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| New Zealand |
State on the North and South Islands, separated by the Cook Strait, and on other, smaller islands in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. Territory - 268.7 thousand sq. km. Population - 3.1 million (1979); 80% are descendants of immigrants from Great Britain and Ireland, who formed the Anglo-New Zealand nation; indigenous people - Maori Polynesians (including mestizo) - 0.26 million In 1978-79. for the first time in the history of the country, there was a decrease in its population: due to the deteriorating economic situation and rising unemployment, more than 50 thousand people left New Zealand. The capital is Wellington (about 140 thousand inhabitants.). The state language is English. The most common churches are Anglican, Presbyterian, Catholic. New Zealand has possessions ("island territories"): Niue Island, Tokelau and Cook Islands (the latter have received internal autonomy since 1965). New Zealand was discovered by the Dutch navigator A. Tasman in 1642 and explored by J. Cook in 1769. In 1840 it was captured by Great Britain. The British colonialists pursued a policy of brutal extermination of the indigenous population. In 1907, the country was granted dominion status. In 1951, New Zealand and Australia signed a Mutual Defense Treaty, ANZUS, with the United States. New Zealand became a member of AZPAK and ANZUK - regional military-political groupings, and also entered into a number of military-political agreements. Expanding cooperation with the United States and Britain, New Zealand took part in the imperialist aggression in Indochina, sent its troops to British bases in Singapore and Malaysia. The subordination of the country's political course to the interests of the imperialist states contributed to the strengthening of the positions of foreign capital in New Zealand, the intensification of the exploitation of workers by the nat. and foreign monopolies. In the 1972 parliamentary elections, the majority of voters cast their votes to the Labor Party (before that, the country was ruled by the National Party representing the interests of big business for 12 years). The Labor government reduced the number of territorial troops, took the path of expanding ties and contacts with other countries, including socialist ones, and took steps to develop regional cooperation in the political and economic fields with the countries of Southeast Asia and the island states. However, as a result of the 1975 elections, the National Party came to power again. The government of the National Party supported the US course in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, takes an active part in revitalizing the ANZUS Pact, canceled the decisions of the Labor government to ban nuclear warships from entering the internal waters of New Zealand and to recall New Zealand land and military forces stationed abroad. air parts. In the 1978 parliamentary elections, the National Party, having achieved a minimal advantage over the Laborites (up to 1%), again remained in power. New Zealand is a state within the Commonwealth of Nations. The head of state is the Queen of England, represented by the Governor-General. The highest legislative body is a unicameral parliament. The Governor General and the Cabinet of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister (since December 1975 - Robert Muldoon) constitute the Executive Council, in whose hands the executive power is concentrated. The National (Conservative) Party - formed in 1936, represents the interests of the big bourgeoisie and farmers. Leader - R. Muldoon. The Labor Party - founded in 1916, is under the ideological influence and leadership of the social reformists. The party includes both collective members (trade unions) and individual (representatives of the petty bourgeoisie and intelligentsia). The regular congress of the party (May 1976) adopted a number of decisions aimed at strengthening the unity of Labor and trade unions. The Political League of Social Credit - created in 1954, represents the interests of the petty bourgeoisie and farming. Communist Party of New Zealand - founded in 1921. From the beginning of the 60s. the party leadership is under the influence of the Maoists. The Socialist Unity Party of New Zealand was formed in 1966 by the communists who did not agree with the leftist line of the leadership of the Communist Party. Acts from the standpoint of proletarian internationalism. He is fighting for the protection and expansion of democratic rights and freedoms, for the creation of a united democratic front in the country. National Chairman - W. Andersen. National Secretary - J. Jackson. Print media - New Zealand Tribune newspaper and Socialist Politics magazine. In 1979, a new youth organization was created in the country - the Union of Young Workers, which proclaimed its ultimate goal to build a socialist society in the country. Since 1937, the country's trade unions have been united in the New Zealand Federation of Labor (part of the ICFTU). The basis of the economy is highly developed agriculture (12% of the employed population). It accounts for almost half of the cost of all products. The leading place in agriculture belongs to animal husbandry (about 80% of the value of all agricultural products). Livestock (January 1980): 56 million sheep, 10 million cattle, including 2.3 million dairy cows, more than 500 thousand pigs. The high productivity of animal husbandry ensures the competitiveness of the country's dairy products in the world market. New Zealand ranks 1st in the world for the export of butter, and 2nd for the export of meat and wool. The country annually produces more than 1 million tons of meat, 6 billion liters of milk and about 300 million kg of wool. Forestry is developed (24% of all land is occupied by forests). Over 60% of timber comes from artificially planted forests. The main industries are food and mining. Mechanical engineering and metalworking are represented by enterprises for the assembly and repair of cars. In recent years, several pulp and paper and woodworking enterprises have been built with the participation of (US capital. There is an aluminum plant built with the participation of Japanese and Australian capital. The government controls the steel company New Zealand Steel & Co.). Electricity production in 1978/79 amounted to 21.6 billion kWh, coal production - 2 million tons, natural gas - 13.4 billion cubic meters. m, cement - 840 thousand tons. Length of rail roads - 5.6 thousand km, highways - 96 thousand km. The main role in external transportation is played by sea transport. There are over 700 commercial vessels (including fishing vessels), of which only about 50 are ocean-type vessels. Monetary unit - New Zealand dollars = 0.97 dollars (December 1979). The main export commodities are: wool, dairy products, hides and skins; imports: machinery and equipment, semi-finished products and chemicals. Main foreign trade partners: Great Britain, Japan, USA, Australia. The situation of workers is adversely affected by chronic inflation (its average rate for 1977-79 was 16%), unemployment, which reached 3.7% in 1979, according to official figures, a freeze on wages and a reduction in social spending.
