South Island
From Open Encyclopedia
The South Island forms one of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the North Island. The Māori name for the South Island is Te Wai Pounamu which means "The Greenstone Water" (greenstone being jade), or Te Waka a Māui which means "Maui's Canoe".
In the 19th century, some maps named the South Island as Middle Island (or New Ulster), and the name South Island (or New Leinster) was attributed to today's Stewart Island/Rakiura.
It has an area of 151,215 square km (58,093 square miles), making it the world's 12th-largest island. Along its west coast runs the mountain chain of the Southern Alps; Aoraki/Mount Cook is the highest point, 3,754 m (12,283.3') above sea level.
The South Island is often called the Mainland (somewhat humorously) because it is larger than the North Island, and because it existed first according to the corresponding Māori legend. The North island, however, is more populous, being home to three million out of a total of four million Kiwis.
Contents |
Historical provinces of the South Island:
Cities and towns in the South Island
- Alexandra
- Ashburton
- Blenheim
- Christchurch
- Dunedin
- Invercargill
- Greymouth
- Hokitika
- Kaikoura
- Mosgiel
- Methven
- Murchison
- Nelson
- Oamaru
- Omarama
- Picton
- Queenstown
- Te Anau
- Timaru
- Waikouaiti
- Waimate
- Wanaka
- Westport
Geographic features
Image:South.island.arp.750pix.jpg
- Arthur's Pass
- Banks Peninsula
- Catlins
- Doubtful Sound
- Fox Glacier
- Farewell Spit
- Franz Josef Glacier
- Haast Pass
- Lake Manapouri
- Lake Wakatipu
- Lake Te Anau
- Mackenzie Basin
- Milford Sound
Shibboleth warning: Maps and non-New Zealanders say "South Island", but genuine Kiwis say "the South Island", with a definite article. Maps, headings or tables, and adjectival expressions use "South Island", whereas "the South Island" is used after a preposition or before or after a verb; for example, "my mother lives in the South Island," "the North Island is smaller than the South Island," "I'm visiting the South Island." Note also the use of "in the South Island" rather than "on the South Island".
Film location
Several movies have been filmed (in large part) on this Island, including the Lord of the Rings and 2005's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
See also
| Regions of New Zealand |
|---|
| North Island: Northland | Auckland | Waikato | Bay of Plenty | Gisborne* | Hawke's Bay | Taranaki | Manawatu-Wanganui | Wellington |
| South Island: Tasman* | Marlborough* | Nelson* | West Coast | Canterbury | Otago | Southland |
| *unitary authorities |
