South Island
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The
South Island forms one of the two major
islands of
New Zealand, the other being the
North Island. The
Maori name for the South Island is
Te Wai Pounamu which means "The Greenstone Water" (
greenstone being
jade).
It has an area of
58,093 square miles (151,215 square km), making it the
world's 12th largest island. Along its west coast runs the mountain chain of the
Southern Alps;
Mount Cook is the highest point, 12,283.3 feet (3,754 m) above
sea level.
Historical Note: In the 19th century, today's
South Island bore the name
Middle Island, and the name
South Island referred to today's
Stewart Island.
Historical provinces of the South Island:
Cities and towns on the South Island
\nGeographic features
\n*Arthur's Pass\n*Doubtful Sound\n*Fox Glacier\n*Franz Josef Glacier\n*Haast Pass\n*Lake Manapouri\n*Lake Wakatipu\n*MacKenzie Basin\n*Milford Sound
Shibboleth Warning: maps and non-New Zealanders say "South Island"; but genuine Kiwis say "THE South Island", with a definite article. Maps, headings or tables, and adjectival expressions use "South Island"; whereas "the South Island" is used after a preposition or before or after a verb; eg "my mother lives in the South Island", "the North Island is smaller than the South Island", "I'm visiting the South Island".
The South Island is often called the Mainland (somewhat humorously) by some New Zealanders because it is the largest of the islands of New Zealand, and because the North Island is considered to be somewhat peripheral to South Islanders. NOTE: the North Island contains the largest cities, and the bulk of New Zealand's population.
Category:Islands of New Zealand
