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.

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

about the size of Colorado

temperate with sharp regional contrasts

predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains

natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone

earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity

deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species

almost 90% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world

European 56.8%, Asian 8%, Maori 7.4%, Pacific islander 4.6%, mixed 9.7%, other 13.5% (2006 Census)

English (official) 91.2%, Maori (official) 3.9%, Samoan 2.1%, French 1.3%, Hindi 1.1%, Yue 1.1%, Northern Chinese 1%, other 12.9%, New Zealand Sign Language (official)

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%, Buddhist 1.3%, other religions 2.2%, none 32.2%, other or unidentified 9.9% (2006 Census)

4,327,944 (July 2012 est.)

13.57 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

7.2 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

2.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

Auckland 1.36 million; WELLINGTON (capital) 391,000 (2009)

15 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

2.07 children born/woman (2012 est.)

2.384 physicians/1,000 population (2007)

6.18 beds/1,000 population (2002)

fewer than 100 (2009 est.)

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

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

Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau

26 September 1907 (from the UK)

Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)

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

common law system, based on English model, with special legislation and land courts for the Maori

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (usually 120 seats; 70 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, 50 proportional seats chosen from party lists; serve three-year terms)

Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note - judges appointed by the governor general

ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE]; Green Party [Russel NORMAN and Metiria TUREI]; Mana Party [Hone HARAWIRA]; Maori Party [Tariana TURIA and Dr. Pita SHARPLES]; New Zealand National Party [John KEY]; New Zealand First Party or NZ First [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party [Phil GOFF]; Jim Anderton's Progressive Party [James (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future New Zealand [Peter DUNNE]

Women's Electoral Lobby or WEL

ADB, ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

Southern Cross constellation (four, five-pointed stars); kiwi (bird)

while not an official symbol, the Kiwi, a small native flightless bird, represents New Zealand

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 some at the bottom of the ladder - and broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector. Per capita income rose for ten consecutive years until 2007 in purchasing power parity terms, but fell in 2008-09. Debt-driven consumer spending drove robust growth in the first half of the decade, helping fuel a large balance of payments deficit that posed a challenge for economic managers. Inflationary pressures caused the central bank to raise its key rate steadily from January 2004 until it was among the highest in the OECD in 2007-08; international capital inflows attracted to the high rates further strengthened the currency and housing market, however, aggravating the current account deficit. The economy fell into recession before the start of the global financial crisis and contracted for five consecutive quarters in 2008-09. In line with global peers, the central bank cut interest rates aggressively and the government developed fiscal stimulus measures. The economy posted a 2% decline in 2009, but pulled out of recession late in the year, and achieved roughly 2% per year growth in 2010-12. Nevertheless, key trade sectors remain vulnerable to weak external demand. The government plans to raise productivity growth and develop infrastructure, while reining in government spending.

$128.5 billion (2012 est.)

$125.7 billion (2011 est.)

$124 billion (2010 est.)

$166.9 billion (2012 est.)

2.402 million (2012 est.)

19.5% of GDP (2012 est.)

37.5% of GDP (2012 est.)

-6% of GDP (2012 est.)

41.8% of GDP (2012 est.)

36.1% of GDP (2011 est.)

2.5% (31 December 2009)

5% (31 December 2008)

6.1% (31 December 2012 est.)

6.11% (31 December 2011 est.)

$26.94 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$26.26 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$154.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$145.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$233.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$239.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$71.66 billion (31 December 2011)

$36.3 billion (31 December 2010)

$67.06 billion (31 December 2009)

dairy products, lamb and mutton; wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef; fish

-$6.803 billion (2012 est.)

-$6.709 billion (2011 est.)

$37.73 billion (2012 est.)

$38.35 billion (2011 est.)

dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery

Australia 22.2%, China 12.5%, US 8.5%, Japan 7.1% (2011)

$35.65 billion (2012 est.)

$35.61 billion (2011 est.)

machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics

China 16.1%, Australia 15.9%, US 10.4%, Japan 6.3%, Singapore 4.6%, Germany 4.3% (2011)

$18.33 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$17.01 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$90.23 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$91.07 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$75.77 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$73.92 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$NA (31 December 2010)

$59.08 billion (31 December 2009)

New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -

43.4 billion kWh (2010 est.)

38.96 billion kWh (2009 est.)

9.482 million kW (2009 est.)

30% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

56.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

13.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

49,730 bbl/day (2011 est.)

45,180 bbl/day (2009 est.)

90,840 bbl/day (2009 est.)

96.1 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

106,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

148,900 bbl/day (2011 est.)

2,883 bbl/day (2009 est.)

46,780 bbl/day (2009 est.)

4.367 billion cu m (2011 est.)

4.278 billion cu m (2011 est.)

27.64 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

39.58 million Mt (2010 est.)

state-owned Television New Zealand operates multiple TV networks and state-owned Radio New Zealand operates 3 radio networks and an external shortwave radio service to the South Pacific region; a small number of national commercial TV and radio stations and many regional commercial television and radio stations are available; cable and satellite TV systems are available (2008)

3.026 million (2012)

condensate 331 km; gas 1,838 km; liquid petroleum gas 172 km; oil 288 km; refined products 198 km (2010)

Auckland, Lyttelton, Manukau Harbor, Marsden Point, Tauranga, Wellington

New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (Te Hokowhitu o Kahurangi, RNZAF) (2010)

17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription; 3 years of secondary education required; must be a citizen of NZ, the UK, Australia, Canada, or the US and resident of there for the previous 5 years (2012)

1% of GDP (2005 est.)

asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)

significant consumer of amphetamines