New Zealand Statistics

New Zealand is a sparsely populated country to the east of Australia. The country enjoys a high standard of living. Predominately populated by people of European decent, there is also a sizable polynesian population that includes the native people the Maori. The country is a stable parliamentary democracy with governance extending to the North Island, South Island, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands, and a number of smaller outlying islands. New Zealand also has a number of dependant areas namely, Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau to the north of the country. It also asserts territorial claim in Ross Dependency in Antarctica. New Zealand is a mountainous country, rich in flora , and highly suited to agriculture. It has one of the longest coastlines in the world, a mountain chain bigger than the European Alps, and a number of spectacular fiords.