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, Hondur