West Coast (New Zealand)
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West Coast Te Tai Poutini |
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|---|---|
| Region | |
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| Coordinates: 42°36′S 171°24′E / 42.6°S 171.4°ECoordinates: 42°36′S 171°24′E / 42.6°S 171.4°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Island | South Island |
| Constituent territorial authorities | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Regional council |
| • Body | West Coast Regional Council |
| • Chair | Andrew Robb |
| Area | |
| • Total | 23,276 km2 (8,987 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2016) | |
| • Total | 32,600 |
| • Density | 1.4/km2 (3.6/sq mi) |
| Website | wcrc |
The West Coast (Māori: Te Tai Poutini) is a region of New Zealand on the west coast of the South Island, one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is administered by the West Coast Regional Council. At the territorial authority level, the region comprises Buller District, Grey District and Westland District. The principal towns are Westport, Greymouth, and Hokitika.
The name Westland is used by some New Zealanders to refer to the whole of the West Coast, including Grey District, Buller District and Fiordland, and can also refer to the short-lived Westland Province of 1873–76.
Fiordland is on the west coast, but is in the Southland Region rather than the West Coast Region.
Inhabitants of the West Coast are colloquially known as "Coasters".
The region reaches from Kahurangi Point in the north to Awarua Point in the south, a distance of 600 km. To the west is the Tasman Sea (which like the Southern Ocean can be very rough, with four-metre swells common), and to the east are the Southern Alps. Much of the land is rugged, with a coastal plain where much of the population resides.
The land is very scenic, with wild coastlines, mountains and a very high proportion of native bush, much of it native temperate rain forest. It is the only part of New Zealand where significant tracts of lowland forest remain: elsewhere, for instance on the Canterbury Plains and in the Firth of Thames, they have been almost completely destroyed for settlement and agriculture. Scenic areas include the Haast Pass, Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki and the Heaphy Track.
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Wikipedia