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Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean, ruled since 1947 by the Monarchy of New Zealand

New Zealand (Māori: Aotearoa) is a sovereign island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui), and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and around 600 smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometers east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometers south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.

Geographical type: Island Group

Latitude: 42° S — Longitude: 174° E

Area: 268,021 km²

ISO 3166-2 code: NZ

Home To

Libertarianz, Auckland

Measures of Freedom

Human Freedom Index [PDF], The Human Freedom Index 2021
2019: 9.01, Rank: 2, Personal Freedom: 9.33, Economic Freedom: 8.56
Level of Economic Freedom, Economic Freedom of the World
2014: 8.35, Rank: 3
New Zealand | Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2022
2016: Status: Free, Aggregate Score: 98, Political Rights: 1, Civil Liberties: 1
The ruling coalition led by Prime Minister John Key, leader of the center-right National Party, governed with relative stability during the year. Concerns remained about de facto discrimination against New Zealand's Maori people, although the government has made significant efforts in recent years to enhance representation of their interests.

Articles

An Interview with Robert J. Ringer, by Robert Ringer, David M. Brown, Oct 2004
Topics discussed include reactions from readers, questions about Action! and Winning Through Intimidation, how he became a writer, his venture in New Zealand, religion and his next book
In Action! ... you talk a little about your business experience in New Zealand ... How did you end up running a business in New Zealand?
It was just one of those opportunities that sometimes pops up out of nowhere. It began when a fan of mine who lived in New Zealand interviewed me for a magazine article. As fate would have it, he was trying to secure the rights to a line of health products, and asked me to become involved. I had fantasized about living Down Under since I was in high school, and it seemed like a great excuse to fulfill that fantasy. I ended up living in New Zealand for about two years and Australia for about a year.
Related Topic: Pursuit of Happiness
Lindsay Perigo Interviews Barbara Branden, by Barbara Branden, Lindsay Perigo, 17 Apr 2002
Branden answers questions about New Zealand, the 11 Sep 2001 attacks, Ayn Rand, objectivism and factionalism within the objectivist movement
I don't have many preconceptions about New Zealand, and I am very eager to learn more about it. I have heard many times that it is very beautiful, which is a great attraction for me. No, I don't think it is the freest country on earth; I once did, but you convinced me otherwise. New Zealand to me is another world, strange and fascinating, and I look forward to making its acquaintance. ... I only hope I survive the plane trip - not because of terrorism, but because of the length of the flight. But it's worth it to me, and I am very much looking forward to my visit.
New Zealand's New Zealots, by R. W. Bradford, Liberty, Mar 1997
Examines the two New Zealand political parties with libertarian tendencies—the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers (ACT) and the Libertarianz, including the animosity between them; addendum to the main article "Revolution in a Small Country"
ACT is a new party, founded in 1993 by Sir Roger Douglas, who, as Finance Minister in the Labour Government from 1984 to 1989, was responsible almost single-handedly for New Zealand's free-market revolution. ACT is well-organized, well-financed, and very much in evidence on the national scene. In terms of membership, it is the second-largest party in New Zealand ... The Libertarianz are an even newer party, launched only 98 days prior to the 1996 election. Its leader is Lindsay Perigo, at one time New Zealand's most prominent media personality, host of New Zealand Radio's Morning Report from 1979 to 1984 ...
Related Topics: Libertarianism, Objectivism

The introductory paragraph uses material from the Wikipedia article "New Zealand" as of 26 Jul 2018, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.