North Island

North Island
Te Ika-a-Māui (Māori)
North Island is located in Oceania
North Island
North Island
Geography
LocationOceania
Coordinates39°S 176°E / 39°S 176°E / -39; 176
ArchipelagoNew Zealand
Area113,729 km2 (43,911 sq mi)
Area rank14th
Highest elevation2,797 m (9177 ft)
Highest pointMount Ruapehu
Administration
New Zealand
ISO 3166-2:NZNZ-N
Regions9
Territorial authorities43
Largest settlementAuckland (pop. 1,478,800)
Demographics
Population3,997,300 (June 2023)
Pop. density35.1/km2 (90.9/sq mi)

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 less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of 113,729 km2 (43,911 sq mi),[2] it is the world's 14th-largest island, constituting 44% of New Zealand's land area. It has a population of 3,997,300 (June 2023),[3] which is 77% of New Zealand's residents,[4] making it the most populous island in Polynesia and the 28th-most-populous island in the world.

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.

  1. ^ "Two official options for NZ island names". The New Zealand Herald. APNZ. 10 October 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  2. ^ "Quick Facts – Land and Environment : Geography – Physical Features". Statistics New Zealand. 2000. Archived from the original on 8 April 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  3. ^ "Subnational population estimates (RC, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (regional councils); "Subnational population estimates (TA, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (territorial authorities); "Subnational population estimates (urban rural), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (urban areas)
  4. ^ "77% of NZers live in North Island". RNZ. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2021.