Know these key facts on New Zealand
Location
New Zealand is situated in the Oceania islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia.
Land Area
New Zealand is about the same size as Colorado and stretches over an total area of 268,680 sq km, with a total coastline of 15,134 km.
Climate
New Zealand is predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains, which influences the climate conditions. New Zealand has a temperate climate with sharp regional contrasts.
Natural Resources and Hazards
The main recognized natural resources of New Zealand are natural gas, iron ore, coal, hydropower, limestone, sand, and timber. Some experienced natural hazards are earthquakes, and volcanic activities.
Population and Employment
New Zealand has a total population of 4,035,461 (July 2005 est.) inhabitants, with a average life expectancy at birth of 78.66 years at birth. New Zealand has a total labour force of 2.05 million (2004 est.) people whom are mainly occupied in agriculture 10%, industry 25%, and services 65%. New Zealand has a very low unemployment rate of only 4.2% (2004 est.).
Religion
14.9% of New Zealand's population are Anglicans, 12.4% are Roman Catholics, 10.9% are Presbyterian, 2.9% are Methodists, 1.7% are Pentecostal, 1.3% are Baptists and 9.4% are other forms of Christians. 3.3% of the population have other religions, 17.2% are unspecified and 26% do not have any religion.
Flag
New Zealand has a blue flag with the flag of the United Kingdom in the upper left side, quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag. The four stars represent the Southern Cross constellation.
Agricultural Products and Main Industries
The main agricultural products of New Zealand is wheat, barley, potatoes, fruits, wool, pulses, vegetables, beef, mutton and lamb, diary and fish. The main industries are wood and paper products, machinery, textiles, banking and insurance, mining, tourism and transportation equipment.
Capital
The capital of New Zealand is Wellington with a population of 163,824 people.
Time Zone
GMT plus 12 hours
