New Zealand is a remote island country in the south-western Pacific, situated about 2,000 km south-east of Australia across the Tasman Sea. The country mainly comprises two islands – the North and South islands. Its population is around 4.25m.
New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy and a British Commonwealth realm. The chief of state is the British Monarch. John Key has been the Prime Minister since the November 2008 general election.
Previously, New Zealand based its economy on the export of meat and dairy products to the United Kingdom. However, since Britain's membership of the European Union, New Zealand has diversified. Agriculture now represents only 4.9% of gross domestic product (GDP), with the economy being dominated by services at 71.6% of GDP, and manufacturing at some 23.5%. Tourism has become an important part of the country’s economy, with most of the country’s visitors originating from Australia, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
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COUNTRY:
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NEW ZEALAND
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Region:
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Asia Pacific |
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Currency:
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New Zealand dollar (NZD) (NZ$) |
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Languages:
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English
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Time Zone:
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UTC +12
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Phone Code:
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+64
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Communications:
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Good
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