New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Due to its small size and location, the country has been largely avoided when it comes to worldwide issues, which explains its reduced role in the Cyberpunk universe.

History
New Zealand is possibly the very last refuge when it comes to relics of the Old World culture (aka pre-corporate domination). Where its closest neighbor, Australia, has very much fallen to the rule of the corporations. New Zealand still manages to hold out in the modern day. They've been determined in isolating themselves behind anti-corp, anti-nuke, anti-exploitation stance. It still has social welfare! Since the early 1970s, New Zealand has not allowed nuclear-powered ships in their ports. During this time, Greenpeace built their headquarters in Wellington, and remnants of the Amnesty International still exist even after they were bombed out of their London headquarters in 2014. EcoAction is also known to have a headquarters in New Zealand, but they're too hot even for the Kiwis to trumpet about. New Zealand boycotted, along with New South Africa, the failed Sydney Olympics in 2000. And, far from its neighbor, it has allowed a few refugees into the country at the same time as it promotes the native Maori culture and Language.

If they deemed a person as "important" enough, they then would help extract him/her from wherever they are escaping. Because of this, their population grew to have a large group of conscientious scientist, who have been saved from military projects. The strong Kiwi Defense Force has developed to ward off attacks from foreign countries or companies. They never forgot the French bombing of Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior ship in the '80s.

When the Food Crash was just getting started, New Zealand started exporting more and more food. This was until Martin Herbert, a priest from Christchurch, made it known that their own people were going hungry. In a very unprecedented move, the government stopped all exports of food. Since then, the two island nation started to become self-sufficient. With the import of refugees. New Zealand managed to do well without corps, especially in the realm of newly developed technology. Before the computer-lathes and all the other miniaturized factories, New Zealand would have followed in Oz's path. However not all is well in the country, since the opening of their boarders to refugees, dozens of Triads have become very active, and may turn the "perfect society" into something much much worse.

Government
The Government of New Zealand, or New Zealand Government, is the administrative complex through which authority is exercised in New Zealand. As in most parliamentary democracies, the term "Government" refers chiefly to the executive branch, and more specifically to the collective ministry directing the executive. Based on the principle of responsible government, it operates within the framework that "the Queen reigns, but the government rules, so long as it has the support of the House of Representatives". The Cabinet Manual describes the main laws, rules and conventions affecting the conduct and operation of the Government.

Executive power is exercised by ministers, all of whom are sworn into the Executive Council and accountable to the elected legislature, the House of Representatives. Several senior ministers constitute a collective decision-making body known as the Cabinet, which is led by the Prime Minister. A few more ministers are part of the Executive Council but outside Cabinet. Most ministers have a portfolio of specific responsibilities such as departments or policy areas, although ministers without portfolio are sometimes appointed.

The position of prime minister belongs to the person who commands the support of a majority of members in the House of Representatives. The position is determined also by several other factors, such as support agreements between parties and internal leadership votes in the party that leads the Government. The prime minister and other ministers are formally appointed by the governor-general. Conventionally, the governor-general acts on the advice of the prime minister in appointing ministers.

Geography
New Zealand is long and narrow, with about 15,000 km of coastline and a total land area of 268,000 square kilometres. Because of its far-flung outlying islands and long coastline, the country has extensive marine resources. Its exclusive economic zone is one of the largest in the world, covering more than 15 times its land area. The South Island is the largest landmass of New Zealand. It is divided along its length by the Southern Alps. There are 18 peaks over 3,000 meters, the highest of which is Aoraki / Mount Cook at 3,724 meters. Fiordland's steep mountains and deep fiords record the extensive ice age glaciation of this southwestern corner of the South Island. The North Island is less mountainous but is marked by volcanic. The highly active Taupo Volcanic Zone has formed a large volcanic plateau, punctuated by the North Island's highest mountain, Mount Ruapehu. The plateau also hosts the country's largest lake, Lake Taupo, nestled in the caldera of one of the world's most active super volcanoes.

The country owes its varied topography, and perhaps even its emergence above the waves, to the dynamic boundary it straddles between the Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates. New Zealand is part of Zealandia, a microcontinent nearly half the size of Australia that gradually submerged after breaking away from the Gondwanan supercontinent. About 25 million years ago, a shift in plate tectonic movements began to contort and crumple the region. This is now most evident in the Southern Alps, formed by compression of the crust beside the Alpine Fault. Elsewhere the plate boundary involves the subduction of one plate under the other, producing the Puysegur Trench to the south, the Hikurangi Trench east of the North Island, and the Kermadec and Tonga Trenches further north. New Zealand is part of a region known as Australasia, together with Australia. It also forms the southwestern extremity of the geographic and ethnographic region called Polynesia.

Wellington - 1.2 million
Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, sits near the North Island's southernmost point on the Cook Strait. A compact city, it encompasses a waterfront promenade, sandy beaches, a working harbour and colourful timber houses on surrounding hills. From Lambton Quay, the iconic red Wellington Cable Car heads to the Wellington Botanic Gardens. Strong winds through the Cook Strait give it the nickname "Windy Wellington."

Auckland - 2.8 million
Auckland, based around 2 large harbours, is a major city in the north of New Zealand's North Island. In the centre, the iconic Sky Tower has views of Viaduct Harbour, which is full of superyachts and lined with bars and cafes. Auckland Domain, the city's oldest park, is based around an extinct volcano and home to the formal Wintergardens. Near Downtown, Mission Bay Beach has a seaside promenade.

Christchurch - 700 Thousand
Christchurch, known for its English heritage, is located on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. Flat-bottomed punts glide on the Avon River, which meanders through the city centre. On its banks are cycling paths, the green expanse of Hagley Park and Christchurch Botanic Gardens. In 2010 and 2011, earthquakes destroyed many of the historic center's stone-built buildings.

Reference
PASQUARETTE, C. Pacific Rim Sourcebook. 1st ed. Berkeley CA: R.Talsorian Games, 1994 Nueva Zelanda