Te Waipounamu

South Island
Te Waipounamu
Nickname: The Mainland
Satellite view of the South Island
South Island Te Waipounamu
Geography
Location	Oceania
Coordinates	43°59′S 170°27′E / 43.983°S 170.450°E / -43.983; 170.450Coordinates: 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 (3,630.1 mi)
Highest elevation	3,754 m (12,316 ft)
Highest point	Aoraki/Mount Cook
Administration
New Zealand
ISO 3166-2:NZ	NZ-S
Regions	7
Territorial authorities	23
Largest settlement	Christchurch (pop. 389,700)
Demographics
Demonym	South Islander, Mainlander
Population	1,096,200 (June 2016)
Pop. density	7.2 /km² (18.6 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	European, Māori


	City/Town	Region	Population (June 2016)		City/Town	Region	Population (June 2016)
1	Christchurch	Canterbury	7005389700000000000♠389,700	11	Rolleston	Canterbury	7004131000000000000♠13,100
2	Dunedin	Otago	7005118500000000000♠118,500	12	Greymouth	West Coast	7003975000000000000♠9,750
3	Nelson	Nelson	7004657000000000000♠65,700	13	Gore	Southland	7003989000000000000♠9,890
4	Invercargill	Southland	7004507000000000000♠50,700	14	Motueka	Tasman	7003818000000000000♠8,180
5	Blenheim	Marlborough	7004307000000000000♠30,700	15	Wanaka	Otago	7003785000000000000♠7,850
6	Timaru	Canterbury	7004288000000000000♠28,800	16	Alexandra	Otago	7003530000000000000♠5,300
7	Ashburton	Canterbury	7004198500000000000♠19,850	17	Lincoln	Canterbury	7003524000000000000♠5,240
8	Rangiora	Canterbury	7004173500000000000♠17,350	18	Cromwell	Otago	7003467000000000000♠4,670
9	Oamaru	Otago	7004138500000000000♠13,850	19	Picton	Marlborough	7003434000000000000♠4,340
10	Queenstown	Otago	7004143000000000000♠14,300	20	Temuka	Canterbury	7003433000000000000♠4,330

The South Island or Te Waipounamu (Māori) is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, 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) and has a temperate climate.

It has a 32 percent larger landmass than the North Island so is sometimes referred to as the "mainland" of New Zealand, especially by South Island residents, but only 23 percent of New Zealand's 4.7 million inhabitants live there. In the early stages of European (Pākehā) settlement of the country, the South Island had the majority of the European population and wealth due to the 1860s gold rushes. The North Island population overtook the South in the early 20th century, with 56 percent of the population living in the North in 1911, and the drift north of people and businesses continued throughout the century.

In prose, the two main islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island, with the definite article.

Charcoal drawings can be found on limestone rock shelters in the centre of the South Island, with over 500 sites stretching from Kaikoura to North Otago. The drawings are estimated to be between 500 and 800 years old, and portray animals, people and fantastic creatures, possibly stylised reptiles. Some of the birds pictured are long extinct, including moa and Haast's eagles. They were drawn by early Māori, but by the time Europeans arrived, local Māori did not know the origins of the drawings.

Early inhabitants of the South Island were the Waitaha. They were largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāti Mamoe in the 16th century.

Kāti Mamoe were in turn largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāi Tahu who migrated south in the 17th century. While today there is no distinct Kāti Mamoe organisation, many Kāi Tahu have Kāti Mamoe links in their whakapapa and, especially in the far south of the island.

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Wikipedia