HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.
![handle is hein.crs/goveazj0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
Congress bnal Research Service
Inforrning the legislative debate since 1914
Updated May 2, 2017
New Zealand
The United States and New Zealand work together closely in New Zealand at a Glance
bilateral, regional, and global contexts to address common
interests in the areas of defense, foreign affairs, and trade. Government: A constitutional monarchy with approximately 120-
Bilateral and multilateral military-to-military exercises involving seat unicameral parliament. Members are elected by popular vote in
the two countries, such as the 23 nation RIMPAC naval exercise, single member constituencies, including seven Maori seats, with
have increased in number since the signing of the Wellington additional proportional seats selected from party lists. Terms of office
Declaration of 2010 and the Washington Declaration of 2012. are three years.
These declarations marked turning points in bilateral relations Head of State: Queen Elizabeth 11 represented by Governor
after differences over nuclear policy in the 1980s prompted the General Lt. Gen. SirJerry Matepare
United States to suspend its alliance commitments to New Zealand Head of Government: Prime Minister Bill English
(see below). The renewed strength of the bilateral relationship was
also demonstrated by the November 2016 visit of the USS Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber,
Sampson, the first U.S. warship visit to New Zealand in more than hydropower, gold, limestone
30 years. This strengthening of the relationship has been building Natural hazards: earthquakes
since New Zealand's commitment of military forces to Terrain: Mountainous and plains [41*o pasture, 31*o forest].
Afghanistan in 2003. In the view of many observers, this return to
close cooperation puts to rest past differences over nuclear policy. Area: 270,000 sq. km., or about the size of Colorado
Capital: Wellington
New Zealand and the United States have common historical roots Population: 4.5 million with 0.8o growth rate (2016)
as settler societies of the British Empire. New Zealand, also Literacy: 99*o with education expenditure 7.4*% of GDP (2014)
known to New Zealanders as Aotearoa or the land of the long Life expectancy at birth: 81.2 years (2016)
white cloud, was first settled by the Polynesian-Maori people Ethnic groups: European 71*o, Maori 14*%, Asian I 1%, Pacific
around the tenth century. Dutch navigator Abel Tasman Islander 8%0 (2013) [could identify with more than one group]
discovered the western coast of New Zealand in 1642, but it was
English Captain James Cook who, over three expeditions in 1769, Livestock: Sheep 31.2 mill, cattle 10.2 mill, deer I mill (2012)
1773, and 1777, circumnavigated and mapped the islands. The Export Commodities: Dairy products, meat, wood and wood
1840 Treaty of Waitangi, between the British Crown and products, fruit, oil, wine.
indigenous Maori Chiefs, serves as the basis for relations between Major Export Markets: China 19.4*%, Australia 17.1 %, U.S. I 1%,
the Maori and European communities. The British Monarch, Japan 6.2*%. (2016)
Queen Elizabeth II, is the constitutional head of state of New Per Capita GDP: $39,605 ppp (2017 est.)
Zealand. Her representative, the Governor General, acts on the
advice of the New Zealand Prime Minister's Cabinet. In 1893, GDP/ Sector: Ag. 4.2%, industry 26.5*%, services 69.2*% (2016)
New Zealand gave all women the right to vote. New Zealand GDP growth: 3*o est. (2017 est.)
attained Dominion Status in 1907 and gained full political Labor force: Agriculture 7*, industry 19*%, services 740 (2016)
independence from Britain under the Statute of Westminster
Adoption Act of 1947. Sources: CIA Factbook, Economist Intelligence Unit, media.
Politics and Elections
New Zealand is a unicameral, mixed-member-proportional
(MMP), parliamentary democracy. MMP was introduced in New
Zealand in 1996. Under MMP, Members of Parliament come from
both single-member electorates and from party lists leading to a
parliament where a party's share of the seats roughly mirrors its
share of the overall party vote. New Zealand does not have a state
or provincial level of government. The center-right National Party,
led by Prime Minister Bill English, and the opposition center-left
Labour Party, led by Andrew Little, are the two main political
parties in New Zealand. The National Party holds 59 of 121 seats
in parliament. English became Prime Minister and Leader of the
National Party after former National Party Prime Minister John
Key resigned in December 2016. The National Government has
the support of the Maori Party with two seats, the United Future
Party with one seat, and the ACT New Zealand Party with one
seat. The next election is to be held on September 23, 2017. The
Labour Party and the Green Party signed a memorandum of](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/goveazj0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)