South Island
The South Island of New Zealand (English South Iceland, Māori Te Wai- pounamu ), has an area of 150,437 km ² and is separated by 35 km wide Cook Strait from the more densely populated North Island. On it lies in the Southern Alps, Mount Cook, with 3,754 m the highest peak in New Zealand and Oceania. To the east of the island that hosts the gently sloping Canterbury Plains and numerous fjords in the south. The biggest cities of the South Island are Christchurch ( 381,000 inhabitants) and Dunedin ( 113,000 inhabitants).
The Māori name for the South Island is Te Wai- pounamu ( jade water ) or Te Waka -a- Maui ( The canoe of Maui).
History
In the 19th century, the former South Island was designated as center island. As South Island at that time was the small Stewart Iceland south of today's South Island.
Historical provinces of the South Island were:
- Nelson
- Otago
- Canterbury
- Marlborough
- West Coast
- Southland