Part 606

Area - comparative: about the size of Colorado

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

Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains

Elevation extremes: 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: 9% permanent crops : 5% permanent pastures: 50% forests and woodland: 28% other: 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,850 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside

Environment - international agreements: party to : Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: about 80% of the population lives in cities

@New Zealand:People

Population: 3,587,275 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 23% (male 424,584; female 403,792) 15-64 years: 65% (male 1,174,945; female 1,167,913) 65 years and over: 12% (male 179,853; female 236,188) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.08% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 15.35 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 7.67 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.27 years male: 74.16 years female: 80.56 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.96 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: New Zealander(s) adjective: New Zealand

Ethnic groups: European 88%, Maori 8.9%, Pacific Islander 2.9%, other 0.2%

Religions: Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33% (1986)