South Island

South Island

Te Waipounamu (Māori)
South Island
Geography
Location	Oceania
Coordinates	43°59′S 170°27′E / 43.983°S 170.450°E / -43.983; 170.450
Archipelago	New Zealand
Area	150,437 km2 (58,084 sq mi)
Area rank	12th
Length	840 km (522 mi)
Coastline	5,842 km (3630.1 mi)
Highest elevation	3,724 m (12218 ft)
Highest point	Aoraki / Mount Cook
Administration
New Zealand
ISO 3166-2:NZ	NZ-S
Regions	7
Territorial authorities	23
Largest settlement	Christchurch (pop. 384,800)
Demographics
Demonym	South Islander
Population	1,225,000 (June 2023)
Pop. density	8.1/km2 (21/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	European (84.4%), Māori (9.8%)

The South Island, also named Te Waipounamu in Māori,^[1] is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, and to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean. The South Island covers 150,437 square kilometres (58,084 sq mi),^[2] making it the world's 12th-largest island, constituting 56% of New Zealand's land area. At low altitude, it has an oceanic climate.

The South Island is shaped by the Southern Alps which run along the island from north to south. They include New Zealand's highest peak, Aoraki / Mount Cook at 3,724 metres (12,218 ft). The high Kaikōura Ranges lie to the northeast. The east side of the island is home to the Canterbury Plains while the West Coast is renowned for its rough coastlines such as Fiordland, a very high proportion of native bush and national parks, and the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. The main centres are Christchurch and Dunedin. The economy relies on agriculture, fishing, tourism, and general manufacturing and services.

With a population of 1,225,000 as of June 2023,^[3] the South Island is home to 23% of New Zealand's 5.2 million inhabitants. After the 1860s gold rushes in the early stages of European settlement of the country, the South Island had the majority of the European population and wealth. The North Island's population overtook the South Island's in the early 20th century, with 56% of the New Zealand population living in the North Island in 1911. The drift north of people and businesses continued throughout the twentieth century.^[4]