New Zealand
New Zealand is made up of two major islands and several smaller ones and is located southeast of Australia. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the OECD, the UN, and the IMO. The majority of inhabitants are of European descent, but the indigenous Maori form a substantial percentage of the population. New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy with the Queen of England represented by a local Governor General as the head of state and a Prime Minister as the head of government. The capital is Wellington, and the largest city is Auckland. English and Maori are the official languages.
The chief industries are food processing, textiles, machinery, tourism and fish and forest products; the chief crops are grains and fruits. Cattle and sheep farming have been particularly successful. Major trading partners include Australia, Japan, and the United States. The monetary unit is the New Zealand dollar.
Registration is governed by the Ship Registration Act of 1992. The Maritime Transport Act 1994 covers among other things, manning and survey requirements. It also controversially opened up coastal trading to foreign flag vessels. The Register is comprised of two parts - A and B. Part A covers nationality requirements, evidence of title, registration of mortgages, and bareboat charter registration for commercial vessels, while Part B principally covers the requirements regarding pleasure craft. Further information about each type of registration can be found on the registry website:
A General Guide to Ship Registration
New Zealand registered ships fly either the New Zealand flag or the marine flag of New Zealand which is the New Zealand Red Ensign usually worn by merchant ships registered in the United Kingdom with the addition on the fly of the Southern Cross as represented by four five-pointed white stars.