tures: 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, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

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

@New Zealand:People

Population: 3,625,388 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 23% (male 427,776; female 407,074)
15-64 years: 65% (male 1,188,468; female 1,181,002)
65 years and over: 12% (male 182,253; female 238,815) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.04% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 14.89 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 7.6 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 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: 0.76 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.37 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.55 years
male: 74.35 years
female: 80.91 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.91 children born/woman (1998 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%,
Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33%
(1986)

Languages: English (official), Maori

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%

@New Zealand:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: New Zealand
abbreviation: NZ

Data code: NZ

Government type: parliamentary democracy

National capital: Wellington

Administrative divisions: 93 counties, 9 districts*, and 3 town
districts**; Akaroa, Amuri, Ashburton, Bay of Isla