New Zealand
|
| Basic Facts |
| Country name |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: New Zealand abbreviation: NZ |
| Gevernment type | parliamentary democracy |
| Capital |
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 |
| 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 |
| Currency | New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
| Internet country code | .nz |
| Ports and terminals | Auckland, Lyttelton, Tauranga, Wellington, Whangarei |
| Agriculture products | wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, lamb and mutton, dairy products; fish |
| Industries | food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining |
| Geography |
| Location | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia |
| Coordinates | 41 00 S, 174 00 E |
| Continent | Oceania |
| Area |
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 |
| Boundaries | 0 km |
| Coastline | 15,134 km |
| Climate | temperate with sharp regional contrasts |
| Terrain | predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains |
| Natural resources | natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone |
| Natural hazards | earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity |
| People |
| Population | 4,076,140 (July 2006 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001 census) |
| Religions | 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) |
| Languages | English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official) |
