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-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the
southernmost national capital in the world
People New Zealand
Population:
4,035,461 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.4% (male 441,836/female 421,065)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,356,095/female 1,343,728)
65 years and over: 11.7% (male 206,650/female 266,087) (2005 est.)
Median age:
total: 33.65 years
male: 32.92 years
female: 34.4 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.02% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
13.9 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)