Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: New Zealand
abbreviation: NZ

Data code NZ

Government type parliamentary democracy

National capital Wellington

Administrative divisions 93 counties, 9 districts*, and 3 town districts**; Akaroa, Amuri, Ashburton, Bay of Islands, Bruce, Buller, Chatham Islands, Cheviot, Clifton, Clutha, Cook, Dannevirke, Egmont, Eketahuna, Ellesmere, Eltham, Eyre, Featherston, Franklin, Golden Bay, Great Barrier Island, Grey, Hauraki Plains, Hawera*, Hawke's Bay, Heathcote, Hikurangi**, Hobson, Hokianga, Horowhenua, Hurunui, Hutt, Inangahua, Inglewood, Kaikoura, Kairanga, Kiwitea, Lake, Mackenzie, Malvern, Manaia**, Manawatu, Mangonui, Maniototo, Marlborough, Masterton, Matamata, Mount Herbert, Ohinemuri, Opotiki, Oroua, Otamatea, Otorohanga*, Oxford, Pahiatua, Paparua, Patea, Piako, Pohangina, Raglan, Rangiora*, Rangitikei, Rodney, Rotorua*, Runanga, Saint Kilda, Silverpeaks, Southland, Stewart Island, Stratford, Strathallan, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupo, Tauranga, Thames-Coromandel*, Tuapeka, Vincent, Waiapu, Waiheke, Waihemo, Waikato, Waikohu, Waimairi, Waimarino, Waimate, Waimate West, Waimea, Waipa, Waipawa*, Waipukurau*, Wairarapa South, Wairewa, Wairoa, Waitaki, Waitomo*, Waitotara, Wallace, Wanganui, Waverley**, Westland, Whakatane*, Whangarei, Whangaroa, Woodville
note: there may be a new administrative structure of 16 regions (Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wanganui-Manawatu, Wellington, West Coast) that are subdivided into 57 districts and 16 cities* (Ashburton, Auckland*, Banks Peninsula, Buller, Carterton, Central Hawke's Bay, Central Otago, Christchurch*, Clutha, Dunedin*, Far North, Franklin, Gisborne, Gore, Grey, Hamilton*, Hastings, Hauraki, Horowhenua, Hurunui, Hutt*, Invercargill*, Kaikoura, Kaipara, Kapiti Coast, Kawerau, Mackenzie, Manawatu, Manukau*, Marlborough, Masterton, Matamata Piako, Napier*, Nelson*, New Plymouth, North Shore*, Opotiki, Otorohanga, Palmerston North*, Papakura*, Porirua*, Queenstown Lakes, Rangitikei, Rodney, Rotorua, Ruapehu, Selwyn, Southland, South Taranaki, South Waikato, South Wairarapa, Stratford, Tararua, Tasman, Taupo, Tauranga, Thames Coromandel, Timaru, Upper Hutt*, Waikato, Waimakariri, Waimate, Waipa, Wairoa, Waitakere*, Waitaki, Waitomo, Wanganui, Wellington*, Western Bay of Plenty, Westland, Whakatane, Whangarei)

Dependent areas Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau

Independence 26 September 1907 (from UK)

National holiday Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty)

Constitution no formal, written constitution; consists of various documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments; Constitution Act 1986 was to have come into force 1 January 1987, but has not been enacted

Legal system based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Michael HARDIE BOYS (since 21 March 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Jenny SHIPLEY (since 8 December 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Winston PETERS (since 16 December 1996); note - SHIPLEY wrested control of the National Party in November from Prime Minister BOLGER, replacing BOLGER as prime minister in December
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general for a three-year term; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
note: the government is a coalition of the National Party and the New Zealand First Party

Legislative branch unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 12 October 1996 (next must be called by October 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party - NP 34.1%, NZLP 28.3%, NZFP 13.1%, Alliance 10.1%, ACT 6.17%, UNZ 0.91%; seats by party - NP 44, NZLP 37, NZFP 17, Alliance 13, ACT 8, UNZ 1

Judicial branch High Court; Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders National Party (NP), Jenny SHIPLEY; New Zealand First Party (NZFP), Winston PETERS; New Zealand Labor Party (NZLP, opposition), Helen CLARK; Alliance (a coalition of five small parties - NewLabor Party, Jim ANDERTON; Democratic Party, John WRIGHT; New Zealand Liberal Party, Frank GROVER; Green Party, Jeanette FITZSIMONS; and Mana Motuhake, Sandra LEE), codeputy leaders are Sandra LEE and Jeanette FITZSIMONS; United New Zealand (UNZ), Clive MATTHEWSON; Conservative Party (formerly Right of Centre Party), Trevor ROGERS; Association of Consumers and Taxpayers, New Zealand (ACT), Richard PREBBLE; Christian Coalition (a coalition of the Christian Democrats and Christian Heritage Party), coleaders Graeme LEE and Rev. Graham CAPILL

International organization participation ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), OECD, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNPREDEP, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate James BOLGER
chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Josiah Horton BEEMAN
embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington
mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, FPO AP 96531-1001
telephone: [64] (4) 472-2068
FAX: [64] (4) 472-3537
consulate(s) general: Auckland

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

NOTE: The information regarding New Zealand on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of New Zealand Government 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about New Zealand Government 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.