New Zealand (2008) | Micronesia, Federated States of (2004) | |
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 | 4 states; Chuuk (Truk), Kosrae (Kosaie), Pohnpei (Ponape), Yap |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 20.8% (male 437,547/female 417,698)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 1,393,057/female 1,378,358) 65 years and over: 11.9% (male 214,189/female 274,922) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 37.7% (male 20,830; female 19,993)
15-64 years: 59.2% (male 32,055; female 31,927) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 1,505; female 1,845) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | dairy products, lamb and mutton; wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef; fish | black pepper, tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), betel nuts, sweet potatoes; pigs, chickens |
Airports | 121 (2007) | 6 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 41
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 26 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 80
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 46 (2007) |
- |
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: 702 sq km
land: 702 sq km water: 0 sq km (fresh water only) note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Chuuk (Truk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae (Kosaie) |
Area - comparative | about the size of Colorado | four times the size of Washington, DC (land area only) |
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. | In 1979 the Federated States of Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory under US administration, adopted a constitution. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the US, which was amended and renewed in 2003. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid. |
Birth rate | 13.61 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 25.8 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $54.36 billion
expenditures: $48.51 billion (2007 est.) |
revenues: $161 million ($69 million less grants)
expenditures: $160 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | name: Wellington
geographic coordinates: 41 28 S, 174 51 E time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in March note: New Zealand is divided into two time zones, including Chatham Island |
Palikir |
Climate | temperate with sharp regional contrasts | tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage |
Coastline | 15,134 km | 6,112 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 | 10 May 1979 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: New Zealand abbreviation: NZ |
conventional long form: Federated States of Micronesia
conventional short form: none former: Ponape, Truk, and Yap Districts (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) abbreviation: FSM |
Currency | - | US dollar (USD) |
Death rate | 7.54 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 4.97 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $50.02 billion (31 December 2007 est.) | $53.1 million (FY02/03 est.) |
Dependent areas | Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador William P. McCORMICK
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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Suzanne K. HALE
embassy: 101 Upper Pics Road, Kolonia mailing address: P. O. Box 1286, Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia 96941 telephone: [691] 320-2187 FAX: [691] 320-2186 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Roy N. FERGUSON
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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Jesse Bibiano MAREHALAU
chancery: 1725 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 223-4383 FAX: [1] (202) 223-4391 consulate(s) general: Honolulu and Tamuning (Guam) |
Disputes - international | asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) | none |
Economic aid - donor | ODA, $276 million (2006 est.) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | under terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US pledged $1.3 billion in grant aid during the period 1986-2001 |
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 - and broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector. Per capita income has risen for eight consecutive years and reached $27,800 in 2007 in purchasing power parity terms. Consumer and government spending have driven growth in recent years, and exports picked up in 2006 after struggling for several years. Exports were equal to about 22% of GDP in 2007, down from 33% of GDP in 2001. Thus far the economy has been resilient, and the Labor Government promises that expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately to output. Inflationary pressures have built in recent years and the central bank raised its key rate 13 times since January 2004 to finish 2007 at 8.25%. A large balance of payments deficit poses another challenge in managing the economy. | Economic activity consists primarily of subsistence farming and fishing. The islands have few mineral deposits worth exploiting, except for high-grade phosphate. The potential for a tourist industry exists, but the remote location, a lack of adequate facilities, and limited air connections hinder development. In November 2002, the country experienced a further reduction in future revenues from the Compact of Free Association - the agreement with the US in which Micronesia received $1.3 billion in financial and technical assistance over a 15-year period until 2001. The country's medium-term economic outlook appears fragile due not only to the reduction in US assistance but also to the slow growth of the private sector. Geographical isolation and a poorly developed infrastructure remain major impediments to long-term growth. |
Electricity - consumption | 37.39 billion kWh (2006 est.) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - production | 42.06 billion kWh (2006 est.) | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Dolohmwar (Totolom) 791 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species | overfishing, climate change, pollution |
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 |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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) | nine ethnic Micronesian and Polynesian groups |
Exchange rates | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003) | the US dollar is used |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999); Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since 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 Joseph J. URUSEMAL (since 11 May 2003); Vice President Redley KILLION (11 May 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Joseph J. URUSEMAL (since 11 May 2003); Vice President Redley KILLION (11 May 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet elections: president and vice president elected by Congress from among the four senators at large for four-year terms; election last held 11 May 2003 (next to be held NA May 2007); note - a proposed constitutional amendment to establish popular elections for president and vice president failed election results: Joseph J. URUSEMAL elected president; percent of Congress vote - NA; Redley KILLION elected vice president; percent of Congress vote - NA |
Exports | 15,720 bbl/day (2004) | $22 million (f.o.b.) (FY99/00 est.) |
Exports - commodities | dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery | fish, garments, bananas, black pepper |
Exports - partners | Australia 20.5%, US 13.1%, Japan 10.3%, China 5.4%, UK 4.9% (2006) | Japan, US, Guam (2000) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March
note: this is the fiscal year for tax purposes |
1 October - 30 September |
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 | light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $277 million
note: GDP is supplemented by grant aid, averaging perhaps $100 million annually (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 4.3%
industry: 26.2% services: 69.6% (2007 est.) |
agriculture: 50%
industry: 4% services: 46% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3% (2007 est.) | 1% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 41 00 S, 174 00 E | 6 55 N, 158 15 E |
Geography - note | about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world | four major island groups totaling 607 islands |
Government - note | while not an official symbol, the Kiwi, a small native flightless bird, represents New Zealand | - |
Highways | - | total: 240 km
paved: 42 km unpaved: 198 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA (1991 est.) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | significant consumer of amphetamines | - |
Imports | 140,900 bbl/day (2004) | $149 million f.o.b. (FY99/00 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics | food, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, beverages |
Imports - partners | Australia 20.5%, China 12.3%, US 11.8%, Japan 9.2%, Germany 4.4%, Singapore 4.4% (2006) | US, Australia, Japan (2000) |
Independence | 26 September 1907 (from UK) | 3 November 1986 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship) |
Industrial production growth rate | 1.8% (2007 est.) | NA |
Industries | food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining | tourism, construction, fish processing, specialized aquaculture, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls |
Infant mortality rate | total: 5.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.48 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 31.28 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 34.45 deaths/1,000 live births female: 27.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2007 est.) | 1% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | ADB, ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ACP, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO, WMO |
Irrigated land | 2,850 sq km (2003) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note - judges appointed by the Governor-General | Supreme Court |
Labor force | 2.23 million (2007 est.) | NA (2000 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 7%
industry: 19% services: 74% (2006 est.) |
two-thirds are government employees |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 5.54%
permanent crops: 6.92% other: 87.54% (2005) |
arable land: 5.71%
permanent crops: 45.71% other: 48.58% (2001) |
Languages | English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official) | English (official and common language), Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosrean, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi |
Legal system | based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations | based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws |
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; 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 5.7%, Green Party 5.3%, Maori 2.1%, UF 2.7%, ACT New Zealand 1.5%, Progressive 1.2%, other 1.3%; 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 Congress (14 seats; four - one elected from each state to serve four-year terms and 10 - elected from single-member districts delineated by population to serve two-year terms; members elected by popular vote)
elections: elections for four-year term seats last held 4 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007); elections for two-year term seats last held 4 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 14 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.96 years
male: 75.97 years female: 82.08 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 69.44 years
male: 67.68 years female: 71.29 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89% male: 91% female: 88% (1980 est.) |
Location | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia | Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia |
Map references | Oceania | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 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: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 108,667 GRT/89,458 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1) registered in other countries: 8 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Cook Islands 1, Dominica 3, France 1, UK 1) (2007) |
none (2004 est.) |
Military - note | - | Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a sovereign, self-governing state in free association with the US; FSM is totally dependent on the US for its defense |
Military branches | New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2008) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1% (2005 est.) | - |
National holiday | 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) | Constitution Day, 10 May (1979) |
Nationality | noun: New Zealander(s)
adjective: New Zealand |
noun: Micronesian(s)
adjective: Micronesian; Chuukese, Kosraen(s), Pohnpeian(s), Yapese |
Natural hazards | earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity | typhoons (June to December) |
Natural resources | natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone | forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals |
Net migration rate | 3.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -20.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Pipelines | condensate 331 km; gas 1,896 km; liquid petroleum gas 172 km; oil 288 km; refined products 260 km (2007) | - |
Political parties and leaders | ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS]; Maori Party [Whatarangi WINIATA]; National Party or NP [John KEY]; 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] | no formal parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 4,115,771 (July 2007 est.) | 108,155 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 26.7% |
Population growth rate | 0.95% (2007 est.) | -0.02% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Colonia (Yap), Kolonia (Pohnpei), Lele, Moen |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998) | AM 5, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Railways | total: 4,128 km
narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2006) |
- |
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 50%, Protestant 47% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.011 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.779 male(s)/female total population: 0.987 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
1.05 male(s)/female (2004 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; the Southern Cross submarine cable system provides links to Australia, Fiji, and US; satellite earth stations - 1 InMarSat (Pacific Ocean), 7 other |
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes), satellite (Intelsat) ground stations, and some coaxial and fiber-optic cable; cellular service available on Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap international: country code - 691; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2002) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1.729 million (2005) | 10,100 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 3.53 million (2005) | 1,800 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 41 (plus about 700 repeaters) (1997) | 3; note - cable TV also available (2004) |
Terrain | predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains | islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk |
Total fertility rate | 1.79 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 3.37 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 3.5% (2007 est.) | 16% (1999 est.) |