New Zealand
New Zealand Aotearoa (Māori) | |
|---|---|
| Motto: none (formerly "Onward") | |
| Anthem: God Defend New Zealand God Save The Queen1 | |
 | |
| Capital | Wellington |
| Largest city | Auckland2 |
| Official languages | English3, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language |
| Government | Constitutional monarchy |
| Independence | |
• Water (%) | 2.1% |
| Population | |
• March 2006 estimate | 4,147,9725 (124th in 2005) |
• 2006 census | 4,116,9006 |
| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate |
• Total | $97.59 billion (58th) |
• Per capita | $24,769 (27th) |
| HDI (2003) | 0.933 very high (19th) |
| Currency | New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST7) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT (Oct-Mar)) |
| Calling code | 64 |
| ISO 3166 code | NZ |
| Internet TLD | .nz |
1 God Save The Queen is officially a national anthem but is generally used only on regal and vice-regal occasions.[1] 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 [2] 6 Provisional 2006 census night population figure, which has limitations [3] 7 The Chatham Islands are 45 minutes ahead of New Zealand time. | |
New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean consisting of two large islands (North Island and South Island) and many much smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands. It is called Aotearoa in Māori, which may be paraphrased as Land of the Long White Cloud.
It 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 Māori being the largest minority. Non-Māori Polynesian and Asian peoples 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 Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government in the democratically-elected Parliament of New Zealand. 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).
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
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
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 fifth-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.[1]
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.
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
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.[2] 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 due to 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 only one venomous spider, the katipo, which is rare and restricted to coastal regions. However, there are many 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
New Zealand has a modern developed economy with an estimated GDP of $97.39 billion (2005).
The country has a high standard of living with GDP per capita estimated at $25,200 (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 countries 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 then 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 New Zealand 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 any privately-owned enterprises.
The current New Zealand 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.
Ongoing economic challenges for New Zealand include a current account deficit of 9% of GDP ([4]), slow development of non-commodity exports, tepid growth of labour productivity, and an unofficial poverty rate of about twenty percent.
Demographics
Ethnic groups
New Zealand has a population of about 4.1 million. About 80% [5] 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, Irish or Dutch, German, Croatian and 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.
Religions
Christianity is the predominant religion, although nearly 40% of the population has no religious affiliation. 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 Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism (see Desi), Spiritualism and New Age religions.
Culture
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. There were 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 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 New Zealand will host the 2011 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
- Political freedom ratings - Free; political rights and civil liberties both rated 1 (the highest score available)
- Press freedom - 12th freest in the world at 2.00
- GDP per capita - 27th highest in the world at I$24,769
- Human Development Index - 19th highest in world at 0.933
- Income Equality - 53rd most equal in world at 36.2 (Gini Index)
- Literacy Rate - Equal first with a ranking of 99.9%
- Unemployment rate - 22nd lowest in the world at 3.40%
- Corruption - 2nd equal least corrupt in world at 9.6 on index
- Economic Freedom - 9th equal freest at 1.84 on index
Health rankings
- Fertility rate- 140th most fertile in the world at 1.79 per woman
- Birth rate - 140th most births in the world at 13.90 per 1000 people
- Infant mortality - 192nd most deaths in the world at 5.85 per 1000 live births
- Birth rate - 140th most births in the world at 13.90 per 1000 people
- Death rate - 115th highest death rate in the world at 7.52 per 1000 people
- Life Expectancy - 22nd highest in the world at 78.81 years
- Suicide Rate - 35th highest suicide rate in the world at 19.8 for males and 4.2 for females
- HIV/AIDS rate - 149th most cases in the world at 0.10%
Other rankings
- CO2 emissions - 32nd highest emissions in world at 8.7 tonnes per capita
- Electricity Consumption - 48th highest consumption of electricity in world 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
See also
| Topics in New Zealand | |
| History | Timeline | Treaty of Waitangi | Land Wars | Military history | Antarctic history | Independence |
|---|---|
| Geography | Time | National Parks | Marine reserves | Islands | Lakes | Rivers | Caves | Cities | Towns | Biodiversity |
| Politics | Constitution | Queen | Parliament |Prime Minister | Political parties | Elections | Supreme Court | Foreign relations
|
| Economy | Transport | Rogernomics | Tourism | Companies | Communications |
| Culture | Māori culture | English | Cinema | Literature | Music | Education | Sport | Holidays |
| Main cities | Wellington (capital) | Tauranga | Napier-Hastings | Hamilton | Dunedin | Christchurch | Auckland |
| Other | List of New Zealanders | Honours System |
References
- ^ Ministry for the Environment. 2005. Offshore Options: Managing Environmental Effects in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone. Introduction
- ^ Allan, H.H. 1982. Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons, Flora of New Zealand Volume I. Botany Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
External links
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
News from Wikinews
Quotations from Wikiquote
Texts from Wikisource
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Resources from Wikiversity
- Te Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- Te Puna Web Directory - A directory to New Zealand web sites
- Ministry for Culture and Heritage - includes information on flag, anthems and coat of arms.
- New Zealand Government Portal
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding New Zealand
- Template:Wikitravelpar
- New Zealand weather
- NZHistory.net.nz New Zealand history website
- Statistics New Zealand - Official statistics.
- Tourism New Zealand
