North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui,[1] is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is 113,729 square kilometres (43,911 sq mi),[2] making it the world's 14th-largest island. It has a population of 3,896,200 (June 2020),[3] accounting for approximately 77% of the total residents of New Zealand.
| Te Ika-a-Māui (Māori) | |
|---|---|
 | |
  North Island | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Oceania |
| Coordinates | 38°24′S 175°43′E |
| Archipelago | New Zealand |
| Area | 113,729 km2 (43,911 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 14th |
| Highest elevation | 2,797 m (9177 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Ruapehu |
| Administration | |
New Zealand | |
| ISO 3166-2:NZ | NZ-N |
| Regions | 9 |
| Territorial authorities | 43 |
| Largest settlement | Auckland (pop. 1,470,100) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 3,896,200 (June 2020) |
| Pop. density | 34.3/km2 (88.8/sq mi) |
Twelve main urban areas (half of them officially cities) are in the North Island. From north to south, they are Whangārei, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Napier, Hastings, Whanganui, Palmerston North, and New Zealand's capital city Wellington, which is located at the south-west tip of the island.
Naming and usage
Although the island has been known as the North Island for many years,[4] in 2009 the New Zealand Geographic Board found that, along with the South Island, the North Island had no official name.[5] After a public consultation, the board officially named the island North Island or Te Ika-a-Maui in October 2013.[6]
In prose, the two main islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island, with the definite article.[7] It is also normal to use the preposition in rather than on, for example "Hamilton is in the North Island", "my mother lives in the North Island".[8] Maps, headings, tables, and adjectival expressions use North Island without "the".
Māori mythology
According to Māori mythology, the North and South Islands of New Zealand arose through the actions of the demigod Māui. Māui and his brothers were fishing from their canoe (the South Island) when he caught a great fish and pulled it from the sea. While he was not looking his brothers fought over the fish and chopped it up. This great fish became the North Island and thus a Māori name for the North Island is Te Ika-a-Māui ("The Fish of Māui").[9] The mountains and valleys are believed to have been formed as a result of Māui's brothers' hacking at the fish. Until the early 20th Century, Aotearoa was an alternative Māori name for the North Island. In present usage, Aotearoa is a collective Māori name for New Zealand as a whole.
Economy
The sub-national GDP of the North Island was estimated at US$102.863 billion in 2003, 79% of New Zealand's national GDP.[10]
Regions
Nine local government regions cover the North Island and its adjacent islands and territorial waters.
Cities and towns
The North Island has a larger population than the South Island, with the country's largest city, Auckland, and the capital, Wellington, accounting for nearly half of it.
There are 28 urban areas in the North Island with a population of 10,000 or more:
| Name | Population (June 2020)[3] |
% of island |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 1,470,100 | 37.7% |
| Wellington | 215,100 | 5.5% |
| Hamilton | 176,500 | 4.5% |
| Tauranga | 151,300 | 3.9% |
| Lower Hutt | 110,700 | 2.8% |
| Palmerston North | 81,500 | 2.1% |
| Napier | 66,300 | 1.7% |
| Porirua | 59,600 | 1.5% |
| New Plymouth | 57,600 | 1.5% |
| Rotorua | 58,500 | 1.5% |
| Whangārei | 54,400 | 1.4% |
| Hibiscus Coast | 59,800 | 1.5% |
| Hastings | 49,000 | 1.3% |
| Upper Hutt | 44,300 | 1.1% |
| Whanganui | 42,200 | 1.1% |
| Gisborne | 37,000 | 0.9% |
| Paraparaumu | 30,100 | 0.8% |
| Pukekohe | 26,500 | 0.7% |
| Taupō | 25,400 | 0.7% |
| Masterton | 25,400 | 0.5% |
| Cambridge | 20,500 | 0.5% |
| Levin | 18,800 | 0.5% |
| Feilding | 17,050 | 0.4% |
| Whakatāne | 16,700 | 0.4% |
| Havelock North | 14,900 | 0.4% |
| Tokoroa | 14,300 | 0.4% |
| Te Awamutu | 13,100 | 0.3% |
| Waikanae | 13,650 | 0.4% |
Demographics
Culture and identity
| Ethnicity | Number | % |
|---|---|---|
| European | 2,122,587 | 69.6 |
| New Zealand European | 1,934,037 | 63.4 |
| English | 30,393 | 1.0 |
| British | 27,024 | 0.9 |
| South African | 24,921 | 0.8 |
| Dutch | 21,549 | 0.7 |
| European (not further defined) | 20,955 | 0.7 |
| Australian | 16,431 | 0.5 |
| Māori | 514,809 | 16.9 |
| Asian | 418,287 | 13.7 |
| Chinese | 145,089 | 4.8 |
| Indian | 134,559 | 4.4 |
| Filipino | 32,796 | 1.1 |
| Korean | 25,842 | 0.8 |
| Pacific peoples | 274,806 | 9.0 |
| Samoan | 133,968 | 4.4 |
| Cook Islands Maori | 56,910 | 1.9 |
| Tongan | 56,685 | 1.9 |
| Niuean | 22,878 | 0.7 |
| Middle Eastern/Latin American/African | 39,510 | 1.3 |
| Other | 47,394 | 1.6 |
| New Zealander | 45,906 | 1.5 |
| Total people stated | 3,050,874 | 100.0 |
| Not elsewhere included | 186,174 | 5.8 |
Healthcare
Healthcare in the North Island is provided by fifteen District Health Boards (DHBs). Organised around geographical areas of varying population sizes, they are not coterminous with the Local Government Regions.
Major geographic features
Bays and coastal features
Lakes and rivers
Capes and peninsulas
Forests and national parks
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Volcanology
See also
References
- Staff Reporter (10 October 2013). "Two official options for NZ island names". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
- "Quick Facts – Land and Environment : Geography – Physical Features". Statistics New Zealand. 2000. Archived from the original on 8 April 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- "Population estimate tables - NZ.Stat". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- On some 19th-century maps, the North Island is named New Ulster, which was also a province of New Zealand that included the North Island.
- "The New Zealand Geographic Board Considers North and South Island Names". Land Information New Zealand. 21 April 2009. Archived from the original on 14 February 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- "Two official options for NZ island names". The New Zealand Herald. 10 October 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
- Williamson, Maurice (11 October 2013). "Names of NZ's two main islands formalised". Beehive.govt.nz. New Zealand Government. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- Guardian and Observer style guide: N ("New Zealand"), The Guardian. Retrieved 15 April 2019
- "1000 Māori place names". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 6 August 2019.
- "Regional Gross Domestic Product". Statistics New Zealand. 2007. Archived from the original on 20 May 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
- "Ethnic group (total responses), for the census usually resident population count, 2001, 2006, and 2013 Censuses (RC, TA, AU)". Statistics New Zealand.
External links
Media related to North Island, New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons
North Island travel guide from Wikivoyage
| North Island |  | |
|---|---|---|
| South Island | ||
* Governed by a unitary authority rather than a regional council | ||
Authority control  |
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