New Zealand (2005) | Saint Pierre and Miquelon (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | 16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast | none (territorial collectivity of France); note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are two communes - Saint Pierre, Miquelon at the second order |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 21.4% (male 441,836/female 421,065)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,356,095/female 1,343,728) 65 years and over: 11.7% (male 206,650/female 266,087) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 23.5% (male 843/female 807)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,342/female 2,272) 65 years and over: 10.8% (male 348/female 414) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, lamb and mutton, dairy products; fish | vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish |
Airports | 116 (2004 est.) | 2 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 46
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 70
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 39 (2004 est.) |
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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 |
total: 242 sq km
land: 242 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups |
Area - comparative | about the size of Colorado | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. In 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. | First settled by the French in the early 17th century, the islands represent the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast North American possessions. |
Birth rate | 13.9 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 13.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $38.29 billion
expenditures: $36.12 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million; including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.) |
Capital | Wellington | name: Saint-Pierre
geographic coordinates: 46 46 N, 56 11 W time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November; note - these new dates become effective in 2007 |
Climate | temperate with sharp regional contrasts | cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy |
Coastline | 15,134 km | 120 km |
Constitution | consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments, as well as The Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal charter; adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January 1987 | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: New Zealand abbreviation: NZ |
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
conventional short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon local long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon |
Death rate | 7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 6.83 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $47.34 billion (2004 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | self-governing territorial collectivity of France |
Dependent areas | Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Charles J. SWINDELLS
embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP 96531-1034 telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000 FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490 consulate(s) general: Auckland |
none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador L. John WOOD
chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York |
none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) [see Antarctica] | none |
Economic aid - donor | ODA, $99.7 million | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | approximately $60 million in annual grants from France |
Economy - overview | Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes (but left behind many at the bottom of the ladder), broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector, and contained inflationary pressures. Per capita income has risen for six consecutive years and is now more than $23,000 in purchasing power parity terms. New Zealand is heavily dependent on trade - particularly in agricultural products - to drive growth. Exports are equal to about 20% of GDP. Thus far the economy has been resilient, and the Labor Government promises that expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately to output. | The inhabitants have traditionally earned their livelihood by fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however, because of disputes with Canada over fishing quotas and a steady decline in the number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre. In 1992, an arbitration panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of 12,348 sq km to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Canada, although it represents only 25% of what France had sought. The islands are heavily subsidized by France to the great betterment of living standards. The government hopes an expansion of tourism will boost economic prospects. Recent test drilling for oil may pave the way for development of the energy sector. |
Electricity - consumption | 35.71 billion kWh (2002) | 41.06 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 38.39 billion kWh (2002) | 44.15 million kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside | recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation |
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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) | Basques and Bretons (French fishermen) |
Exchange rates | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001), 2.2012 (2000) | euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Silvia CARTWRIGHT (since 4 April 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since NA July 2002) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general |
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Yves FAUQUEUR (since 28 August 2006)
head of government: President of the General Council Marc PLANTAGENEST (since NA) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held, 21 April 2002 (first round) and 5 May 2002 (second round) (next to be held in 2007); prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the General Council is elected by the members of the council |
Exports | 30,220 bbl/day (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery | fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts |
Exports - partners | Australia 21%, US 14.4%, Japan 11.3%, China 5.7%, UK 4.7% (2004) | Spain 33.6%, Belgium 21.8%, India 18.3%, France 9.4%, US 7.5% (2005) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
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 | a yellow sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a dark blue background with yellow wavy lines under the ship; on the hoist side, a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part (called ikkurina) is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the rectangle into four sections; the middle part has a white background with an ermine pattern; the third part has a red background with two stylized yellow lions outlined in black, one above the other; these three heraldic arms represent settlement by colonists from the Basque Country (top), Brittany, and Normandy; the flag of France is used for official occasions |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 4.6%
industry: 27.4% services: 68% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $23,200 (2004 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.8% (2004 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 41 00 S, 174 00 E | 46 50 N, 56 20 W |
Geography - note | about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world | vegetation scanty |
Highways | total: 92,382 km
paved: 59,124 km (including at least 169 km of expressways) unpaved: 33,258 km (2002) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 0.3%
highest 10%: 29.8% (1991 est.) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | 119,700 bbl/day (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics | meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials |
Imports - partners | Australia 22.4%, US 11.3%, Japan 11.2%, China 9.7%, Germany 5.2% (2004) | France 51.3%, Canada 31.8%, Belgium 4.1% (2005) |
Independence | 26 September 1907 (from UK) | none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5.9% (2004 est.) | NA% |
Industries | food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining | fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 5.85 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: 7.38 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.46 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.4% (2004 est.) | 2.1% (1991-96 average) |
International organization participation | ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | UPU, WFTU |
Irrigated land | 2,850 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note - Judges appointed by the Governor-General | Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel |
Labor force | 2.05 million (2004 est.) | 3,261 (1999) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 10%, industry 25%, services 65% (1995) | agriculture: 18%
industry: 41% services: 41% (1996 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 5.6%
permanent crops: 6.99% other: 87.41% (2001) |
arable land: 12.5%
permanent crops: 0% other: 87.5% (2005) |
Languages | English (official), Maori (official) | French (official) |
Legal system | based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations | French law with special adaptations for local conditions, such as housing and taxation |
Legislative branch | unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists, all to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 17 September 2005 (next to be held not later than 15 November 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NZLP 41.1%, NP 39.1%, NZFP 5.72%, Green Party 5.3%, Maori 2.12%, UF 2.67%, ACT New Zealand 1.51%, Progressive 1.16%; seats by party - NZLP 50, NP 48, NZFP 7, Green Party 6, Maori 4, UF 3, ACT New Zealand 2, Progressive 1 note: results of 2005 election saw the total number of seats increase to 121 because the Maori Party won one more electorate seat than its entitlement under the party vote |
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats - 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: elections last held 19 and 26 March 2000 (next to be held in April 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PS 12, PRG 2, UDF-RPR 5 note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect 1 seat to the French Senate; elections last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held in September 2013); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects 1 seat to the French National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002, second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDF 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.66 years
male: 75.67 years female: 81.78 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 78.61 years
male: 76.27 years female: 81.06 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1982 est.) |
Location | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia | Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada) |
Map references | Oceania | North America |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 77,523 GRT/108,352 DWT
by type: cargo 3, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1, bulk carrier 3 foreign-owned: 2 (Germany 1, Isle of Man 1) registered in other countries: 5 (2005) |
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Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $1.147 billion (FY03/04) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1% (FY02) | - |
National holiday | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: New Zealander(s)
adjective: New Zealand |
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French |
Natural hazards | earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity | persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard |
Natural resources | natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone | fish, deepwater ports |
Net migration rate | 3.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | -4.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 2,213 km; liquid petroleum gas 79 km; oil 160 km; refined products 304 km (2004) | - |
Political parties and leaders | ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS and Rod DONALD]; Maori Party [Whatarangi WINIATA]; National Party or NP [Don BRASH]; New Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Party [James (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE] | Left Radical Party or PRG; Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR (now UMP); Socialist Party or PS; Union pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 4,035,461 (July 2005 est.) | 7,026 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.02% (2005 est.) | 0.17% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Auckland, Lyttelton, Tauranga, Wellington, Whangarei | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998) | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | total: 3,898 km
narrow gauge: 3,898 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2004) |
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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) | Roman Catholic 99% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: excellent domestic and international systems
domestic: NA international: country code - 64; submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA international: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domestic satellite system |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1.765 million (2002) | 4,800 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2.599 million (2003) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power repeaters) (1997) | 0 (there are, however, two repeaters which rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997) |
Terrain | predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains | mostly barren rock |
Total fertility rate | 1.79 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 2.01 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 4.2% (2004 est.) | 10.3% (1999) |