Where we live-a synopsis

Country profile: New Zealand

Map of New Zealand

New Zealand, a wealthy Pacific nation, is dominated by two cultural groups: New Zealanders of European descent, and the minority Maori, whose Polynesian ancestors arrived on the islands around 1,000 years ago.

Agriculture is the economic mainstay, but manufacturing and tourism are important and there is a fledgling film industry.

New Zealand has diversified its export markets and has developed strong trade links with Australia, the US, and Japan. In April 2008 it became the first Western country to sign a free trade deal with China.

Overview

British sovereignty was established under the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi – a pact between Maori chiefs and the British government over land rights.

AT-A-GLANCE
Glacier, Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand
Politics: Helen Clark’s Labour Party is serving a third term after its election win in 2005
Economy: Tourism has overtaken agriculture as the main source of foreign exchange; New Zealand seeks free trade deals with China and the US
International: New Zealand troops have taken part in regional peacekeeping efforts and are deployed in Afghanistan

The treaty gave rise to land claims which culminated in the “New Zealand Wars”, a series of skirmishes between colonial forces and Maori on the north island.

The government awarded money and land in settlements during the 1990s, but the land issue remains controversial.

In 1984 the government embarked on a dramatic and controversial economic reform programme, which lifted controls on wages, prices and interest rates and removed agricultural subsidies.

The landscape is diverse, and sometimes spectacular. This has fuelled tourism; visitors are drawn to the glacier-carved mountains, lakes, beaches and thermal springs. Because of the islands’ geographical isolation, much of the flora and fauna is unique to the country.

New Zealand plays an active role in Pacific affairs. It has constitutional ties with the Pacific territories of Niue, the Cook Islands and Tokelau.

Its troops served in East Timor when violence broke out in the territory in 1999 and were part of a multinational force intended to restore order to the Solomon Islands in 2003. Further afield, New Zealand forces have backed peacekeeping and development efforts in Afghanistan.

But its anti-nuclear stance – including a ban on nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed vessels from its waters – put it at odds with the US in the 1980s.

A significant amount of New Zealand’s electricity is generated by hydropower sources and the country has a range of renewable energy sources at its disposal.

Migration patterns have changed, with most incomers coming from Asia and Pacific island states, rather than from the UK and Australia. Officials estimate that Asians will make up 13% of the population by 2021.

Facts

  • Full name: New Zealand
  • Population: 4.2 million (UN, 2007)
  • Capital: Wellington
  • Largest city: Auckland
  • Area: 270,534 sq km (104,454 sq miles)
  • Major languages: English, Maori
  • Major religion: Christianity
  • Life expectancy: 78 years (men), 82 years (women) (UN)
  • Monetary unit: 1 New Zealand dollar ($NZ) = 100 cents
  • Main exports: Wool, food and dairy products, wood and paper products
  • GNI per capita: US $28,780 (World Bank, 2007)
  • Internet domain: .nz
  • International dialling code: +64

Leaders

Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-general Anand Satyanand

Prime minister: Helen Clark

Helen Clark’s Labour Party secured a record third term in September 2005’s closely-fought elections, winning 50 seats in parliament to the resurgent, conservative National Party’s 48. Labour went on to form a coalition with the Progressive Party, which has one seat.

Helen Clark, October 2004

Helen Clark won a further term in 2005, but with a weaker mandate

The anti-immigration New Zealand First Party and centre-right United Future Party agreed to back her government in critical votes.

Controversially, the leader of New Zealand First, Winston Peters, was named as foreign minister. He is not a member of the cabinet, which has to approve his key policy decisions.

Ms Clark is a former political scientist who figured prominently in the Labour administration of the mid-1980s which ushered in free-market economics to New Zealand.

In 1989, she became New Zealand’s first woman deputy prime minister. Political commentators say Ms Clark worked hard on her image and presentation ahead of the 1999 general election that brought her to power.

Her previous terms saw some groundbreaking measures, including a decision to legalise prostitution. Plans to nationalise the country’s beaches and sea bed ignited a passionate debate about indigenous ancestral rights.

Ms Clark’s government opposed the invasion of Iraq in 2003, raising tensions with the US, one of New Zealand’s main trading partners.

Helen Clark was born into a farming family in 1950. As a teenager she protested against the Vietnam War and campaigned against foreign military bases in New Zealand.

Ms Clark’s interests include social policy and international affairs, and she enjoys opera, reading fiction, and trekking.

New Zealand has a single-chamber parliament, the House of Representatives, which is elected for a three-year term. Coalition governments have been the norm since proportional representation replaced the “first past the post” electoral system in 1993.

Media

New Zealand’s broadcasters enjoy one of the world’s most liberal media arenas.

The broadcasting sector was deregulated in 1988, when the government allowed competition to the state broadcaster, Television New Zealand.

Ruia Mai became the country’s first Maori-owned, Maori language radio station when it launched in 1996.

The New Zealand Herald newspaper has the biggest circulation.

More than 3.3 million New Zealanders – 80% of the population – use the internet (ITU, 2008).

The press

Television

Radio

News agencies

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