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SYDNEY - Despite a neighbourly disdain which encompasses everything from sports to accents and even the weather, Australians have warmer feelings towards New Zealand than any other country, a new poll has found.
The Lowy Institute think-tank put New Zealand top of a list of 19 countries, narrowly ahead of Canada and maintaining a position it first reached in 2007.
The survey, which gives the lie to gentle ribbing often handed out to their smaller, less wealthy neighbour, asked 1,001 Australians to rate the warmth of their feelings for a country out of a maximum 100 points.
New Zealand gathered 84 and Canada had 82. Communist North Korea was bottom of the list with 37 points, just below Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Indonesia, Australia's northern neighbour, achieved its highest ever rating of 54 as Canberra pursues a push for better ties with the Muslim country. The poll was conducted during a March visit by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Australia and New Zealand's shared history dates back to British colonial days and includes World War I, when both contributed troops to the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).
Australia, population 22 million, and New Zealand, with about four million inhabitants, have close economic and diplomatic ties and compete regularly at cricket and rugby, fuelling a healthy regional rivalry.
-AFP/sf
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