Governor-General: Dame Silvia Cartwright (2001)

Prime Minister: Helen Clark (1999)

Area: 103,737 sq mi (268,680 sq km) (excluding dependencies)

Population (2004 est.): 4,193,817 (growth rate: 1.1%); birth rate: 14.0/1000; infant mortality rate: 6.0/1000; life expectancy: 78.5; density per sq mi: 38

Capital (2003 est.): Wellington, 342,500 (metro. area), 165,100 (city proper)

Largest cities: Auckland, 369,300 (metro. area), 359,500 (city proper); Christchurch, 334,100

Monetary unit: New Zealand Dollar

Languages: English (official) , Maori

Ethnicity/race: New Zealand European 74.5%, Maori 7.7%, other European 4.6%, Pacific Islander 3.8%, Asian and others 9.4%

Religions: Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33% (1986)

Literacy rate: 99% (1980 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2003 est.): $85.26 billion; per capita $21,600. Real growth rate: 3.4%. Inflation: 1.8%. Unemployment: 5.1%. Arable land: 6%. Agriculture: wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, dairy products; fish. Labor force: 1.92 million (2001 est.): services 65%, industry 25%, agriculture 10% (1995). Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining. Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone. Exports: $15.86 billion (2003 est.): dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery. Imports: $16.06 billion (2003 est.): machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics. Major trading partners: Australia, U.S., Japan, UK, China, South Korea, Germany.

Member of Commonwealth of Nations

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 1.92 million (2000); mobile cellular: 2.2 million (2000). Radio broadcast stations: AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998). Radios: 3.75 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power repeaters) (1997). Televisions: 1.926 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 36 (2000). Internet users: 2.06 million (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 3,898 km (2002). Highways: total: 92,053 km; paved: 57,809 km (including at least 190 km of expressways); unpaved: 34,244 km (2000). Waterways: 1,609 km; of little importance to transportation. Ports and harbors: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga, Wellington. Airports: 113 (2002).

National name: Công Hòa Xa Hôi Chú Nghia Viêt Nam

President: Tran Duc Luong (1997)

Prime Minister: Phan Van Khai (1997)

Area: 127,243 sq mi (329,560 sq km)

Population (2004 est.): 82,689,518 (growth rate: 1.3%); birth rate: 19.6/1000; infant mortality rate: 29.9/1000; life expectancy: 70.4; density per sq mi: 650

Capital (2003 est.):

Ha Nội, 4,143,700 (metro. area), 1,396,500 (city proper)

Largest cities: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), 5,894,100 (metro. area), 3,415,300 (city proper); Haiphong, 581,600; Da Nang, 452,700; Hué 271,900; Nha Trang, 270,100; Qui Nho'n, 199,700

Monetary unit: Dong

Languages: Vietnamese (official); English (increasingly favored as a second language); some French, Chinese, Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)

Ethnicity/race: Vietnamese (Kinh) 85%–90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, Altogether there are 54 minority groups

Religions: Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim

Literacy rate: 94% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2003 est.): $203.9 billion; per capita $2,500. Real growth rate: 7.3%. Inflation: 3.9% (2002 est.). Unemployment: 25% (1995 est.). Arable land: 17%. Agriculture: paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs; fish. Labor force: 38.2 million (1998 est.); agriculture 63%, industry and services 37% (2000 est.). Industries: food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper. Natural resources: phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower. Exports: $19.88 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes. Imports: $22.5 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles. Major trading partners: U.S., Japan, Australia, China, Germany, Singapore, UK, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand.

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 2.6 million (2000); mobile cellular: 730,155 (2000). Radio broadcast stations: AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999). Radios: 8.2 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998). Televisions: 3.57 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 5 (2000). Internet users: 400,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 3,142 km (2002). Highways: total: 93,300 km; paved: 23,418 km; unpaved: 69,882 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 17,702 km navigable; more than 5,149 km navigable at all times by vessels up to 1.8 m draft. Ports and harbors: Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau. Airports: 47 (2002).