Part 537

Defense -------

Branches: French Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force

Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP

Defense note: defense is the responsibility of France

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@New Zealand -----------

Map ---

Location: 41 00 S, 174 00 E -- Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

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

Geography ---------

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

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 S, 174 00 E

Map references: Oceania

Area: total area: 268,680 sq km land area: 268,670 sq km comparative area: about the size of Colorado note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 15,134 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)

Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Cook 3,764 m

Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone

Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 53% forest and woodland: 38% other: 7%

Irrigated land: 2,800 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside natural hazards: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity international agreements: party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Tropical Timber 94

Geographic note: about 80% of the population lives in cities

People ------

Population: 3,547,983 (July 1996 est.)