North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island's area is, making it the world's 14th-largest island. It has a population of
Twelve main urban areas are in the North Island. From north to south, they are Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Napier, Hastings, Whanganui, Palmerston North, and Wellington, the capital, located at the south-west extremity of the island. About % of New Zealand's population lives in the North Island.
Naming and usage
Although the island has been known as the North Island for many years, in 2009 the New Zealand Geographic Board found that, along with the South Island, the North Island had no official name. After a public consultation, the board officially named the island North Island or Te Ika-a-Maui in October 2013.In prose, the two main islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island, with the definite article. 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". 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 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 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, an alternative Māori name for the North Island was Aotearoa. 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.Ecology
The North Island is divided into two ecoregions within the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome, the northern part being the Northland temperate kauri forest, and the southern part being the North Island temperate forests. The island has an extensive flora and bird population, with numerous National Parks and other protected areas.Regions
Nine local government regions cover the North Island and all its adjacent islands and territorial waters.- Northland
- Auckland
- Waikato
- Bay of Plenty
- Gisborne
- Taranaki
- Manawatū-Whanganui
- Hawkes Bay
- Wellington
Cities and towns
There are 28 urban areas in the North Island with a population of 10,000 or more:
| Name | Population ( | % of island |
| Auckland | % | |
| Wellington | % | |
| Hamilton | % | |
| Tauranga | % | |
| Lower Hutt | % | |
| Palmerston North | % | |
| Napier | % | |
| Porirua | % | |
| New Plymouth | % | |
| Rotorua | % | |
| Whangarei | % | |
| Hibiscus Coast | % | |
| Hastings | % | |
| Upper Hutt | % | |
| Whanganui | % | |
| Gisborne | % | |
| Paraparaumu | % | |
| Pukekohe | % | |
| Taupo | % | |
| Masterton | % | |
| Cambridge | % | |
| Levin | % | |
| Feilding | % | |
| Whakatāne | % | |
| Havelock North | % | |
| Tokoroa | % | |
| Te Awamutu | % | |
| Waikanae | % |
Demographics
Culture and identity
Healthcare
Healthcare in the North Island is provided by fifteen District Health Boards. Organised around geographical areas of varying population sizes, they are not coterminous with the Local Government Regions.Major geographic features
Bays and coastal features
- Bay of Islands
- Bay of Plenty
- Hauraki Gulf
- Hawke Bay
- Ninety Mile Beach
- North Taranaki Bight
- South Taranaki Bight
Lakes and rivers
- Lake Taupo
- Waikato River
- Whanganui River
Capes and peninsulas
- Coromandel Peninsula
- Northland Peninsula
- Cape Palliser
- Cape Reinga
- East Cape
- North Cape
Forests and national parks
- Egmont National Park
- Tongariro National Park
- Waipoua Kauri Forest
- Whanganui National Park
- and many forest parks of New Zealand
Volcanology
- Mount Ruapehu
- Mount Taranaki
- Volcanic Plateau
Other
- Waitomo Caves
- Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu