| National capital: Wellington |
| Land Mass: total 268,680 sq. km land: 268,670 sq. km water |
| Population: 3.8 million (1998) |
| Population growth rate: 1.04% (1998) |
Ethnic groups:
New Zealand Europeans 71.1%,
Maori 14.5%,
Pacific Islanders 4.7%,
Asians and others 9.1% |
Main Cities:
(note: about 80% of the population live in cities )
Auckland (1.2 million)
Wellington (347,000)
Christchurch (340,000)
Hamilton (165,000)
Dunedin (113,000) |
Climate
Temperate with sharp regional contrasts |
Time Zones
New Zealand has a single universal time zone. The country, close to the international date line, is 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (including 30 minutes permanent saving time).
Daylight Saving Time - an advance of 1 hour - is observed from October to early in March. |
National Emblem
The flightless Kiwi bird. |
Currency
1 New Zealand dollar (NZ $) = 100 cents |
| Exchange rate: US $1 = NZ $ 2 |
Political System
parliamentary democracy |
Constitution
No formal, written constitution; consists of various documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments; Constitution Act 1986 was to have come into force 1 January 1987, but has not been enacted. |
Legal system
Based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
Languages
English (official), Maori. |
National holiday
Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty) |
Net migration rate
3.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.) |
Immigration Policy
New Zealand opened its doors to immigration from all over the world in the early 20th century. Government of New Zealand has adopted amulticultural policy reflecting the multicultural character of New Zealand. |
Natural resources
natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone |
Economic Sectors & Industries
Dairy& wool, food processing, wood & paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking, insurance, telecommunications, software, tourism, mining. |
Sports, Recreation and Culture
Outdoor activities including yachting, golfing, tennis, biking, swimming, sunbathing, walking, running. Other popular sports include rugby, basketball, hockey. |
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