Central & SE Asia / Australasia
Country profile: New Zealand
Location: | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia |
Climate: | temperate with sharp regional contrasts |
Terrain: | predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains |
Size: | 268680 sq. km total (Land area: 268021 sq. km ) |
Population: | 4,173,460 (July 2008 est.) |
Languages: | English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official) |
Government: | parliamentary democracy |
Capital city: | Wellington |
Legal system: | based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
Currency: | New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
Licensing: |
Country profile
The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples.
The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances.
Energy production and consumption
Oil | Gas | |
Production: | 25,880 bbl/day (2006 est.) | 3 billion cu m (2006 est.) |
Consumption: | 156,000 bbl/day (2006 est.) | 3 billion cu m (2006 est.) |
Exports: | 15,720 bbl/day (2006 est.) | |
Imports: | 140,900 bbl/day (2006 est.) | |
Reserves: | 55 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.) | 29 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
Major fields: |
New Zealand - recent news
21 Jun 23 |
New Zealand: Ormat signs agreements to develop 50MW geothermal power plant in New Zealand Ormat Technologies, a leading geothermal, energy storage, photovoltaic (PV), solar and recovered energy power company, has announced the signing of agreements with Eastland Generation Limited (EGL) to build a 50MW power plant in New Zealand. |
29 Nov 22 |
New Zealand: Meridian's Southern Green Hydrogen Project selects Woodside Energy as preferred partner Meridian Energy, a New Zealand power company that generates electricity through 100% renewable sources, with the support of Ngai Tahu, has selected Woodside Energy as the preferred partner to move forward to the development stage of the proposed Southern Green Hydrogen (SGH) project in New Zealand. |
27 Oct 22 |
New Zealand: Jadestone Energy announces termination of Maari acquisition Jadestone Energy has announced that the Company has mutually agreed with OMV New Zealand, a subsidiary of OMV, to terminate the sale and purchase agreement to acquire an operated 69% interest in the Maari Project, offshore New Zealand. |
14 Sep 22 |
New Zealand: Vestas wins 43 MW order for wind project in New Zealand In partnership with Mercury, Vestas has secured a 43 MW order for Kaiwera Downs Wind Farm in New Zealand. |
24 Apr 22 |
New Zealand: Contact and Lightsource bp join forces as solar development partners in New Zealand Under the new 50/50 joint venture Contact and Lightsource bp will source, develop and construct multiple solar farm projects in various locations across New Zealand. Contact will be able to purchase the electricity generated from the projects via a long-term power purchase agreement. |
New Zealand - more news
Other countries in this region
- Australia,
- Bangladesh,
- Brunei,
- Cambodia,
- China,
- Fiji,
- Hong Kong,
- India,
- Indonesia,
- Japan,
- Laos,
- Malaysia,
- Maldives,
- Mongolia,
- Myanmar,
- Nepal,
- North Korea,
- Pakistan,
- Palau,
- Papua New Guinea,
- Philippines,
- Singapore,
- South Korea,
- Sri Lanka,
- Taiwan,
- Thailand,
- Timor Leste,
- Vietnam