:New Zealand Economy
Overview:
Since 1984 the government has been reorienting an agrarian economy dependent
on a guaranteed British market to an open free market economy that can
compete on the global scene. The government has hoped that dynamic growth
would boost real incomes, reduce inflationary pressures, and permit the
expansion of welfare benefits. The results have been mixed: inflation is
down from double-digit levels, but growth has been sluggish and
unemployment, always a highly sensitive issue, has exceeded 10% since May
1991. In 1988, GDP fell by 1%, in 1989 grew by a moderate 2.4%, and was flat
in 1990-91.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $46.2 billion, per capita $14,000; real growth
rate - 0.4% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.0% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
10.7% (September 1991)
Budget:
revenues $17.6 billion; expenditures $18.3 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
Exports:
$9.4 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
commodities:
wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fruit, fish, cheese, manufactures, chemicals,
forestry products
partners:
EC 18.3%, Japan 17.9%, Australia 17.5%, US 13.5%, China 3.6%, South Korea
3.1%
Imports:
$8.4 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
commodities:
petroleum, consumer goods, motor vehicles, industrial equipment
partners:
Australia 19.7%, Japan 16.9%, EC 16.9%, US 15.3%, Taiwan 3.0%
External debt:
$17.4 billion (1989)
Industrial production:
growth rate 1.9% (1990); accounts for about 20% of GDP
Electricity:
7,800,000 kW capacity; 28,000 million kWh produced, 8,500 kWh per capita
(1990)
Industries:
food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery,
transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
Agriculture:
accounts for about 9% of GDP and 10% of the work force; livestock
predominates - wool, meat, dairy products all export earners; crops - wheat,
barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, and vegetables; surplus producer of farm
products; fish catch reached a record 503,000 metric tons in 1988
Economic aid:
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $526 million
Currency:
New Zealand dollar (plural - dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100
cents
Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.8245 (March 1992), 1.7265 (1991),
1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987)
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:
92,648 km total; 49,547 km paved, 43,101 km gravel or crushed stone
Inland waterways:
1,609 km; of little importance to transportation
Pipelines:
natural gas 1,000 km; petroleum products 160 km; condensate 150 km
Ports:
Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington, Tauranga
Merchant marine:
18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 182,206 GRT/246,446 DWT; includes 2
cargo, 5 roll-on/roll-off, 1 railcar carrier, 4 oil tanker, 1 liquefied gas,
5 bulk
Civil air:
about 40 major transport aircraft
Airports:
118 total, 118 usable; 34 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 43 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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 15-49, 874,703; 739,923 fit for military service; 30,297 reach
military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $792 million, 2% of GDP (FY92)
:Nicaragua Geography
Total area:
129,494 km2
Land area:
120,254 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than New York State
Land boundaries:
1,231 km total; 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
Disputes:
territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y
Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; unresolved maritime boundary in Golfo de
Fonseca
Climate:
tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Terrain:
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains;
narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
Natural resources:
gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Land use:
arable land 9%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and
woodland 35%; other 12%; including irrigated 1%
Environment:
subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasional
severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
:Nicaragua People
Population:
3,878,150 (July 1992), growth rate 2.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
37 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
57 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
60 years male, 66 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Nicaraguan(s); adjective - Nicaraguan
Ethnic divisions:
mestizo 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Indian 5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%
Languages:
Spanish (official); English- and Indian-speaking minorities on Atlantic
coast
Literacy:
57% (male 57%, female 57%) age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
Labor force:
1,086,000; service 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13% (1986)
Organized labor:
35% of labor force