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The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is 113,729 square kilometres (43,911 sq mi), making it the world's 14th-largest island. It has a population of 4,077,800 (June 2024), accounting for approximately 76% of the total residents of New Zealand.

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. Wellington is the world's southernmost capital of a sovereign state.

Overview

During the Last Glacial Period when sea levels were over 100 metres lower than present day levels, the North and South islands were connected by a vast coastal plain which formed at the South Taranaki Bight. During this period, most of the North Island was covered in thorn scrubland and forest, while the modern-day Northland Peninsula was a subtropical rainforest. Sea levels began to rise 7,000 years ago, eventually separating the islands and linking the Cook Strait to the Tasman Sea.

Bays and coastal features

• Bay of Islands
• Bay of Plenty
• Hauraki Gulf
• Hawke Bay
• Ninety Mile Beach
• North Taranaki Bight
• South Taranaki Bight

Lakes and rivers

• Lake Taupō
• Waikato River
• Whanganui River

Capes and peninsulas

• Coromandel Peninsula
• Northland Peninsula
• Cape Palliser
• Cape Reinga
• East Cape
• North Cape

Forests and national parks

• Egmont National Park
• Tongariro National Park
• Waipoua Kauri Forest
• Whanganui National Park
• and many forest parks of New Zealand

Volcanology

• Mount Ruapehu
• Mount Taranaki (Taranaki Maunga)
• North Island Volcanic Plateau

Other

• Waitomo Caves
• Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu

Climate

The climate of North Island is mainly temperate oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb). Mean annual temperatures reach up to 16 °C (61 °F) in the north. There is a subtropical influence in the Northland Peninsula. Wellington the wettest of major cities in North Island, receiving around 1,200 millimetres (47 in) of precipitation annually. Auckland and Wellington both receive a yearly average of more than 2,000 hours of sunshine. Snow is rare at sea level in North Island. Snow has accumulated in Wellington on rare occasions, including in 2011. Wellington is also the windiest city in the world. Smog can occur on calm winter days in Auckland.

Climate data

See also

• Geography of New Zealand
• Geography of South Island

References

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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. "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
4. "77% of NZers live in North Island". RNZ. 2017-10-26. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
5. Guinness World Records 2009. London, United Kingdom: Guinness World Records Ltd. 2008. p. 277. ISBN 978-1-904994-36-7.
6. ^ "Estuary origins". National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
7. Ray, N.; Adams, J.M. (2001). "A GIS-based Vegetation Map of the World at the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000–15,000 BP)". Internet Archaeology. 11 (11). doi:10.11141/ia.11.2.
8. Mullan, Brett; Tait, Andrew; Thompson, Craig (March 2009). "Climate – New Zealand's climate". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
9. Walrond, Carl (March 2009). "Natural environment – Climate". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
10. Orange, Claudia (1 May 2015). "Northland region". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
11. "Mean monthly rainfall". National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. Archived from the original (XLS) on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
12. "Snow spotted in central Wellington". The Dominion Post. 25 July 2011. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
13. "Snow falls in downtown Wellington". The Dominion Post. 15 August 2011. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
14. Karl Mathiesen (15 October 2015). "Where is the world's windiest city? Spoiler alert: it's not Chicago". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 July 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
15. "Auckland's air quality". Auckland Regional Council. Archived from the original on 15 April 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
16. "Auckland 1981–2010 averages". NIWA. 28 February 2007. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
17. "CliFLO – National Climate Database". NIWA. Archived from the original on 27 November 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
18. "MetService Auckland historical averages". Metservice. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
19. "93110: Auckland Aerodrome Aws (New Zealand)". ogimet.com. OGIMET. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
20. "CliFlo – National Climate Database". NIWA. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
21. "Climate Data and Activities". NIWA Science. 28 February 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
22. "Climate Data". NIWA. Retrieved 2 November 2007.
23. "Climate Data and Activities". NIWA. 28 February 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
24. "Climate Data and Activities". NIWA Science. 28 February 2007. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.

• North Island
• Geography of New Zealand