Northland region

Northland is the northernmost of the sixteen administrative regions of New Zealand. Capital and seat of the Regional Council is Whangarei. The region is administratively divided into three districts, Far North, Kaipara and Whangarei.

Geography

The region covers about 80 % of the North Auckland Peninsula and is 13,941 km ². It is bordered to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the east by the Pacific Ocean and on the south by the Auckland Region. The region has a rural character and the landscape is mostly hilly. More than half of the area is used for agriculture and forestry. Of the original extensive kauri forests exist only remains, as the forests were cut in the region especially in the 19th century.

The west coast of the region on the Tasman Sea is only slightly structured and has many sandy beaches, including the Ninety Mile Beach. To the west of Northland are the two biggest natural harbors in the region: in the center of the Hokianga Harbour region, on the border with Auckland in the south of the Kaipara Harbour.

The adjoining the Pacific Ocean east coast is more rugged than the west coast. Here there are many small fjords, peninsulas and natural harbors, including the Bay of Islands. The provincial capital Whangarei on the east coast.

The Surville Cliffs are at the extreme northern end of Northlands simultaneously the northernmost point of New Zealand's main islands of New Zealand.

Climate

The regional climate is due to the northern location subtropical with warm, humid summers. The summer temperatures are 24 to 35 ° C, the winters are mild at 15 to 20 ° C. The annual rainfall is between 1500 and 2000 mm.

As the region practically knows no frost, the New Zealanders call them "The Winterless North ". Occasionally tropical cyclones reach foothills Northland.

Population

In 2005 there were 147 514 people in Northland. The largest town is the administrative headquarters of the region, Whangarei, with about 50,000 inhabitants. There are also seven other cities with over 1,000 inhabitants: Kaitaia, Dargaville, Kaikohe, Paihia, Kerikeri, Taipa - Mangonui, and Kawakawa. Here, the majority of the population lives in the eastern parts of the region. Approximately 50 % of the Northlander live in urban areas. The population has thus among the regions of New Zealand New Zealand the highest proportion of rural residents. Also the high Māori share of about one third of the population differs demographically Northland from other regions of the country.

History

Northland applies to both the Māori, as well as for the white settlers as the "cradle of New Zealand ".

The legends of the Māori Polynesian navigator Kupe According to the landed about 1000 years ago in Hokianga and many tribes see him as their direct ancestors. In Northland some of the oldest traces of human settlement in New Zealand were found.

James Cook landed here in 1769. The first white settlers in the late 18th century ended up mostly in Northland and the first permanent European settlements were established here. In the town of Kerikeri is located in the Kemp House, the oldest surviving buildings in New Zealand.

Special historical significance for all of New Zealand has signed at Waitangi on February 6, 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, considered the founding document of modern New Zealand.

Economy

The main economic activities in the Northland are the agriculture and forestry, in particular cattle, fishing and the cultivation of citrus fruits. After the deforestation of large part of the native forests in the late 19th century arose next to agricultural land and forests, which serve to logging. Therefore arisen wood processing facilities, in particular for paper making.

The third pillar of the regional economy is tourism. A particularly key role, here the Bay of Islands and the historically significant place Kerikeri.

In the near Whangarei is New Zealand's only oil refinery. The crude oil comes in part from New Zealand 's most important oil field in the Taranaki region and partly from the Middle East.