ntal shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Cook 3,764 m

Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber,
hydropower, gold, limestone

Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 50%
forests and woodland: 28%
other: 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 2,850 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe;
volcanic activity

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; native
flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life
Conservation

Geography - note: about 80% of the population lives in cities

@New Zealand:People

Population: 3,819,762 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 23% (male 440,824; female 419,740)
15-64 years: 66% (male 1,263,710; female 1,254,958)
65 years and over: 11% (male 191,511; female 249,019) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.17% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 14.28 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 7.57 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.82 years
male: 74.85 years
female: 80.93 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: New Zealander(s)
adjective: New Zealand

Ethnic groups: New Zealand European 74.5%, Maori 9.7%, other European
4.6%, Pacific Islander 3.8%, Asian and others 7.4%

Religions: Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%,
Meth