New Zealand
Capital: Wellington
History
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.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
267,710
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
0
km
|
| Border Countries |
No data |
| Coastline |
15,134
km
|
| Terrain |
predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
3,754
m
|
| Climate |
temperate with sharp regional contrasts |
| Natural Resources |
natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone |
| Arable Land |
1.76% |
| Permanent Crops |
0.27% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$37.73 billion |
| Export Items |
dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery |
| Export Partners |
Australia 22.2%, China 12.5%, US 8.5%, Japan 7.1% (2011) |
| Imports |
$35.65 billion |
| Import Items |
machinery and equipment, vehicles, aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics |
| Import Partners |
China 16.1%, Australia 15.9%, US 10.4%, Japan 6.3%, Singapore 4.6%, Germany 4.3% (2011) |
People
| Population |
4,365,113 |
| Population Growth |
0.85% |
| Ethnic Groups |
European 56.8%, Asian 8%, Maori 7.4%, Pacific islander 4.6%, mixed 9.7%, other 13.5% (2006 Census) |
| Religion |
Protestant 38.6% (Anglican 13.8%, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Reformed 10%, Christian (no denomination specified) 4.6%, Methodist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Baptist 1.4%, other Christian 3.8%), Roman Catholic 12.6%, Maori Christian 1.6%, Hindu 1.6%, Buddhi |
| Life Expectancy |
80.82 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.99 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
0.9 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
