South Island

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The South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. The Māori name for the South Island, Te Wai Pounamu, meaning "The Water/s of Greenstone" (greenstone being jade), possibly evolved from Te Wāhi Pounamu which means "The Place Of Greenstone". The island is also known as Te Waka a Māui which means "Māui's Canoe".

In the 19th century, some maps named the South Island as Middle Island or New Munster, and the name South Island or New Leinster was used for today's Stewart Island/Rakiura.

It has an area of 151,215 square km (58,093 square miles), making it the world's 12th-largest island. Along its west coast runs the mountain chain of the Southern Alps with Aoraki/Mount Cook being the highest point, 3,754 m (12,316 ft) above sea level.

The South Island is often called the Mainland (somewhat humorously) because it existed first according to Māori legend, and is larger than the North Island. About a quarter of New Zealand's four million inhabitants live in the South Island.

A true-colour image of the South Island. The scene was taken by NASA's Terra satellite on 23 October 2002.

[edit] Regions located in the South Island

[edit] Cities and towns in the South Island

[edit] Geographic features

A true-colour image of the South Island, after a powerful winter storm swept across New Zealand on June 12, 2006.

[edit] Usage of definite article

The South Island takes the definite article when used as a noun whereas maps, headings or tables and adjectival expressions use South Island. This pattern can be found in a number of other names, such as the United Kingdom, the Vatican and the Internet.

Examples:

• My mother lives in the South Island
• The North Island is smaller in area than the South Island
• I'm visiting the South Island
• The major South Island peaks are all in the Southern Alps

Note also that places are said to be in the South Island rather than on the South Island.

[edit] Film location

Several movies have been filmed (in large part) in the South Island, including the Lord of the Rings and 2005's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

[edit] See also

• Flag concepts for the South Island
• South Island Independence

	Regions of New Zealand
North Island:	Northland | Auckland | Waikato | Bay of Plenty | Gisborne¹ | Hawke's Bay | Taranaki | Manawatu-Wanganui | Wellington
South Island:	Tasman¹ | Marlborough¹ | Nelson¹ | West Coast | Canterbury | Otago | Southland
	¹ Unitary authorities

Coordinates: 43°59′S 170°27′E