New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND

A country in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. It is located on two large islands (North and South), separated by the Cook Strait, and a number of smaller neighboring islands (Stewart, Chatham, Kermadec, Campbell, etc.). New Zealand also includes the islands of Tokelau, Cook Islands, and Niue in the central part of the Pacific Ocean. The territory is 270.5 thousand km². The capital is Wellington (344 thousand), the largest cities (including suburbs): Auckland (960 thousand), Christchurch (345 thousand), Dunedin (120 thousand), Hamilton (about 160 thousand). The administrative-territorial division consists of 10 provinces.

The population is about 4 million (2004); of these, 78% are New Zealanders, descendants of Europeans, primarily from Great Britain, 15% are Māori (indigenous people), 7% are representatives of Asian, Polynesian, and other ethnic groups. The annual population growth is 1.2%. The official language is English. Religion: the majority of the population professes Christianity (primarily Anglicanism, Presbyterianism). The currency is the New Zealand dollar.

It has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR on April 13, 1944).

The national holiday is February 6 - Waitangi Day. On this day in 1840, in a small settlement on the Waitangi River, representatives of Māori tribes and the government of England signed a treaty that established British sovereignty over New Zealand and the order of relations between local tribes, European settlers, and the British crown.

New Zealand is a realm within the Commonwealth, a constitutional monarchy. It recognizes the Queen of Great Britain as the head of state, represented by a Governor-General appointed by her on the recommendation of the New Zealand government for a term of 5 years (since March 2001 - S. Cartwright). The legislative power belongs to a unicameral parliament - the House of Representatives, elected for a 3-year term in general elections. There are 120 members in the House of Representatives, including 62 from electoral districts and 51 from party lists, and 7 from Māori.

The executive power is exercised by the government headed by the Prime Minister (since December 1999 - H. Clark).

The government is formed by the leader of the party that has won the majority of seats in parliament during elections.

Political parties: The Labour Party (LPNZ) - founded in 1916, stands for social reformism. Membership is individual and collective (trade unions). It was previously in power from 1935-49, 1957-60, 1972-75, 1984-90, and has been in power since 1999. The National Party (NPNZ) - founded in 1936, relies on influential business circles and farmers. It was in power from 1949-57, 1960-72, and 1975-84. The "New Zealand First" Party (NZP) - founded in 1993.

In addition to these main parties, there are several smaller parties whose influence on the political life of the country is insignificant. In 1974, a political movement of the indigenous people of New Zealand "Mana Motuhake o Aotearoa" ("Our Heritage") was formed, advocating for the revival of Māori culture and the return of their ancestral lands.

The settlement of New Zealand by Māori dates back to the 10th-14th centuries. The first European to see New Zealand was the Dutch navigator A. Tasman in 1642. In 1769, it was explored by the English navigator J. Cook. In 1839, organized settlement of New Zealand began by immigrants from the British Isles. In 1840, New Zealand was declared a colony of Great Britain. In 1907, New Zealand was granted dominion status, and in 1931, the right to self-governance in external and internal affairs.

Since 1945, it has been a member of the UN. In 1951, it became a member of ANZUS (a military alliance of Australia, New Zealand, and the USA), but due to the anti-nuclear policy of the Labour government of D. Lange, New Zealand's membership in it was practically suspended at the initiative of the USA from August 1986. In 1954, it joined the military bloc SEATO. It signed a five-party agreement in 1971 on the defense of Malaysia and Singapore (ANZUK).

The New Zealand government was one of the initiators of the Treaty of Rarotonga establishing a nuclear-free zone in the southern Pacific, and takes an active position on issues of environmental protection, strengthening global and regional peace and security, non-proliferation, and banning nuclear weapons testing.

New Zealand is a highly developed industrial-agricultural country. The service sector accounts for 65% of GDP, industry - 25.8%, and agriculture - 8.6%. About 10% of the population is employed in agriculture, 25% in industry, and 65% in the service sector.

GDP (2004) is 97 billion USD.

Leading industries include food, forestry, pulp and paper, machinery, chemical, and textile. The fishing industry, primarily oriented towards export, is developing rapidly.

The agriculture sector, based on advanced technologies, is predominantly export-oriented. New Zealand is one of the largest exporters of meat and dairy products in the world (controlling 25% of the global dairy market), wool (second only to Australia), and lamb. There are about 9 million heads of cattle. Over 1 million tons of meat and more than 200 thousand tons of wool are produced annually.

New Zealand ranks among the top countries in the world in terms of external trade per capita, with export revenues accounting for about 30% of the country's GDP. New Zealand's exports to Asia-Pacific countries are growing particularly rapidly, accounting for over 70% of total exports. Major trading partners include Australia, Japan, the USA, China, Great Britain, Germany, South Korea, and ASEAN countries.

The structure of exports is dominated by meat and dairy products, wool, fruits, fish, and timber. Industrial goods - machinery, equipment, and vehicles account for about 40% of imports. Significant purchases of raw materials and petrochemical products are also made.

New Zealand provides substantial aid to developing countries, with a large portion going to island nations in the South Pacific region.

Education is compulsory and free for children aged 6 to 15 in schools. Further education is paid in various state and private colleges, the completion of which grants the right to enter universities. There are 7 universities in the country (in the cities of Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Christchurch, Dunedin).

The country publishes 5 national and 23 provincial newspapers, over 100 small-circulation newspapers, more than 600 various magazines, and other periodicals and specialized publications. The daily newspapers include "Dominion Post" (85 thousand copies), "New Zealand Herald" (240 thousand), "Otago Daily Times" (50 thousand), and "Press" (100 thousand). The cooperative association of daily newspapers is the "New Zealand Press Association" (NZPA).

The government owns 2 national radio programs, as well as over 30 commercial radio stations. In the private sector, there are over 40 commercial radio stations. Television broadcasting is conducted on 3 channels (2 national, 1 private) and 3 satellite television channels.