New Zealand

At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges Links with Australia New Zealand at a glance Did you know? New Zealand is also known as Aotearoa, which means the land of the long white cloud in Maori, one of the two national languages. Region Pacific Population 4,027,947 (2006 Census) Land Geography: Mountainous Climate: Cool temperate People Religion: Christian, 53.5%; other, 3.3%; unspecified, 17.2%; none, 26% Language: English and Maori (official) Economy GDP per person (PPP): $26,000 GDP by sector: Agriculture, 4.3%; industry, 26.9%; services, 68.8% Government Parliamentary democracy Land Physical geography New Zealand comprises two main narrow and mountainous islands, the North Island and the South Island; Stewart Island or Rakiura; and approximately 700 smaller outlying islands. The North, South and Stewart islands stretch 1,500 kilometres across latitudes 34° to 47° south. The total land area is 268,680 square kilometres (about the combined area of Victoria and Tasmania). Lying in the Pacific 'Ring of fire', volcanic activity - including hot springs, geysers and minor earthquakes - is common. The North Island consists mainly of rolling plains with a series of mountain ranges running north-east. The South Island is predominately mountainous, with the Southern Alps extending the length of the island and including New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki-Mt Cook (3,754 metres). The landscape was formed by glacial systems, which left wide glacial valleys and inland lakes. There are at least 223 peaks that rise more than 2,300 metres above sea level, as well as 360 glaciers. Climate New Zealand has a cool temperate climate, influenced by the oceans and prevailing winds and varying according to latitude and altitude. There is plentiful rainfall all year round, decreasing from 1,525 millimetres in the north to 635 millimetres in the south. Cold southerly winds bring snow in winter and sometimes in spring. The highest peaks are permanently snow-capped. New Zealand is subject to periodic subtropical cyclones, with heavy winds damaging buildings and trees. In Wellington, the capital, the yearly average rainfall is 1,270 millimetres (143 mm in July, and averaging 87 mm from November to February); the average January temperature is 13°C-20°C and the average July temperature, 6°C-11°C. In recent years weather patterns have been affected by La Nina and El Niño; some unusually high temperatures have been recorded; and drought and unusually heavy rainfall have occurred. Environment Forests cover 30% of the land area; these consist predominantly of conifers and kauri in the North Island and beech in the South Island. Thousands of years of geographical isolation means there are many unique species of flora and fauna. Most well-known are the flightless birds such as the kiwi, kakapo and weka. Before the arrival of humans, in approximately 1300 AD, three species of bat were the only mammals. Polynesian and European settlers have seriously damaged the habitats of many species, causing the moa, adzebill and flightless goose to become extinct. Other unique fauna include the weta, a grasshopper that can grow up to 90 millimetres long and the tuatara, a lizard that grows to about 24 centimetres in length. People More than half of New Zealanders live in the northern half of the North Island. The Auckland urban area is home to more than one million people, which exceeds the population of the entire South Island. About 90% of Māori live in the North Island. About one-quarter of the population live in the southern North Island, and one-quarter in the South Island. About 84% of the population lives in cities. Half are concentrated in just four cities: Auckland (1,057,100), Wellington (345,500), Christchurch (332,400) and Hamilton (164,000). People Culture and identity Maori are the tangata whenua (indigenous people of the land) of New Zealand, arriving from Polynesia in about 1300 AD. In the 2006 Census 565,329 people identified as Māori belonging to one of the tribal groups known as iwi. Traditional Maori kai (food) was based on fishing and hunting. The kūmara (sweet potato) was cooked on hot stones in an underground hangi. People saw themselves in a sacred relationship with the natural world and their behaviour was governed by tapu (sacredness) and mana (spiritual authority) administered by tohunga (priests). Settled by Europeans and with predominantly European migration until the mid-1970s, New Zealand's population is close to three-quarters European in origin. New Zealanders of European descent are known as Pākehā. Pacific Islanders originating from Samoa, Cook Islands and Tonga make up about 7% of the population. People of Asian origin, predominantly Chinese and Indian, make up 9.2% of the total population of 4,027,947. A diverse range of art, literature, music, film, dance and theatre reflects New Zealand's multicultural heritage. Eighty per cent of New Zealanders speak only English but a revival of the Māori language, combined with increasing numbers of immigrants, mean that more than half a million New Zealanders speak at least one other language. Health New Zealanders have a good health system with free public hospital care. This contributes to a high life expectancy of 78.8years (females 81.9 years and males 75.8 years) and a low infant mortality rate of 5.76 deaths per 1,000 live births. Māori life expectancy is lower: 71 years for women and 68 years for men, and infant mortality is higher, at 8 per 1,000 live births. Cancer and heart disease are the major causes of death, and an estimated 1,400 people (0.1%) are living with HIV. Religion and beliefs Just over half of the population identifies as Christian, but only a quarter of these people are active church attenders. Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam have small numbers of followers. Two indigenous Māori religions draw on elements of Christianity. Food and shelter Traditionally New Zealanders of British background ate meat, predominantly mutton, and potatoes washed down with tea, but immigration and travel mean there is now a wonderful fusion of traditional Asian recipes and fresh New Zealand produce. Detached, single-family houses constitute about 80% of all homes, but multi-unit dwellings are increasing in number. The proportion of larger homes, with four or more bedrooms, has been slowly rising, indicating both increased wealth and greater inequalities in income. About two-thirds of the population own their own home. The remaining third, predominantly Māori and Pacific Islanders, rent accommodation. Economy Wealth and poverty New Zealanders are generally well educated, healthy and have a comfortable standard of living. Changes in the economy and tax rates are addressing the country's weak economic performance during the 1980s and 1990s, but there is still a large gap between rich and poor, along with an unemployment rate of 5%-6%. Education and work School education is compulsory from 5-16 years and the literacy rate is 99%. Most Māori are educated in the state system, but there are also a number of schools in which the Māori language is used and the education is based on Māori culture and values. Most of the workforce is employed in service or professional occupations, with the share of manufacturing and agriculture decreasing. Industries and products The main agricultural products are wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables, wool, beef, lamb and mutton, dairy products and fish. Industries include food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism and mining. Trade In 2005 New Zealand exported $23.69 billion worth of goods including dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish and machinery to Australia, 21.4%; United States, 14.1%; Japan, 10.6%; China, 5.1%; and United Kingdom, 4.7%. In the same year New Zealand imported $25.23 billion worth of machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles and plastics from Australia, 20.9%; United States, 11%; Japan, 11%; China, 10.9%; and Germany, 4.9%. Achievements and challenges In 1893 New Zealand became the first country to extend the vote to women. The country's small size and remoteness from major economies make it a challenge to compete globally, but a government-led push into the free market and improvements in industry have led to growth. Unfortunately the benefits have not been equally spread across society. New Zealand experiences earthquakes and volcanic activity, usually without severe consequences. It faces deforestation and soil erosion, and native flora and fauna have been adversely affected by introduced species and habitat destruction. Links with Australia Australia and New Zealand are natural allies with a strong trans-Tasman sense of family. Migration, trade and defence ties, keen competition on the sporting field and strong people-to-people links have helped shape a close and cooperative relationship. Thousands of Australians and New Zealanders cross the Tasman each year as tourists, for business purposes or to visit family members. Around 350,000 New Zealand citizens live in Australia, with the largest number in Queensland (127,340), followed by New South Wales (105,890), Victoria (55,520) and Western Australia (44,970). Around 60,000 Australians live in New Zealand. Overseas assistance program NZAID is the Government's international aid and development agency. Nga Hoe Tuputupu-mai-tawhiti – 'the paddles that bring growth from afar' – is the Maori name for NZAID.  New Zealand operates bilateral programs in nineteen counties and contributes to regionally focussed assistance to the Pacific in the areas of education, health, environment, governance, fisheries, and trade and economic projects. NZAID's programme budget for 06/07 is $333 million (0.27% of GNI). http://www.nzaid.govt.nz/ Main Sources: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ http://www20.sbs.com.au/worldguide/ http://hdr.undp.org http://www.dfat.gov.au

Auckland , situated on the shore of the Waitemata Harbour , is New Zealand 's largest city, with approximately one million people. It is surrounded by volcanic cones, which are among the country's most important archaeological sites. © John Wilson. 'Society', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 11-Jan-2007 http://www.teara.govt.nz/NewZealandInBrief/Society/1/en Photographer Melanie Lovell-Smith