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Statistical Information & Factsheet
Factsheet
Capital: Wellington, located extreme S North Island, on Port
Nicholson, an inlet of Cook Strait.
Largest City: Auckland, N North Island; situated on an isthmus,
it is the chief port of the country.
Geographic Coordinates: 41 00 S, 174 00 E
Area: 268,670 sq km [comparative: about the size of Colorado]
Climate: Temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain: Predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Elevation Low & High: Pacific Ocean 0 m; Mount Cook 3,764
m
Natural Hazards: Earthquakes, volcanic activity
Ethnicity: European 79.1%, Maori 9.7%, Pacific Islander 3.8%,
Asian and others 7.4%
Language: English (official), Maori
Religions: Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%,
other or unspecified 43%
Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor
General Dame Sylvia Cartwright
Head of Government: Prime Minister Helen Clark
Literacy: 99%
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Population:
Estimated at 3.96 million [comparative: roughly half the size
of New York City], with half the population over the age of 34
and twelve percent aged 65 and over. The population is expected
to peak at 4.81 million in 2046, then drop to 4.43 million by
2101.
Over 75% percent of the population live in urban areas, with
over thirty percent residing in the Auckland region.
The current Maori population in New Zealand is estimated around
600,000. This figure is expected to grow nearer to one million
by 2051. The majority of growth will occur on the North Island,
with the largest growth in Auckland.
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Life Expectancy
Non-Maori: 80.9 for females and 76.0 for males. Maori: 71.6 for
females, 65.7 for males.
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Housing
Most private dwellings are separate houses (81.3%), almost half
of which consist of three bedrooms. Over half of the residences
consists of one or two people, which goes along with the trend
of New Zealanders remaining unmarried (I told you they were smart
people). 67.8% own their homes.
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Work & Income
62% of adults were employed in 2001, with over 75% of those employed
working full time. The most common occupation was sales assistant
- 85,530 of them. The median income: $18,500.
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Health
According to a 1996/97 New Zealand Health Survey, conducted by
Statistics New Zealand on behalf of the Ministry of Health, 16%
of participants over the age of 15 had been diagnosed with symptoms
consistent with asthma. Another common health complaint was high
blood pressure. Overall, 58% categorized their health as excellent
or very good, with a further 29% saying it was good.
25% described themselves as smokers; 25% said they used to smoke.
82% said they had consumed at least one alcoholic beverage in
the year prior to the survey; 18% of those said they generally
consumed alcohol four or more times a week.
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Crime
Of offences resolved by New Zealand Police in 2000, the most
involved theft - 27,938. There were 74 homicides reported for
the year. Following are the numbers for all crimes, broken into
seven categories:
Dishonesty Offences (theft, car conversion, fraud, etc.): 57,661
Drugs & Anti-Social Offences (drugs, disorder, family offences,
etc.): 47,778
Violent Offences (homicide, assaults, kidnapping): 31,849
Property Abuses (littering, trespass, postal/rail/fire service,
etc.): 14,409
Property Damage (endangering, destruction): 12,713
Administrative Offences (against national interests, breach, etc.):
10,841
Sexual Offences (attacks, affronts, immoral behaviour, abnormal
sex): 1,783
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Bank Holidays
| Holiday |
Date |
Province |
| New Years Day |
1 January * |
National |
| Southland Anniversary (Actual) |
17 January |
Southland |
| Wellington Anniversary (Actual) |
22 January |
Wellington |
| Auckland Anniversary (Actual) |
29 January |
Auckland |
| Nelson Anniversary (Actual) |
1 February |
Nelson |
| Waitangi Day |
6 February |
National |
| Otago Day (Actual) |
23 March |
Otago |
| Taranaki Day (Actual) |
31 March |
Taranaki |
| Good Friday |
Varies (March-April) |
National |
| Easter Monday |
Varies (March-April) |
National |
| Anzac Day |
25 April |
National |
| Queen's Birthday (Observed) |
1st Monday in June ** |
National |
| Labour Day |
4th Monday in October |
National |
| Hawkes Bay Anniversary (Actual) |
1 November |
Hawke's Bay |
| Marlborough Day (Actual) |
1 November |
Marlborough |
| Chatham Islands Anniversary (Actual) |
30 November |
Chatham Islands |
| Westland (Actual) |
1 December |
Westland |
| Canterbury Day (Actual) |
16 December |
Canterbury |
| South Canterbury (Actual) |
16 December |
S Canterbury |
| Christmas |
December 25 * |
National |
| Boxing Day |
December 26 * |
National |
* If the holiday falls on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday,
the holiday is celebrated as well as the day after the holiday.
If it falls on a Friday, the following Monday is celebrated as
well. Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday and Tuesday are
public holidays.
** The Queen's actual birthdate is 21 April 1926
If "Actual" appears parenthetically, the holiday has
a different day of observance, but I was just too lazy to wrap
my head around their rules for celebration.
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Flags
The current national flag - proposals have been made to change the flag to incorporate a symbol of the Maori, as well as the national plant, the silver fern (seen at the top of the page, surrounded by red)
Naval Ensign
Civil Ensign
Maori "Tino Rangatiratanga" Flag
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