New Zealand
Country Guide

Explore New Zealand

New Zealand with its capital Wellington is located in Oceania (Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean). It covers some 268,839 square kilometers (almost twice the size of North Carolina) with 4,510,330 citizens. English and Maori are the common languages used in New Zealand. This country shares no land borders with another country.

New Zealand is known in the native Maori language as Aotearoa, often translated as The land of the long white cloud. New Zealand is a country of stunning and diverse natural beauty which includes: jagged mountains, steep fiords, pristine lakes, raging rivers, scenic beaches, and active volcanic features. The islands are one of Earth's richest flora zones and is inhabited by some unique fauna, including many flightless birds such as the kiwi, which is the national symbol. The country is sparsely populated but easily accessible. New Zealand has modern visitor facilities, and developed transportation networks. New Zealand consists of two main islands and many smaller ones in the South Pacific Ocean approximately 1,600 km (1,000 mi) southeast of Australia. With a population of four million in a country about the size of the United Kingdom, many areas are sparsely settled.

Popular Destinations in New Zealand

Administrative regions of New Zealand

• Auckland
• Bay of Plenty
• Canterbury
• Chatham Islands
• Gisborne
• Hawke's Bay
• Manawatu-Wanganui
• Marlborough
• Nelson
• Northland
• Otago
• Southland
• Taranaki
• Tasman
• Waikato
• Wellington
• West Coast

About the country

The landscape is predominately mountainous with large coastal plains. The average density of population is about 17 per km². The climate in New Zealand can be described as temperate with sharp regional contrasts. Potential threats by nature are earthquakes are common, though usually not severe, significant volcanism on North Island; Ruapehu (2,797 m), which last erupted in 2007, has a history of large eruptions in the past century; Taranaki has the potential to produce dangerous avalanches and lahars; other historically active volcanoes include and volcanic activity.

To reach someone New Zealand dial +64 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".nz". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 230 V - 50 Hz (plugs: I). The sign for the locally used currency Dollar is NZD.

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.

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. 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. New Zealand assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 77)	268,838	sq km
Land (World Rank: 76)	264,537	sq km
Water (World Rank: 71)	4,301	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 36)	41.10	%
Comparative	almost twice the size of North Carolina; about the size of Colorado
Note	includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Coastline
15134
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 49)	3,724	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 93)	43.20	%
Arable (World Rank: 186)	1.80	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 161)	0.30	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 36)	41.10	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 51)	7,210	sq km
Map reference
Oceania
Environment
Issues	- deforestation - native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species - soil erosion
Agreement party	- Antarctic Treaty - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol - Antarctic-Marine Living Resources - 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
Agreement signed	- Antarctic Seals - Marine Life Conservation
Hazzards	- earthquakes are common, though usually not severe - significant volcanism on North Island; Ruapehu (2,797 m), which last erupted in 2007, has a history of large eruptions in the past century; Taranaki has the potential to produce dangerous avalanches and lahars; other historically active volcanoes include - volcanic activity
Location
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Climate
temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain
predominately mountainous with large coastal plains

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 126)	4,510,330
Deathrate (World Rank: 107)	0.75	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 148)	1.32	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 131)	0.79	%
Migration rate (World Rank: 42)	0.22	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 114)	2.02	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 56)	37.10
Female (World Rank: 61)	38.80
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 129)	454,982
0 14 female (World Rank: 127)	432,877
15 24 male (World Rank: 128)	309,707
15 24 female (World Rank: 127)	292,586
25 54 male (World Rank: 126)	900,374
25 54 female (World Rank: 123)	895,615
55 64 male (World Rank: 99)	261,097
55 64 female (World Rank: 100)	275,151
65 x male (World Rank: 85)	318,089
65 x female (World Rank: 90)	369,849
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 178)	0.44	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 28)	81	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 32)	84	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 23)	79	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 45)	2.85
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 91)	2.30
Obesity adult (World Rank: 22)	30.80	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 10)	100.00	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 57)	42,770,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 56)	39,930,000,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 191)	24.00	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 30)	56.50	%
Source renew (World Rank: 29)	19.70	%
Crude oil
Production (World Rank: 59)	34,730	bbl / day
Exports (World Rank: 49)	30,560	bbl / day
Imports (World Rank: 43)	109,200	bbl / day
Proved reserves (World Rank: 78)	56,900,000	bbl
Refined products
Production (World Rank: 64)	117,100	bbl / day
Consumption (World Rank: 62)	167,700	bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 100)	3,863	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 76)	54,750	bbl / day
Natural gas
Production (World Rank: 50)	4,954,000,000	m³
Consumption (World Rank: 55)	9,080,000,000	m³
Carbon footprint
37000000

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Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 28)	6	% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 107)	1	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 14)	11	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 28)	1	% of GDP
National symbol
Southern Cross constellation
National colours
white
Adjective
New Zealand
Noun
New Zealander(s)
Background
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. 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. New Zealand assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2015-16 term.
Flag description
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

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 69)	176,400,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 74)	3.60	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 48)	37,200	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 141)	3.90	%
Source industry (World Rank: 108)	26.30	%
Source service (World Rank: 68)	69.80	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 113)	2,598,000
Products
Industries	- agriculture - construction - financial services - fishing - forestry - logs - manufacturing - mining - real estate services - tourism - wood articles
Agriculture	- barley - beef - dairy products - fruit - poultry - seafood - sheep - vegetables - wheat - wine
Exports	- crude oil - dairy products - edible offal - fruit - logs - meat - wine - wood articles
Imports	- electrical machinery - mechanical machinery - parts - petroleum - products - textiles - vehicles

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 59)	1,820,000
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 34)	41.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 52)	130.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 88)	3,958,640
Population (World Rank: 27)	88.50	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 52)	39.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 41)	84.00
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 44)	4,128
Road
Total length (World Rank: 52)	94,902
Paved length (World Rank: 42)	62,759
Unpaved length (World Rank: 48)	32,143

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