980 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $97.59 billion; per capita $24,200. Real growth rate: 2.5%. Inflation: 3%. Unemployment: 4%. Arable land: 6%. Agriculture: wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, lamb and mutton, dairy products; fish. Labor force: 2.13 million: services 65%, industry 25%, agriculture 10% (1995). Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining. Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone. Exports: $22.21 billion (2005 est.): dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery. Imports: $24.57 billion (2005 est.): machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics. Major trading partners: Australia, U.S., Japan, China, UK, Germany (2004).

Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 1.92 million (2000); mobile cellular: 2.2 million (2000). 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 Service Providers (ISPs): 36 (2000). Internet users: 2.06 million (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 3,898 km (2002). Highways: total: 92,053 km; paved: 57,809 km (including at least 190 km of expressways); unpaved: 34,244 km (2000). Waterways: 1,609 km; of little importance to transportation. Ports and harbors: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga, Wellington. Airports: 113 (2002).

International disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency).


 

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