The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island.^[1] The island is 113,729 square km in area^[2], making it the world's 14th-largest island. It has a population of 3,148,400 ^[3].

Several important cities are in the North Island, notably New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, and Wellington, the capital, located at the southern extremity of the island. Approximately 76% of New Zealand's population lives in the North Island.^[4]

According to M?ori mythology, the North and South Islands of New Zealand arose through the actions of the demigod M?ui. M?ui and his brothers were fishing from their canoe (the South Island) when he caught a great fish and pulled it from the sea. While he was not looking his brothers fought over the fish and chopped it up. This great fish became the North Island and thus the M?ori name for the North Island is Te Ika-a-M?ui (The Fish of M?ui). The mountains and valleys are said to have been formed as a result of M?ui's brothers' hacking at the fish.^[5]

Regions of the North Island

Nine local government regions cover the North Island and all its adjacent islands and territorial waters.

• Northland
• Auckland
• Bay of Plenty
• Gisborne
• Waikato
• Taranaki
• Manawatu-Wanganui
• Hawkes Bay
• Wellington

Cities and towns in the North Island

(Smaller urban areas are found on the List of towns in New Zealand.)

• Auckland
• Cambridge
• Coromandel
• Foxton
• Gisborne
• Hamilton
• Hastings
• Huntly
• Kerikeri
• Matamata
• Masterton
• Napier
• New Plymouth
• Pahiatua
• Palmerston North
• Paraparaumu
• Raglan
• Rotorua
• Stratford
• Taupo
• Thames
• Tauranga
• Wellington

Geographic features

• Cape Reinga
• Cook Strait
• Hikurangi Trench
• Lake Taupo
• Mt Maunganui Beach
• Tongariro National Park
• Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu
• Waikato River
• Waipoua Kauri Forest
• Waitomo Caves
• Ninety Mile Beach

Notes

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