Oceania, Melanesia, in the South Pacific Ocean, 1,750 km east of
Australia
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total area:
19,060 sq km
land area:
18,760 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
2,254 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain:
coastal plains with interior mountains
Natural resources:
nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Land use:
arable land:
0%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
14%
forest and woodland:
51%
other:
35%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
NA
natural hazards:
typhoons most frequent from November to March
international agreements:
NA
@New Caledonia, People
Population:
181,309 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.79% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
22.39 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
4.96 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
73.62 years
male:
70.32 years
female:
77.09 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.62 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
New Caledonian(s)
adjective:
New Caledonian
Ethnic divisions:
Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%,
Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Languages:
French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1976)
total population:
91%
male:
91%
female:
90%
Labor force:
50,469 foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and
Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)
by occupation:
NA
@New Caledonia, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
conventional short form:
New Caledonia
local long form:
Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances
local short form:
Nouvelle-Caledonie
Digraph:
NC
Type:
overseas territory of France since 1956
Capital:
Noumea
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud
Independence:
none (overseas territory of France; a referendum on independence will
be held in 1998)
National holiday:
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands;
formerly under French law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
head of government:
High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Alain
CHRISTNACHT (since 15 January 1991; appointed by the French Ministry
of the Interior); President of the Territorial Congress Simon
LOUECKHOTE (since 26 June 1989)
cabinet:
Consultative Committee
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Territorial Assembly:
elections last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held 1993); results -
RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO 4%, other 11%; seats - (54
total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, other 5; note - election boycotted by
FULK
French Senate:
elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held September
2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) RPCR 1
French National Assembly:
elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held 21 and 28 March
1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) RPCR 2
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique
(RPCR), conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR - affiliated to France's
Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR); Melanesian proindependence
Kanaka Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE;
Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS), Nidoish
NAISSELINE; National Front (FN), extreme right, Guy GEORGE; Caledonie
Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT; Union Oceanienne (UO),
conservative, Michel HEMA; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK),
proindependence, Clarence UREGEI; Union Caledonian (UC), Francois
BURCK
Member of:
ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
none (overseas territory of France)
US diplomatic representation:
none (overseas territory of France)
Flag:
the flag of France is used
@New Caledonia, Economy
Overview:
New Caledonia has more than 25% of the world's known nickel resources.
In recent years the economy has suffered because of depressed
international demand for nickel, the principal source of export
earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for
cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports.
National product:
GNP - exchange rate conversion - $1 billion (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
2.4% (1988)
National product per capita:
$6,000 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.4% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
16% (1989)
Budget:
revenues:
$224 million
expenditures:
$211 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985 est.)
Exports:
$671 million (f.o.b., 1989)
commodities:
nickel metal 87%, nickel ore
partners:
France 32%, Japan 23.5%, US 3.6%
Imports:
$764 million (c.i.f., 1989)
commodities:
foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment
partners:
France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
400,000 kW
production:
2.2 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
12,790 kWh (1990)
Industries:
nickel mining and smelting
Agriculture:
large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat,
vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef
Illicit drugs:
illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal source of income
for some families
Economic aid:
recipient:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $4.185 billion
Currency:
1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais duPacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 107.63
(January 1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00
(1990), 115.99 (1989); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the
French franc
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@New Caledonia, Communications
Highways:
total:
6,340 km
paved:
634 km
unpaved:
5,706 km (1987)
Ports:
Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio
Airports:
total:
30
usable:
28
with permanent-surface runways:
4
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
1
Telecommunications:
32,578 telephones (1987); broadcast stations - 5 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; 1
Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
@New Caledonia, Defense Forces
Branches:
Gendarmerie, Police Force
Note:
defense is the responsibility of France
@New Zealand, Geography
Location:
Southwestern Oceania, southeast of Australia in the South Pacific
Ocean
Map references:
Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
268,680 sq km
land area:
268,670 sq km
comparative area:
about the size of Colorado
note:
includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell
Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
15,134 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
200 nm or the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
Climate:
temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain:
predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Natural resources:
natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
Land use:
arable land:
2%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
53%
forest and woodland:
38%
other:
7%
Irrigated land:
2,800 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by
species introduced from outside
natural hazards:
earthquakes are common, though usually not severe
international agreements:
party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed,
but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Note:
about 80% of the population lives in cities
@New Zealand, People
Population:
3,388,737 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.57% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
15.52 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
8.06 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
76.38 years
male:
72.76 years
female:
80.18 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.03 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
New Zealander(s)
adjective:
New Zealand
Ethnic divisions:
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 9% (1986)
Languages:
English (official), Maori
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
total population:
99%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Labor force:
1,603,500 (June 1991)
by occupation:
services 67.4%, manufacturing 19.8%, primary production 9.3% (1987)
@New Zealand, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
New Zealand
Abbreviation:
NZ
Digraph:
NZ
Type:
parliamentary democracy
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
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 (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor
General Dame Catherine TIZARD (since 12 December 1990)
head of government:
Prime Minister James BOLGER (since 29 October 1990); Deputy Prime
Minister Donald McKINNON (since 2 November 1990)
cabinet:
Executive Council; appointed by the governor general on recommendation
of the prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral
House of Representatives:
(commonly called Parliament) elections last held on 6 November 1993
(next to be held NA November 1996); results - NP 35.2%, NZLP 34.7%,
Alliance 18.3%, New Zealand First 8.3%; seats - (99 total) NP 50, NZLP
45, Alliance 2, New Zealand First Party 2
Judicial branch:
High Court, Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
National Party (NP; government), James BOLGER; New Zealand Labor Party
(NZLP; opposition), Helen CLARK; Alliance, Jim ANDERTON; Democratic
Party, Dick RYAN; New Zealand Liberal Party, Hanmish MACINTYRE and
Gilbert MYLES; Green Party, no official leader; Mana Motuhake, Martin
RATA; Socialist Unity Party (SUP; pro-Soviet), Kenneth DOUGLAS; New
Zealand First, Winston PETERS
note:
the New Labor, Democratic, and Mana Motuhake parties formed a
coalition called the Alliance Party, Jim ANDERTON, president, in
September 1991; the Green Party joined the coalition in May 1992
Member of:
ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986),
APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, C, CCC, CP, COCOM (cooperating), EBRD,
ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,
LORCS, MTCR, NAM (guest), OECD, PCA, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNAVEM
II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Lionel John WOOD
chancery:
37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 328-4800
consulate(s) general:
Los Angeles
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Josiah 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:
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
@New Zealand, Economy
Overview:
Since 1984 the government has been reorienting an agrarian economy
dependent on a guaranteed British market to a more industrialized,
open free market economy that can compete on the global scene. The
government has hoped that dynamic growth would boost real incomes,
broaden and deepen the technological capabilities of the industrial
sector, reduce inflationary pressures, and permit the expansion of
welfare benefits. The results have been mixed: inflation is down from
double-digit levels, but growth was sluggish in 1988-91. In 1992-93,
growth picked up to 3% annually, a sign that the new economic approach
is beginning to pay off. Business confidence has strengthened, and the
inflation remains among the lowest in the industrial world.
Unemployment, down from 11% in 1991, remains unacceptably high at 9%.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $53 billion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
3% (1993)
National product per capita:
$15,700 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
9.1% (September 1993)
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
note:
deficit $345 million (October 1993)
Exports:
$10.3 billion (FY93)
commodities:
wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fruit, fish, cheese, manufactures,
chemicals, forestry products
partners:
Australia 18.9%, Japan 15.1%, US 12.5%, South Korea 4.1%
Imports:
$9.4 billion (FY93)
commodities:
petroleum, consumer goods, motor vehicles, industrial equipment
partners:
Australia 21.1%, US 19.6%, Japan 14.7%, UK 6.3%, Germany 4.2%
External debt:
$35.3 billion (March 1993)
Industrial production:
growth rate 1.9% (1990); accounts for about 20% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
8,000,000 kW
production:
31 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
9,250 kWh (1992)
Industries:
food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery,
transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
Agriculture:
accounts for about 9% of GDP and about 10% of the work force;
livestock predominates - wool, meat, dairy products all export
earners; crops - wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables;
surplus producer of farm products; fish catch reached a record 503,000
metric tons in 1988
Economic aid:
donor:
ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $526 million
Currency:
1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.7771 (January 1994), 1.8495
(1993), 1.8584 (1992), 1.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
@New Zealand, Communications
Railroads:
4,716 km total; all 1.067-meter gauge; 274 km double track; 113 km
electrified; over 99% government owned
Highways:
total:
92,648 km
paved:
49,547 km
unpaved:
gravel, crushed stone 43,101 km
Inland waterways:
1,609 km; of little importance to transportation
Pipelines:
petroleum products 160 km; natural gas 1,000 km; condensate (liquified
petroleum gas - LPG) 150 km
Ports:
Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington, Tauranga
Merchant marine:
18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 165,514 GRT/218,699 DWT, bulk 6,
cargo 2, liquefied gas 1, oil tanker 3, railcar carrier 1,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 5
Airports:
total:
108
usable:
108
with permanent-surface runways:
39
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
39
Telecommunications:
excellent international and domestic systems; 2,110,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 64 AM, 2 FM, 14 TV; submarine cables extend to
Australia and Fiji; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
@New Zealand, Defense Forces
Branches:
New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 880,576; fit for military service 741,629; reach
military age (20) annually 28,242 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $792 million, 2% of GDP (FY90/91)
@Nicaragua, Geography
Location:
Middle America, between Costa Rica and Honduras
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean, South America
Area:
total area:
129,494 sq km
land area:
120,254 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than New York State
Land boundaries:
total 1,231 km, Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Coastline:
910 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
25-nm security zone (status of claim uncertain)
continental shelf:
not specified
territorial sea:
200 nm
International disputes:
territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres
y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; International Court of Justice
(ICJ) referred the maritime boundary question in the Golfo de Fonseca
to an earlier agreement in this century and advised that some
tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua
likely would be required
Climate:
tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Terrain:
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior
mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
Natural resources:
gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Land use:
arable land:
9%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
43%
forest and woodland:
35%
other:
12%
Irrigated land:
850 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
natural hazards:
subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and
occasionally severe hurricanes
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea
@Nicaragua, People
Population:
4,096,689 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.68% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
34.66 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
6.69 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
52.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
64.02 years
male:
61.18 years
female:
66.96 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.33 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Nicaraguan(s)
adjective:
Nicaraguan
Ethnic divisions:
mestizo 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%
Languages:
Spanish (official)
note:
English- and Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic coast
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
total population:
57%
male:
57%
female:
57%
Labor force:
1.086 million
by occupation:
services 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13% (1986)
@Nicaragua, Government