World Factbook
New Zealand
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant, with four five-pointed red stars edged in white centered in the right half of the flag meaning: the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
Capital
name
Wellington
etymology
named in 1840 after Arthur WELLESLEY, the first Duke of Wellington, who was famous for his victory at Waterloo in 1815 and was a benefactor of the New Zealand Company that settled North Island
time zone note
New Zealand has two time zones: New Zealand standard time (UTC+12) and Chatham Islands time (45 minutes in advance of New Zealand standard time; UTC+12:45)
time difference
UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April
geographic coordinates
41 18 S, 174 47 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of New Zealand
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
3 years
Constitution
history
New Zealand has no single constitution document; the Constitution Act 1986, effective 1 January 1987, includes only part of the uncodified constitution; others include a collection of statutes or "acts of Parliament," the Treaty of Waitangi, Orders in Council, letters patent, court decisions, and unwritten conventions
amendment process
proposed as bill by Parliament or by referendum called either by the government or by citizens; passage of a bill as an act normally requires two separate readings with committee reviews in between to make changes and corrections, a third reading approved by the House of Representatives membership or by the majority of votes in a referendum, and assent of the governor-general; passage of amendments to reserved constitutional provisions affecting the term of Parliament, electoral districts, and voting restrictions requires approval by 75% of the House membership or the majority of votes in a referendum
Country name
former
Nieuw Zeeland
etymology
the name is an anglicized form of the Dutch name Nieuw Zeeland, or "New Sea Land," which was first used in 1643 in honor of the Dutch province of Zeeland
abbreviation
NZ
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
New Zealand
Independence
26 September 1907 (from the UK)
Legal system
common law system, based on English model, with special legislation and land courts for the Maori
Dependent areas
Tokelau (1)
Government type
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
Supreme Court (consists of 5 justices, including the chief justice)
subordinate courts
Court of Appeal; High Court; tribunals and authorities; district courts; specialized courts for issues related to employment, environment, family, Maori lands, youth, military; tribunals
judge selection and term of office
justices appointed by the governor-general upon the recommendation of the attorney- general; justices appointed until compulsory retirement at age 70
Executive branch
cabinet
Executive Council appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the prime minister
chief of state
King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General Dame Cindy KIRO (since 21 October 2021)
head of government
Prime Minister Christopher LUXON (since 27 November 2023)
election/appointment process
the monarchy is hereditary; governor-general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the governor-general appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister; deputy prime minister also appointed by the governor-general
National holiday
Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840); Anzac Day, 25 April (1915)
note: the Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand, and the second holiday commemorates the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps in Gallipoli, Turkey, during World War I
National color(s)
black, white, red (ochre)
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
3 (2 natural, 1 mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand (n); Tongariro National Park (m); New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands (n)
Political parties
ACT New Zealand Green Party New Zealand First Party or NZ First Labor Party National Party Te Pāti Māori
Legislative branch
term in office
3 years
number of seats
120 (all directly elected)
electoral system
mixed system
legislature name
House of Representatives
scope of elections
full renewal
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
10/14/2023
expected date of next election
September 2026
percentage of women in chamber
45.1%
parties elected and seats per party
National Party (49); Labour Party (34); Green Party (14); ACT New Zealand (11); New Zealand First (8); Te Pāti Māori (4); Others (2)
National anthem(s)
note
note: New Zealand is one of only two countries that has two national anthems of equal status (Denmark is the other)
title
"God Save the King"
history
royal anthem and one of two official national anthems; usually played only when a member of the royal family or a representative is present or when allegiance to the crown is demonstrated
lyrics/music
unknown
National symbol(s)
Southern Cross constellation (four five-pointed stars), kiwi (bird), silver fern
National coat of arms
the first quarter of the shield shows four stars that represent the Southern Cross constellation and three ships that symbolize New Zealand's sea trade; in the second quarter, a fleece represents the sheep farming industry; the wheat sheaf in the third quarter represents the agricultural industry; the crossed hammers in the fourth quarter represent mining; the Māori chieftain holds a taiaha (a Māori war weapon) and a European woman holds the New Zealand flag; St. Edward's crown, shown above the shield, symbolizes the British monarch
Administrative divisions
16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 667-5277
chancery
37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 328-4800
chief of mission
Ambassador Rosemary BANKS (since 17 June 2024)
consulate(s) general
Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York
email address and website
wshinfo@mfat.govt.nz https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-regions/americas/united-states-of-america/
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[64] (4) 499-0490
embassy
29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington 6011
telephone
[64] (4) 462-6000
mailing address
4370 Auckland Place, Washington DC 20521-4370
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires David GEHRENBECK (since January 2025); note - also accredited to Samoa
consulate(s) general
Auckland
email address and website
AucklandACS@state.gov https://nz.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF, SICA (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction