Levin, New Zealand
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Levin Taitoko (Māori) |
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| Secondary urban area | |
Intersection of Queen and Oxford Streets
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 Levin
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| Coordinates: 40°37′19″S 175°17′12″E / 40.62194°S 175.28667°ECoordinates: 40°37′19″S 175°17′12″E / 40.62194°S 175.28667°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Manawatu-Wanganui |
| Territorial authority | Horowhenua District |
| Named for | William Hort Levin |
| Area | |
| • Urban | 109.02 km2 (42.09 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2016) | |
| • Urban | 20,600 |
| • Urban density | 190/km2 (490/sq mi) |
| Postcode | 5510 |
| Area code(s) | 06 |
Levin (Māori: Taitoko) is the largest town and seat of the Horowhenua District, in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located east of Lake Horowhenua, around 95 km north of Wellington and 50 km southwest of Palmerston North. The town has a population of 20,600 (June 2016), making it the 22nd largest urban area in New Zealand, and third largest in Manawatu-Wanganui behind Palmerston North and Whanganui.
Levin is a service centre for the surrounding rural area, and a centre for light manufacturing. RJ's Licorice is based in Levin, a confectionary company who plan to celebrate their 21st birthday by making the world's largest allsort.
According to the June 2016, the estimated resident population was 20,600. Over 20% of inhabitants were listed as over the age of 65, a considerably higher percentage than the national average. The town celebrated its centenary in 2006 and the bowls club celebrated theirs in 2007.
The town was named after William Hort Levin, a director of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company. The name is a variation of the Jewish clan Levi. It is a shibboleth – unlike the usual pronunciation of the surname, stress is placed on the second syllable of the word. The name thus rhymes with the word 'begin' (the same pronunciation is used by the US conservative author and talk-show host Mark Levin). However his great grandson, Peter Levin, says that Levin would have pronounced his name as in Levene and this pronunciation was in common use for many years and always used by the family. The town's Maori name is Taitoko.
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