Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Geographic coordinates: 41° 0' S, 174° 0' E
Coastline km: 15,134 km km
Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Elevation: highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m
Natural hazards: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity
Currency: New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Population: 4,035,461 (July 2005 est.)
Languages: English (official), Maori (official)
Capital: Wellington
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