New Zealand Government

Country name:

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: New Zealand
abbreviation: NZ

Government type:

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital:

name: Wellington
geographic coordinates: 41 28 S, 174 51 E
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April
note: New Zealand is divided into two time zones - New Zealand standard time (12 hours in advance of UTC), and Chatham Islands time (45 minutes in advance of New Zealand standard time)

Independence:

26 September 1907 (from the UK)

Flag description:

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation

Government - note:

while not an official symbol, the Kiwi, a small native flightless bird, represents New Zealand