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New Zealand

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; Geography of
Oceania (Australasia)

                                New Zealand
   Aotearoa ( Māori)

   Flag of New Zealand Coat of Arms of New Zealand
   Flag                Coat of Arms
   Motto: none (formerly "Onward")
   Anthem: God Defend New Zealand
   God Save The Queen^1
   Location of New Zealand
          Capital         Wellington
                          41°17′S 174°47′E
        Largest city      Auckland^2
     Official languages   English^3, Māori,
                          New Zealand
                          Sign Language
   Government             Constitutional monarchy
    - Head of State       Queen Elizabeth II
    - Governor-General    Anand Satyanand
    - Prime Minister      Helen Clark
        Independence
    - from the UK         September 26, 1907^4
                                   Area
    - Total               268,680 km² ( 75th)
                          103,738 sq mi
    - Water (%)           2.1%
                                Population
    - March 2006 estimate 4,147,972^5 ( 124th in 2005)
    - 2006 census         4,116,900^6
    - Density             15/km² ( 193rd)
                          39/sq mi
         GDP ( PPP)       2005 estimate
    - Total               101.685 billion USD^7 ( 58th)
    - Per capita          24,797 USD^8 ( 27th)
        HDI  (2003)       0.933 (high) ( 19th)
          Currency        New Zealand dollar ( NZD)
         Time zone        NZST^9 ( UTC+12)
    - Summer ( DST)       NZDT (Oct-Mar) ( UTC+13)
        Internet TLD      .nz
        Calling code      +64
   ^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; Auckland City is the largest
   incorporated city.
   ^3 English is a de facto official language; the other two have de jure
   official status.
   ^4 There is a multitude of dates that could be considered to give
   independence. (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

   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
   translated into 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; Tokelau; and the Ross
   Dependency (New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica).

   New Zealand, 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. Its closest neighbours to the north are New
   Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga.

   The population is mostly of European descent, with the indigenous Māori
   being the largest minority. Non-Māori Polynesian and Asian people are
   also significant minorities, especially in the cities.

   Elizabeth II, as the Queen of New Zealand, is the Head of State and is
   represented, in her absence, by a non-partisan Governor-General; the
   Queen 'reigns but does not rule', so she has no real political
   influence. 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.
   Polynesian settlers arrived in their waka some time between the 11th
   century and the 13th century to establish the indigenous Māori culture.
   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. Settlement of the Chatham
   Islands to the east of the mainland produced the Moriori people;
   linguistic evidence, in particular the innovations uniquely shared by
   the Moriori and Māori languages, indicates that they moved there from
   New Zealand. Most of New Zealand was divided into tribal territories
   called rohe, resources within which were controlled by hapū
   ('subtribes'). Māori adapted their tropically-based culture to eating
   the local marine resources, flora and fauna for food. They also hunted
   the giant flightless moa (which soon became extinct). They showed great
   ingenuity in adapting their tropical agricultural technology to a
   temperate climate, successfully cultivating taro, gourds, kumara (sweet
   potato), and other plants which they introduced from Polynesia; it is
   thought that kūmara were grown as far south as Banks Peninsula in the
   middle of the South Island. While it was fairly easy to grow these
   crops in the north, these warm-climate crops were impractical in the
   south of the South Island. However, inter-regional trade and the
   exploitation of the few food plants of the local flora made up the
   difference. They also introduced other plants such as the paper
   mulberry or 'aute', used to make barkcloth for kites and for personal
   adornment.

   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. He named it Staten Landt, believing it to be part of
   the land Jacob Le Maire had seen in 1616 off the coast of Chile. 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. The Latin Nova
   Zeelandia became Nieuw Zeeland in Dutch. 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. Cook began extensive
   surveys of the islands in 1769, leading to European whaling expeditions
   and eventually significant European colonisation. From as early as the
   1780s, Māori had encounters with European sealers and whalers.
   Acquisition of muskets by those iwi in close contact with European
   visitors destabilised the existing balance of power between Māori
   tribes and there was a temporary but intense period of bloody
   inter-tribal warfare, known as the Musket Wars, which ceased only when
   all iwi were so armed.
   Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
   Enlarge
   Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi

   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. This declaration
   did not allay the fears of the Church Missionary Society, who continued
   lobbying for British annexation. Increasing French interest in the
   region led the British to annex New Zealand by Royal Proclamation in
   January 1840. To legitimise the British annexation, Lieutenant Governor
   William Hobson had been dispatched in 1839; he hurriedly negotiated the
   Treaty of Waitangi with northern iwi on his arrival. The Treaty was
   signed in February, and in recent years it has come to be seen as the
   founding document of New Zealand. The Māori translation of the treaty
   promised the Māori tribes " tino rangatiratanga" would be preserved in
   return for ceding kawanatanga, which the English version translates as
   "chieftainship" and "sovereignty"; the real meanings are now disputed.
   Disputes over land sales and sovereignty caused the New Zealand land
   wars, which took place between 1845 and 1872. In 1975 the Treaty of
   Waitangi Act established the Waitangi Tribunal, charged with hearing
   claims of Crown violations of the Treaty of Waitangi. Some Māori tribes
   and the Moriori never signed the treaty.
   A controversial incident during the land wars
   Enlarge
   A controversial incident during the land wars

   New Zealand was initially administered as a part of the colony of New
   South Wales, and it became a separate colony in November 1840. The
   first capital was Okiato or old Russell in the Bay of Islands but it
   soon moved to Auckland. European settlement progressed more rapidly
   than anyone anticipated, and settlers soon outnumbered Māori.
   Self-government was granted to the settler population in 1852. There
   were political concerns following the discovery of gold in Central
   Otago in 1861 that the South Island would form a separate colony, so in
   1865 the capital was moved to the more central Wellington. New Zealand
   was involved in a Constitutional Convention in March 1891 in Sydney,
   New South Wales, along with the Australian colonies. This was to
   consider a potential constitution for the proposed federation between
   all the Australasian 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; however, women were not eligible to
   stand for parliament until 1919.

   New Zealand became an independent dominion on 26 September 1907, by
   Royal Proclamation. Full independence was granted by the United Kingdom
   Parliament with the Statute of Westminster in 1931; it was taken up
   upon the Statute's adoption by the New Zealand Parliament in 1947.
   Since then New Zealand has been a sovereign constitutional monarchy
   within the Commonwealth of Nations.

   New Zealand was one of the first to join the Allies when it declared
   war on Germany on 3 September 1939, along with France, the United
   Kingdom, Australia and Canada after the invasion of Poland. New Zealand
   troops fought in North Africa, Greece, Crete, Italy and in the Pacific.
   The navy and airforce were also involved.

   In 1951, Australia, New Zealand and the United States formally became
   allies with the signing of the ANZUS Treaty. In 1985, New Zealand
   declared itself a nuclear-free zone. 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

     Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand wearing her New Zealand
                                                                  honours.
                                                                   Enlarge
     Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand wearing her New Zealand
                                                                  honours.

   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, currently 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.
   Parliamentary general elections are held every three years under a form
   of proportional representation called Mixed Member Proportional. The
   2005 General Election created an ' overhang' of one extra seat,
   occupied by the Māori Party, due to that party winning more seats in
   electorates than the number of seats its proportion of the party vote
   would have given it.
   Beehive, Parliament Buildings
   Enlarge
   Beehive, Parliament Buildings

   There is no written constitution: the Constitution Act 1986 is the
   principal formal statement of New Zealand's constitutional structure.
   The Governor-General has the power to appoint and dismiss Prime
   Ministers and to dissolve Parliament. The Governor-General also chairs
   the Executive Council, which is a formal committee consisting of all
   ministers of the Crown. Members of the Executive Council are required
   to be Members of Parliament, and most are also in Cabinet. Cabinet is
   the most senior policy-making body and is led by the Prime Minister,
   who is also, by convention, the Parliamentary leader of the governing
   party or coalition.

   The current Prime Minister is Helen Clark, leader of the Labour Party.
   She is serving her third term as Prime Minister. On 17 October 2005 she
   announced that she had come to a complex arrangement that guaranteed
   the support of enough parties for her Labour-led coalition to govern.
   The formal coalition consists of the Labour Party and Jim Anderton, the
   Progressive Party's only MP. 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. A
   further arrangement has been made with the Green Party, which has given
   a commitment not to vote against the government on confidence and
   supply. This commitment assures the government of a majority of seven
   MPs on confidence.

   The Leader of the Opposition, National Party leader Don Brash, formerly
   Governor of the Reserve Bank announced his resignation on November 23,
   2006. Although John Key seems the most likely candidate to replace
   Brash, it is unknown whether this will be the case. The ACT party and
   the Māori Party are both also in opposition. 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. The Act abolished the option to appeal Court of Appeal
   rulings to the Privy Council in London. The current Chief Justice is
   Dame Sian Elias. New Zealand's judiciary also includes the High Court,
   which deals with serious criminal offences and civil matters, and the
   Court of Appeal, and 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. It has signed up to a number of free trade agreements, of
   which the most important is Closer Economic Relations with Australia.

   For its first hundred years, New Zealand followed the United Kingdom's
   lead on foreign policy. "Where she goes, we go; where she stands, we
   stand", said Prime Minister Michael Savage, in declaring war on Germany
   on 3 September 1939. 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 February 1985 New Zealand refused
   nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships access to its ports. 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; it
   dismantled its air combat capability in 2001. 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

   A map of New Zealand showing the major cities and towns
   Enlarge
   A map of New Zealand showing the major cities and towns

   The early European settlers divided New Zealand into provinces. These
   were abolished in 1876 so that government could be centralised, for
   financial reasons. As a result, New Zealand has no separately
   represented subnational entities such as provinces, states or
   territories, apart from its local government. The spirit of the
   provinces however still lives on, and there is fierce rivalry exhibited
   in sporting and cultural events. Since 1876, local government has
   administered the various regions of New Zealand. In 1989, the
   government completely reorganised local government, implementing the
   current two-tier structure of regional councils and territorial
   authorities.

   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. The territorial authorities are 16 city councils, 57 district
   councils, and the Chatham Islands County Council. Four of the
   territorial councils (one city and three districts) and the Chatham
   Islands County Council also perform the functions of a regional council
   and thus are known as unitary authorities. Territorial authority
   districts are not subdivisions of regional council districts, and a few
   of them straddle regional council boundaries.

   Regions are (asterisks denote unitary authorities): Northland,
   Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne*, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki,
   Manawatu-Wanganui, Wellington, Marlborough*, Nelson*, Tasman*, West
   Coast, Canterbury, Otago, Southland, Chatham Islands*.

   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. New
   Zealand operates Scott Base in its Antarctic territory, the Ross
   Dependency. Other countries also use Christchurch to support their
   Antarctic bases and the city is sometimes known as the "Gateway to
   Antarctica".

Geography

   A satellite image of New Zealand. Lake Taupo and Mount Ruapehu are
   visible in the centre of the North Island. The Southern Alps and the
   rain shadow they create are clearly visible in the South Island
   Enlarge
   A satellite image of New Zealand. Lake Taupo and Mount Ruapehu are
   visible in the centre of the North Island. The Southern Alps and the
   rain shadow they create are clearly visible in the South Island

   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 total land area, 268,680 square
   kilometres (103,738 sq miles), is a little less than that of Italy and
   Japan, and a little more than the United Kingdom. The country extends
   more than 1600 kilometres (1000 miles) along its main, north-north-east
   axis, with approximately 15,134 km of coastline. The most significant
   of the smaller inhabited islands include Stewart Island/Rakiura;
   Waiheke Island, in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf; Great Barrier Island, east
   of the Hauraki Gulf; and the Chatham Islands, named Rēkohu by Moriori.
   The country has extensive marine resources, with the seventh-largest
   Exclusive Economic Zone in the world, covering over four million square
   kilometres (1.5 million sq mi), more than 15 times its land area.

   The South Island is the largest land mass, and is divided along its
   length by the Southern Alps, the highest peak of which is Aoraki/Mount
   Cook at 3754  metres (12,316  ft). There are 18 peaks of more than
   3000 metres (9800 ft) in the South Island. The North Island is less
   mountainous than the South, but is marked by volcanism. The tallest
   North Island mountain, Mount Ruapehu (2797 m / 9176 ft), is an active
   cone volcano. 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.
   Aoraki/Mount Cook is the tallest mountain in New Zealand.
   Enlarge
   Aoraki/Mount Cook is the tallest mountain in New Zealand.

   The climate throughout the country is mild, mostly cool temperate to
   warm temperate, with temperatures rarely falling below 0° C (32° F) or
   rising above 30°C (86°F). Conditions vary from wet and cold on the West
   Coast of the South Island to dry and continental in the Mackenzie Basin
   of inland Canterbury and almost subtropical in Northland. Of the main
   cities, Christchurch is the driest, receiving only some 640 mm (25  in)
   of rain per year. Auckland, the wettest, receives almost twice that
   amount.

Flora and fauna

   Crowns of two kauri trees
   Enlarge
   Crowns of two kauri trees

   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. The two main types of forest have been
   dominated by podocarps including the giant kauri and southern beech.
   The remaining vegetation types in New Zealand are grasslands of tussock
   and other grasses, usually in sub-alpine areas, and the low shrublands
   between grasslands and forests.

   Until the arrival of humans, 80% of the land was forested and, barring
   three species of bat (one now extinct), there were no non-marine
   mammals. 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. Unique birds
   capable of flight include the Haast's eagle, which was the world's
   largest bird of prey (now extinct), and the large kākā and kea parrots.
   Reptiles present in New Zealand include skinks, geckos and tuatara.
   There are four endemic species of primitive frogs. There are no snakes
   and there is only one venomous spider, the katipo, which is rare and
   restricted to coastal regions. However, there are many endemic species
   of insects, including the weta, one species of which may grow as large
   as a house mouse and is the heaviest insect in the world.

   New Zealand has led the world in clearing offshore islands of
   introduced mammalian pests and reintroducing rare native species to
   ensure their survival. A more recent development is the mainland
   ecological island.

Economy

   Auckland, the economic capital of the country, with the Sky Tower in
   the background.
   Enlarge
   Auckland, the economic capital of the country, with the Sky Tower in
   the background.

   New Zealand has a modern developed economy with an estimated GDP of
   $101.685 billion (2005).

   The country has a high standard of living with GDP per capita estimated
   at $26,400 (comparative figures are Australia $31,900 and United States
   $41,800). The standard of living has also been measured in other forms,
   including being ranked 19th on the 2005 Human Development Index and
   15th in The Economist's 2005 world-wide quality-of-life index.

   The tertiary sector is the largest sector in the economy and
   constitutes 67.6% of GDP, followed by the secondary sector on 27.8% and
   the primary sector on 4.7% (2005 estimate).

   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.
   Its principal export industries are agriculture, horticulture, fishing
   and forestry making up about half of the country's exports. Its major
   export partners are Australia 22.4%, US 11.3%, Japan 11.2%, China 9.7%,
   Germany 5.2% (2004). This is a dramatic change from 1965, when the
   United Kingdom received over half of New Zealand’s exports.

   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 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 government
   continues to own a number of significant businesses, collectively known
   as State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). These SOEs are operated through
   arms-length shareholding arrangements and are required to operate
   profitably, just like privately-owned enterprises.

   The current government's economic objectives are centred on pursuing
   free-trade agreements and building a " knowledge economy". In 2004 the
   government began discussing a free trade agreement with the People's
   Republic of China, one of the first countries to do so.

   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. The recession deepened in
   the early 1990s when unemployment topped 10%. 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. New Zealand’s unemployment rate is now the second lowest of the
   27 OECD nations with comparable data.

   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. About 80% of the
   population are of European descent. 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.

   Indigenous Māori people are the largest non-European ethnic group (the
   percentage of the population of full or part-Māori ancestry is 14.7%;
   those who checked Māori only are 7.9%). Between the 1996 and 2001
   census, the number of people of Asian origin (6.6%) overtook the number
   of people of Pacific Island origin (6.5%) (note that the census allowed
   multiple ethnic affiliations). New Zealand has relatively open
   immigration policies; its government is committed to increasing its
   population by about 1% annually. At present, immigrants from the United
   Kingdom constitute the largest single group (30%) but immigrants are
   drawn from many nations, and increasingly from East Asia ( Chinese,
   Japanese and Korean are the most numerous of this group, but includes
   Southeast Asian and Indian peoples).

   According to the 2001 census Christianity is the predominant religion
   with around 60% identification. Around 30% identified that they were
   "non-religious", and 6% objected to answering, leaving only 4% for
   other religions. The main Christian denominations are Anglicanism,
   Roman Catholicism, Presbyterianism and Methodism. There are also
   significant numbers who identify themselves with Pentecostal and
   Baptist churches and with the LDS (Mormon) church. The New
   Zealand-based Ratana church has many adherents among Māori. According
   to census figures, other significant minority religions include
   Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism.

Culture

   Late twentieth-century house-post depicting the navigator Kupe fighting
   two sea creatures.
   Twilight bagpipe band practice, Napier.
   Enlarge
   Twilight bagpipe band practice, Napier.

   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.
   Although primary migration was from England there were also many people
   from Scotland amongst the early British settlers and elements of their
   culture persist; New Zealand is said to have more pipebands than
   Scotland. 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).

   Pre-European contact Māori culture had no metal tools, relying on stone
   and wood. Māori culture survives as Māori continue to support and
   develop their culture on their own terms and conditions - much as any
   other living and thriving culture does in the world.

   Use of the Māori language (Te Reo Māori) as a living, community
   language remained only in a few remote areas in the post-war years, but
   is currently undergoing a renaissance, thanks in part to Māori language
   medium schools and a Māori television channel after being set up from
   recommendations set down by the Waitangi Tribunal. Māori Television is
   the only nationwide television channel to have the majority of its
   prime-time content delivered in Māori (sometimes with sub-titles in
   English). Māori Television is also the only television channel that
   tries to generate new content in Māori and subtitles English programmes
   in Māori. None of the other television channels present a substantial
   number of Māori programmes, or subtitle English language programmes in
   Māori, despite the fact that it is an official language equal to
   English.

   New Zealand's landscape has appeared in a number of television
   programmes and films. In particular, the television series Hercules:
   The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess were filmed around
   Auckland, and the film Heavenly Creatures in Christchurch. 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. The latest
   major movies shot in New Zealand are King Kong and The Chronicles of
   Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. New Zealand has also
   become a popular filming site for Indian movie makers.

   Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu is the
   longest Māori word. It is the name of a hill in the Hawke's Bay region
   of the North Island. The Guinness Book of World Records lists this as
   the longest geographical name in the world.

   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. Also popular are golf, tennis,
   cycling, softball (current Men's International Softball Federation
   World Champions, 1996, 2000, 2004) and a variety of water sports,
   particularly surfing, sailing, whitewater kayaking, surf lifesaving
   skills and rowing. In the latter, New Zealand enjoyed an extraordinary
   magic 45 minutes when winning four successive gold medals at the 2005
   world championships. Snow sports such as skiing and snowboarding are
   also popular. Equestrian sportsmen and sportswomen make their mark in
   the world, with Mark Todd being chosen international "Horseman of the
   Century", and many juniors at pony club level.

Olympic Games

   The country is internationally recognised for performing extremely well
   on a medals-to-population ratio at Olympic Games and Commonwealth
   Games. 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. The
   national rugby team, the All Blacks, has the best winning record of any
   national team. They hosted and won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in
   1987, and will host the 2011 Rugby Union World Cup. Variations of the
   phrase "All Black" have been adapted by several other national sporting
   codes such as the basketball team (the Tall Blacks), the cricket team (
   Black Caps) and the hockey team ( Black Sticks). The soccer team is
   called the All Whites. 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. The haka, a traditional Māori challenge, is often
   performed at sporting events and the All Blacks traditionally perform a
   haka before the start of international matches. See Haka of the All
   Blacks.

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. Round-the-world
   yachtsman Sir Peter Blake was a national hero. In inshore yachting,
   Auckland hosted the last two America's Cup regattas ( 2000 and 2003).
   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. The team manager is Grant Dalton.

Public holidays

   There are two types of public holidays in New Zealand:
     * Statutory Holidays, which are legislated by law;
     * Provincial Anniversary Days, which commemorate the founding of the
       province or an early settlement event.

   Under current legislation, workers who work on a public holiday must be
   given equivalent time off on another day, and be paid time-and-a-half.

International rankings

Political and economic rankings

   New Zealand is one of the least corrupt countries, according to
   Transparency International.
   Enlarge
   New Zealand is one of the least corrupt countries, according to
   Transparency International.
     * Political freedom ratings - Free; political rights and civil
       liberties both rated 1 (the highest score available)
          + Press freedom - 12th freest, at 2.00
     * GDP per capita - 27th highest, at I$24,769
     * Human Development Index - 19th highest, at 0.933
     * Income Equality - 53rd most equal, at 36.2 ( Gini Index)
     * Literacy Rate - Equal first, at 99.9%
     * Unemployment rate - 22nd lowest, at 3.40%
     * Corruption - 1st equal least corrupt, at 9.6 on index
     * Economic Freedom - 9th equal freest, at 1.84 on index

Health rankings

     * Fertility rate- 140th most fertile, at 1.79 per woman
          + Birth rate - 140th most births, at 13.90 per 1000 people
               o Infant mortality - 192nd most deaths, at 5.85 per 1000
                 live births
     * Death rate - 115th highest death rate, at 7.52 per 1000 people
     * Life Expectancy - 22nd highest, at 78.81 years
          + Suicide Rate - 35th highest suicide rate, at 19.8 for males
            and 4.2 for females
     * HIV/AIDS rate - 149th most cases, at 0.10%

Other rankings

     * CO[2] emissions - 32nd highest emissions, at 8.7 tonnes per capita
     * Electricity Consumption - 48th highest consumption of electricity,
       at 37,030,000,000 kWh
     * Broadband uptake - 22nd highest uptake in OECD, at 8.1%
     * Beer consumption - 16th highest, at 77.0 litres per capita

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