Waikato (region)

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Waikato Region
Māori: Te Kaunihera ā Rohe o Waikato
Geographical location
Southland Otago Canterbury West Coast Nelson Tasman Marlborough Northland Auckland Council Waikato Gisborne Bay of Plenty Hawke’s Bay Taranaki Wellington Manawatu-WanganuiWaikato in New Zealand.svg
About this picture
Photo from Waikato Region
Waikato River Steam Boat.jpg
Historic paddle steamer on the Waikato River .
Local authority
Country New Zealand
island North island
Local authority region
Council Waikato Regional Council
Headquarters of the administration Hamilton (New Zealand)
founding 1989
Telephone code +64 (0) 7
Website www.waikatoregion.govt.nz
geography
Region ISO NZ-WKO
Coordinates 37 ° 47 ′  S , 175 ° 17 ′  E Coordinates: 37 ° 47 ′  S , 175 ° 17 ′  E
Highest elevation 2732 m
surface 23 902  km 2
Residents 403 638 (2013)
Population density 16.89 inhabitants per km 2
Statistical data
Public revenue NZ $ 114.9 million  (2015)
Public expenditure NZ $ 112.5 million  (2015)
Number of households 182 985 (2013)
Ø income NZ $ 27,900  (2013)
Māori population 20.7% (2013)

The Waikato Region is the largest region of the North Island in terms of area and the fourth largest of all 17 administrative regions of New Zealand . The regional council, called Waikato Regional Council , is based in Hamilton .

geography

Geographical location

The Waikato Region covers 23,902 km² of pure land area, the northwestern part and part of the central highlands of the North Island of New Zealand. With 403,638 inhabitants counted in 2013, the region has a population density of 16.9 inhabitants per km², making it the region with the fifth highest population density of all 17 regions in the country.

The region has a coastline of around 1150 km, over 100 lakes, of which Lake Taupo is by far the largest lake. The mountain regions range from the Coromandel Range in the north over the Kaimai Range , Rangitoto Ranges and Hauhungaroa Range to the eastern flanks of Mount Ruapehu and the opposite Kaimanawa Mountains .

To the west of the Kaimai Range , the Hauraki Plains extends over a length of more than 70 km and a maximum width of around 23 km , with one of the largest plains in the country. The longest river in New Zealand, the Waikato River , also crosses the region, as does the 150 km long Waihou River .

By far the largest city in the region is Hamilton with 141,612 inhabitants (as of 2013). It is the seat of the administration of the region and city ​​councils . Other notable towns with over 5000 inhabitants include Taupo with around 21,300 inhabitants, Cambridge with around 15,000 inhabitants, Huntly with around 7,000 inhabitants and Thames , Morrinsville and Matamata with around 6750, 6600 and 6300 inhabitants respectively.

climate

The climate in the region is not uniform. While the west coast, the Coromandel Peninsula and the region south of Lake Taupo with precipitation in some cases well over 2000 mm must be regarded as rainy, the inland is sometimes quite dry with 800 to 1600 mm, depending on the location. The wind preferably comes from west to south-west directions. In general, however, the summers are considered warm and humid and the winters are mild.

history

As different as the country of the region is, so is its history. While the settlement by the Māori and later by the Europeans initially concentrated on the coastal areas and river valleys of the region, the mountain regions of the central highlands remained unexplored for a long time. The Māori see their roots in the settlement of the Tainui Waka and the Arawa Waka , which, according to tradition , came to New Zealand around 1350 from Hawaiki and are said to have settled in the Waikato region . The European settlers arrived at the beginning of the 19th century and contested the land with the Māori .

As a result of the land wars , the Europeans confiscated around 500,000 hectares of land in 1863  , one fifth of the region. They use the vast land and developed agriculture and sheep and cattle breeding, and use the forests for logging. Natural resources such as coal and gold were just as much in demand.

population

Population development

Of the 403,638 inhabitants of the region in 2013, 83,742 were of Māori origin (20.7%). This means that 14.0% of the country's Māori population lived in the Waikato region . The median income for the population in 2013 was NZ $ 27,900,  compared to NZ $ 28,500 national average.

Origin and languages

When asked about ethnic group membership in the 2013 census, 77.4% said they were European, 21.9% said they had Māori roots, 3.8% came from the islands of the Pacific region and 6.9% came from Asia (multiple answers were possible). 17.9% of the population said they were born overseas, and 5.6% of the population spoke Māori , of the Māori 23.3%.

politics

administration

The Waikato region has a board of directors called the Regional Council , which is led by a chairman . The council has fourteen elected councilors , the eight constituencies , Hamilton with four councilors , Waikato , Waihou and Waipa - King Country with two each and Taupō , Thames-Coromandel , Ngā Hau e Whā and Ngā Tai ki Uta each represented by one. The council members, who choose the chairman from their ranks, are re-elected every three years.

Furthermore, the region is divided into ten districts and an independent city:

While the regional administration is responsible for the inland and coastal waters, for the ports, for land, air, erosion, disaster control, transport planning and regional development, the administrations of the districts are responsible for all other concerns of the citizens and the matters which are in a Local authority must be regulated.

economy

The region's economy has developed very differently. While sheep and cattle breeding, agriculture and forestry can be found almost everywhere in the country, some parts of the region have their special features. In the north-eastern part, in and around Waihi, there is one of the largest gold mines in the country, the Martha Mine . Since gold was found here in 1878, it has been mined, initially by prospecting, later in open-cast mining and now underground in tunnels. The Coromandel Peninsula is now a sought-after recreational area and is well developed for tourism. In the Hauraki Plains , the dairy industry is the most dominant industry.

traffic

Road traffic

The region is accessible by the New Zealand State Highway 1, which runs from north to south and connects with Auckland . In addition there are State Highways 2 and 5 , which connect the region with the eastern parts of the country, and State Highways 3 and 4, which together with State Highway 1 connect the southern parts of the country. The state highways that have a two-digit serial number usually connect parts of the country within the Waikato region , such as state highways 25 to 32 , 39 , 41 , 46 and 47 .

Rail transport

The North Island Main Trunk Railway also runs through the region and runs south from Auckland to Wellington . Branch lines connect Hamilton with Thames , Te Aroha and Tokoroa and continue into the Bay of Plenty region

Attractions

Every year in March, a huge balloon ride festival called " Balloons over Waikato " is held over five days in the region, to which over 130,000 spectators are expected every year.

Web links

Commons : Waikato Region  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikivoyage: Waikato Region  - Travel Guide
  • Homepage . Waikato Regional Council,accessed June 14, 2016.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e Waikato Regional Council . In: Local Councils . Department of Internal Affairs , accessed June 14, 2016 .
  2. ↑ a b c d 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Waikato Region - Population and dwellings . Statistics New Zealand , accessed June 14, 2016 .
  3. ^ Councilors and committees . Waikato Regional Council , accessed June 14, 2016 .
  4. ↑ a b c d Topo250 maps . Land Information New Zealand , accessed June 7, 2016 .
  5. ↑ 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Hamilton City - Population and dwellings . Statistics New Zealand , accessed June 14, 2016 .
  6. ↑ Population map . Waikato Regional Council , accessed June 14, 2016 .
  7. ↑ Our climate . Waikato Regional Council , accessed June 14, 2016 .
  8. ↑ A brief history… . Waikato Regional Council , accessed June 14, 2016 .
  9. ↑ 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Waikato Region - Cultural diversity . Statistics New Zealand , accessed June 14, 2016 .
  10. ^ Councilors and committees . Waikato Regional Council , accessed June 14, 2016 .
  11. ↑ Glossary . In: Local Councils . Department of Internal Affairs , accessed June 14, 2016 .
  12. ↑ Homepage . Balloons over Waikato Trust , accessed June 14, 2016 .