South Island
 |
The South Island |
The
South Island is one of the two major
islands of
New Zealand, the other being the
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 Ulster, 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;
Aoraki/Mount Cook is the highest point, 3,754 m (12,316 ft) above
sea level.
The South Island is often called the Mainland (somewhat humorously) because it is larger than the North Island, and because it existed first according to the corresponding
Māori legend. The North Island is more populous, being home to three million out of a total of four million
Kiwis.
Historically as well as more recently, the
South Island Independence movement has promoted financial and administrative self-government for the South Island.
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A true-colour image of the South Island, after a powerful winter storm swept across New Zealand on June 12, 2006. |
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Canterbury*
Marlborough*
Nelson*
Otago*
Southland*
Tasman*
West Coast*
Alexandra*
Ashburton*
Blenheim*
Christchurch*
Dunedin*
Gore*
Greymouth*
Hokitika*
Invercargill*
Kaikoura*
Methven*
Mosgiel*
Murchison*
Nelson*
Oamaru*
Omarama*
Picton*
Queenstown*
Rangiora*
Te Anau*
Timaru*
Waikouaiti*
Waimate*
Wanaka*
Westport |
A true-colour image of the South Island. The scene was taken by NASA's Terra satellite on 23 October 2002. |
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Arthur's Pass*
Banks Peninsula*
Catlins*
Doubtful Sound*
Fox Glacier*
Farewell Spit*
Franz Josef Glacier*
Haast Pass*
Lake Manapouri*
Lake Wakatipu*
Lake Te Anau*
Mackenzie Basin*
Milford SoundUsage of the word the
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.
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.
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Flag concepts for the South Island
