New Zealand is situated in the South Pacific Ocean, 6,500 km south-southwest of Hawaii and 1,900 km to the east of Australia. With a land area of 268,000 sq km, it is similar in size to Japan, Great Britain or Colorado in the United States. It is comprised of two main adjacent islands - the North Island and South Island - and a number of small outlying islands.

Population

New Zealand has a population of just over four million. Over one million people live in Auckland in the North Island. The capital city is Wellington, situated at the southern tip of the North Island. Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island.

Over half of New Zealand's total land area is pasture and arable land, and more than a quarter is under forest cover. It is predominantly mountainous and hilly, with 13 percent of the total area consisting of alpine terrain, including many peaks exceeding 3,000 metres. Lakes and rivers cover 1 percent of the land. The climate is temperate and relatively mild.  

Demographics

The majority of New Zealanders are of British descent, complemented with many other European cultures, including Dutch, Greek, Italian, French, German, Scandinavian and Dalmatian. New Zealand is also home to many people from the Pacific Islands and Asia. The largest non-European group is the indigenous Maori, the tangata whenua.  

Age structure	0-14 years: 21.5% 15-64 years: 66.2% 65 years and over: 12.3% (2006 Census)
Median age	Total: 35.9 years Men: 35.1 years Women: 36.7 years (2006 Census)
Life expectancy	Men: 77.9 years Women: 81.9 years (2006 estimate)
Ethnic groups	European 67.6%, Maori 14.6%, Asian 9.2%, Pacific Peoples 6.9%, Other 1.7%, Other ethnicity – 11.2% (2006 census)1
Religions	No religion 31.1%, Anglican 13.3%, Catholic 12.2%, Presbyterian 9.3%, Methodist 2.8%, Hindu 1.5%, Baptist 1.3%, Buddhist 1.3%, (2006 census)
Languages	English (official), Maori (official)

Sources: Statistics New Zealand, Ministry of Social Development.

¹ In the Census people can choose to identify with more than one ethnic group, therefore figures may not sum to totals.   

Political profile

New Zealand is a sovereign state with a democratic parliamentary government based on the Westminster system. Since 1996 New Zealand has elected Members of Parliament using a "Mixed Member Proportional" (MMP) system of proportional representation. Elections are usually held every three years.

The last four Governments have been coalitions between a major party and a minor party with support from other minor parties on issues of confidence and supply. Since 1996 more than nine political parties have been represented in Parliament.

The judicial system in New Zealand is based on the British model. The judiciary is independent from the executive.

New Zealand has a high degree of social and political stability and a modern social welfare system.  

Role of government in business

The New Zealand Government is responsible for legislation relevant to business operations. This includes legislation in areas such as land transfer, building and construction, Maori land claims, resource management, competition laws, protection of intellectual property, industrial relations, accident compensation, taxation, banking and finance, migration, trade relations and foreign investment.