New Zealand - Aotearoa

Country Profile


Official Name:
New Zealand - Aotearoa
abbreviation: NZ

ISO Country Code: NZ, NZL, .nz

Time:
Local Time = UTC +12h
DST October - March (+13h)
Actual Time: Sun-Sept-15  17:10

Country Calling Code: +64

Capital City: Wellington (pop. 210,400)

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Official Sites of New Zealand



The Beehive (on the left) is the executive wing of the New Zealand parliament building, the house on the right is the Parliamentary Library in Wellington.
Image: Bgabel


Political System
New Zealand is a Parliamentary Democracy and a Commonwealth Realm. Chief of State is the British monarch (Queen Elizabeth II), represented by a Governor-General. The monarch has a formal role in executive.
Since 1987 the country has a constitution that consists of a collection of rules and standards. The constitution governs the relationship between the individual and the state and the functioning of the government.
Head of the government and the cabinet is the Prime Minister.


Government

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

New Zealand Government Online
Portal to all New Zealand Government web sites.

Governor General of New Zealand
The website of the personal representative of the Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand.

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
The cabinet is New Zealand's most superior policy-making body, led by the Prime Minister.

The New Zealand Parliament - Pāremata Aotearoa
The country's unicameral parliament is the legislative branch of New Zealand.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Manatu Aorere Aotearoa
Official website of the ministry. The MFAT acts to promote and to protect New Zealand's interests.

Diplomatic Missions
New Zealand Mission to the UN
Permanent Mission of New Zealand to the United Nations.
New Zealand Diplomatic Post Finder
The official address for New Zealand embassies, high commissions and representative offices, and a list of foreign Diplomatic Missions to NZ.

Statistics
Statistics New Zealand - Te Tari Tatau
The primary source of official New Zealand statistics.

 

Maps of New Zealand



Map of New Zealand (click map to enlarge)
Image: © nationsonline.org

Maps

Map of New Zealand
Political Map of New Zealand.
Google Earth Map New Zealand
Searchable map and satellite view of New Zealand.
Google Earth Map Wellington
Searchable map and satellite view of New Zealand's capital.
Google Earth Map Auckland
Searchable map and satellite view of New Zealand's largest city.
Ruapehu District
With Mt. Ruapehu, an active volcano within the Tongariro National Park.

Oceania Map
Reference map of Australia/Oceania.
 

News of New Zealand



Image: NZ National Library

Online News from New Zealand

Dominion-Post
Wellington and other news provided by stuff.
New Zealand Herald
Auckland-based daily, New Zealand's largest newspaper with national and international news.
Otago Daily Times
Dunedin-based daily, online edition with New Zealand and South Pacific News.
The Press
Christchurch and other news provided by stuff.


NZ NetGuide
A New Zealand consumer and web magazine.

Stuff
A news media company, a subsidiary of Australia's Nine Entertainment.

The Spinoff
New Zealand online commentary and opinion magazine.

TV
TVNZ
Television New Zealand, the government-owned national broadcaster.
Newshub MediaWorks TV
Nationwide television channel owned by U.S. company Oaktree Capital Management.
Māori Television
Maori TV broadcasts programs that make a significant contribution to the revitalization of the Māori language and culture.

 

Arts & Culture of New Zealand



Imagination takes flight, World of WearableArt (WOW) at Wellington airport.
Image: Wellington airport

Arts & Culture

Creative New Zealand - Arts Council of New Zealand
A government organization responsible for developing the arts in New Zealand.

National Library of New Zealand
Collect and maintain literature and information resources that relate to New Zealand and the Pacific.


Te Papa
The Museum of New Zealand.

The National Tattoo Museum of New Zealand
Museum about the historic growth of Tattoo in New Zealand.

The New Zealand Edge
International News About Global New Zealanders.


Performing Arts
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
The national orchestra of New Zealand.
 
 

Business & Economy of New Zealand



The Benmore Range with a herd of milk suppliers in the foreground, seen from State Highway 8 between Twizel and Omarama on South Island. Agriculture plays a vital role in New Zealand's economy.
Image: Krzysztof Golik


New Zealand economy
New Zealand has a developed free-market economy based on agriculture and services. The island nation depends hugely on international trade and tourism. Major exports are concentrated milk and butter. Major imports are cars and crude petroleum. Top trading partners are China, Australia, and the United States.


Banks
Reserve Bank of New Zealand
New Zealand's central bank, established in 1934.

Bank of New Zealand
One of New Zealand's largest banks.
ANZ Bank
Formerly the National Bank of New Zealand is now a subsidiary of the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group.

New Zealand Stock Exchange
NZX 50 Index is the main stock market index in New Zealand.

List of companies listed on the New Zealand Exchange


Auckland Business Chamber
New Zealand's largest business organization and part of the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce network.


Kiwiana - Kiwi Products
Otorohanga, Kiwiana Town
Kiwiana Icons and culture.



Transportation

Air
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national carrier of New Zealand.

Auckland International Airport (AKL)
New Zealand's largest and busiest airport.
Christchurch International Airport (CHC)
New Zealand's first international airport is the gateway for Christchurch and the South Island.
Dunedin Airport (DUD)
International airport in the Otago region of the South Island.
Wellington International Airport (WLG)
The international airport that serves New Zealand's capital.

Sea
Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries
NZ ferry service operated by StraitNZ.
Interislander - New Zealand's Ferries
Interislander Cook Strait ferry service.
Ports of Auckland
Official website with information about New Zealand's largest port.

Railways
KiwiRail
New Zealand's state-owned enterprise, responsible for rail operations in New Zealand.
The Great Journeys of New Zealand
The tourism division of KiwiRail.

Dunedin Railways
New Zealand Rail & Train Tours, home to Taieri Gorge Railway, The Seasider, and Rail Touring.


Bus/Coaches
Intercity Coachlines
New Zealand Bus Travel.



View from Princes Wharf of the Auckland City waterfront with the historic Auckland Ferry Terminal building.
Image: Ingolfson
 

Tourism in New Zealand



Milford Sound with Mitre Peak within the Fiordland National Park in the southwest of New Zealand's South Island.
Image: Travel & Sh*t

Destination New Zealand - Travel and Tour Guides

Discover New Zealand: North Island, South Island, Glaciers, Volcanoes, Hauraki Gulf, Kawau Island, Milford Sound, Rangitoto Island, Waiheke Island, Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton.
Accommodation, hotels, attractions, festivals, events, tourist boards, biking, skiing, hiking, climbing, cruising, diving, kayaking, tours, and much more.

100% Pure New Zealand
Travel and tourist information for New Zealand by the New Zealand Tourism Board.

Tourism New Zealand
New Zealand tourism's international marketing organization.

Train Travel
The Great Journeys of New Zealand
The tourism division of KiwiRail.

Dunedin Railways
New Zealand Rail & Train Tours, home to Taieri Gorge Railway, The Seasider, and Rail Touring.

North Island
(with the regions of Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Wanganui, Tongariro Taupo, East Coast Hawkes Bay, and Wellington)
Destination Northland
Official website with information about the subtropical Northland with its extensive unspoiled coastline.
Tourism Coromandel
The Coromandel Peninsula is one of New Zealand's best-loved holiday destinations.
Tourism Waikato
Pastures, Caves, Hobbits.
Destination Manawatu
Outdoor adventures in Wanganui, Rangitikei, Manawatu and Tararua districts.
Rotorua
Rotorua is one of the most famous destinations in New Zealand.
Visit Ruapehu
The official Regional Tourism organization for the Ruapehu District.
Mount Ruapehu
Visitors guide to Mt Ruapehu and New Zealand's largest skiing area.


South Island
(with the regions of Nelson Marlborough, Canterbury, West Coast, Otago, Southland, and the Chatham Islands)

Canterbury
Christchurch and Canterbury
The official visitors guide and travel planner for Canterbury and Christchurch South Island.

Otago
Tourism Central Otago
A travel and tourism guide for the Otago region.
Otago region
Otago Peninsula is an area in the southeast of the South Island.

Tourism Waitaki
A visitors guide to Waitaki Districts.



Mountains surrounding Te Anau lake in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.
Image: paul bica
   

UNESCO World Heritage Sites


Mt. Ruapehu Crater Pond. Ruapehu is one of three volcanoes within the Tongariro National Park, a highly active volcanic area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Image: Simeon W
 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in New Zealand
There are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in New Zealand (see the List)

New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands
The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands are five island groups, The Snares, the Bounty Islands, the Antipodes Islands, the Auckland Islands, and the Campbell Islands in the Southern Ocean to the south and south-east of New Zealand's South Island.
The islands, located between the subtropical and arctic convergence zones, feature a high biodiversity and are home to a rich flora and fauna, especially seabirds and penguins nest there.


Tongariro National Park
Tongariro park lies at the south-western end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, an area of intense volcanic activity with numerous volcanic vents and geothermal fields that extends from Mt. Ruapehu to the White Island (Whakaari) in the Bay of Plenty of New Zealand's North Island.
Within Tongariro park are three active volcanoes, Tongariro, Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom in "The Lord of the Rings" films) and Ruapehu. These mountains have cultural and religious significance for the Maori; they represent the spiritual links between the people and their territory.


Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand
Te Wahipounamu features picturesque fjords, wild rocky coasts, towering cliffs, turquoise lakes, and white noise producing waterfalls in a mountainous wilderness with 800-year-old trees in a place far, far away.

 

Education in New Zealand



University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university.
Image: Ulrich Lange


Universities
Lincoln University
University at Christchurch, Canterbury.

University of Auckland
New Zealand's largest university, established in 1883.

University of Canterbury (Whare Wananga o Waitaha)
The university's official website.

University of Otago
New Zealand's oldest university, founded in 1869.

The University of Waikato (Te Whare Wananga o Waikato )
The University of Waikato at Tauranga.

Victoria University of Wellington (Te Herenga Waka)
Official website of Victoria University of Wellington.

Whitecliffe College of Art & Design
International art school.

Science
The Royal Society of New Zealand
Association for the advancement of science and technology.
 
 

Environment & Nature



The Putangirua Pinnacles, a geological formation in a valley in the Aorangi Ranges, on the North Island are New Zealand's best examples of badlands erosion.
Image: Kathrin & Stefan Marks


Department of Conservation (Te Papa Atawhai)
The central government organization charged with conserving the natural and historical heritage of New Zealand.

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
Research organization and New Zealand's leading provider of environmental research and consultancy services.

South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
The Pacific region's major intergovernmental organization charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources.

Nature
National Parks
Information about New Zealand's 14 national parks by the Department of Conservation.
 
 

New Zealand History



Ships of the VOC entering the Murderers' Bay (Golden Bay / Mohua), a Māori war canoe (Waka) in the foreground. New Zealand was officially "discovered" in 1642 by Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, and merchant in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Tasman and his men were the first Europeans to have a confirmed encounter with Māori.
Drawing: Isaack Gilsemans (1606 – 1646)


History of New Zealand

Archives New Zealand (Te Rua Mahara o te Kawanatanga)
Archives New Zealand is the official guardian of New Zealand's heritage documents.

Heritage New Zealand
New Zealand's significant heritage places and stories.

Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi)
Treaty in 1840, between Maori chieftains and the British Crown, where the Maori ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights.

Flagstaff War and the Treaty of Waitangi
Wikipedia entry for the Flagstaff War, the First Māori War.

New Zealand in History
The site provides an overview of New Zealand's history.

NZHistory.net.nz
A national resource for anyone interested in New Zealand history.

Mokomokai: Preserving the Past
Mokomokai are the preserved heads of Māori. 

 

Indigenous People of New Zealand



Maori warriors perform a traditional Haka posture dance of welcome for the US Secretary of Defense.
Image: U.S. Secretary of Defense


 Maori Culture
An Exhibit of Maori People and Culture of Aotearoa (New Zealand)

Maori Independence (Tino Rangatiratanga)
The site concerning self determination issues for indigenous people in Aotearoa/New Zealand it's relvance pacifically and within the wider international indigenous community.

maori.org.nz
Site for Maori culture and people.

Te Matatini
Māori performing arts festival and competition for kapa haka. 
 

Additional Information

Selected country profiles of New Zealand published by international organizations.


Amnesty International: New Zealand
Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rights.
BBC Country Profile: New Zealand
Country profiles by the British public service broadcaster.

The Commonwealth: New Zealand
New Zealand is a member state of The Commonwealth of Nations, an international association consisting of the UK together with states that were previously part of the British Empire.

GlobalEDGE: New Zealand
The Global Business Knowledge Portal about New Zealand.

The Heritage Foundation: New Zealand
Index of Economic Freedom by The Heritage Foundation, an American conservative think tank.

Human Rights Watch: New Zealand
HRW conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

OEC: New Zealand
The Observatory of Economic Complexity provides the latest trade data.

Reporters Without Borders: New Zealand
RSF (Reporters sans frontières) is an international NGO that defends and promotes media freedom.

Wikipedia: New Zealand
Wikipedia's New Zealand page in many languages.

The CIA World Factbook -- New Zealand
The CIA World Factbook intelligence on New Zealand.