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[[Image:NZSouthIsland.png|right|frame|The South Island]]
The '''South Island''' is the larger of the two major [[Islands of New Zealand|islands]] of [[New Zealand]], the other being the more populous [[North Island]]. The [[Māori]] name for the South Island, ''[[Te Wai Pounamu]]'', meaning "The Water/s of Greenstone"  ([[greenstone]] being [[jade]]), possibly evolved from ''Te Wāhi Pounamu'' which means "The Place Of Greenstone". The island is also known as [[Te Waka a Māui]] which means "Māui's Canoe".

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In the 19th century, some maps named the South Island as ''Middle Island'' or ''New Munster'', and the name ''South Island'' or ''New Leinster'' was used for today's [[Stewart Island/Rakiura]].

The South Island is often called the Mainland (somewhat humorously) because it existed first according to [[Maui (Māori mythology)|Māori legend]], and is larger than the North Island. About a quarter of New Zealand's four million inhabitants live in the South Island.<ref>''The South Island'' takes the definite article when used as a noun whereas maps, headings or tables and adjectival expressions use ''South Island''. This pattern can be found in a number of other names, such as ''the United Kingdom'', ''the Vatican'' and ''the Internet''.

Examples:
* My mother lives in the South Island
* The North Island is smaller in area than the South Island
* I'm visiting the South Island
* The major South Island peaks are all in the Southern Alps

Note also that places are said to be ''in'' the South Island rather than ''on'' the South Island.</ref>
[[Image:South Island.jpg|thumb|40%|right|A true-colour image of the South Island. The scene was taken by NASA's Terra satellite on 23 October 2002.]]



==Local Government Regions==
There are seven local government regions covering the South Island and all its adjacent islands and territorial waters. Four are governed by an elected regional council, while three are governed by [[Territorial Authorities of New Zealand|territorial authorities]] (the second tier of local government) which also perform the functions of a regional council and thus are known as [[unitary authority|unitary authorities]]. There is one exception to this, Nelson City is governed by an individual Territorial authority to its region (Tasman Region). The [[Chatham Islands Council]] is often counted by many as a unitary authority, but it is officially recognised as a part of the region of Canterbury. 
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* [[Canterbury, New Zealand|Canterbury]]
* [[Marlborough, New Zealand|Marlborough]]
* [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson]]
* [[Otago]]
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* [[Southland, New Zealand|Southland]]
* [[Tasman, New Zealand|Tasman]]
* [[West Coast, New Zealand|West Coast]]
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==Territorial Authorities==
There are 25 territorial authorities within the South Island: 4 [[List of cities in New Zealand|city councils]], 20 district councils and the [[Chatham Islands]] Council. Four territorial authorities ([[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson City Council]], [[Tasman (district), New Zealand|Tasman]] and [[Marlborough, New Zealand|Marlborough]] District Councils and the Chatham Islands Council) also perform the functions of a regional council and thus are known as [[unitary authority|unitary authorities]].

* [[Tasman District]] Council (unitary authority)
* [[Nelson, New Zealand|Nelson City Council]] (unitary authority)
* [[Marlborough, New Zealand|Marlborough District Council]] (unitary authority)
* [[West Coast, New Zealand|West Coast Regional Council]]
** [[Buller District]] Council
** [[Greymouth, New Zealand|Grey District Council]]
** [[Westland District]] Council
* [[Canterbury, New Zealand|Canterbury Regional Council]] (Environment Canterbury)
** [[Kaikoura District]] Council
** [[Hurunui District]] Council
** [[Selwyn District]] Council
** [[Waimakariri District]] Council
** [[Christchurch, New Zealand|Christchurch City Council]]
** [[Ashburton, New Zealand|Ashburton District Council]]
** [[Mackenzie District]] Council
** [[Timaru, New Zealand|Timaru District Council]]
** [[Waitaki District]] Council (part)
** [[Waimate, New Zealand|Waimate District Council]]
* [[Otago|Otago Regional Council]]
** [[Queenstown, New Zealand|Queenstown Lakes District Council]]
** [[Central Otago District]] Council
** [[Waitaki, New Zealand|Waitaki District Council]] (part)
** [[Dunedin, New Zealand|Dunedin City Council]]
** [[Clutha District]] Council
* [[Southland Region|Southland Regional Council]] (Environment Southland)
** [[Southland, New Zealand|Southland District Council]]
** [[Gore, New Zealand|Gore District Council]]
** [[Invercargill, New Zealand|Invercargill City Council]]
* [[Stewart Island/Rakiura]]
** [[Southland, New Zealand|Southland Regional Council]] (Environment Southland)
* [[Chatham Islands]]
** [[Chatham Islands|Chatham Islands Council]] (district)

==Cities and Towns of the South Island==
{{see|Cities and Towns of the South Island}}

==Companies of the South Island==
This is a list of Companies of the [[South Island]]:
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*[[Air Nelson]]
*[[Allied Press]]
*[[Arthur Barnett]]
*[[Britten Motorcycle Company]]
*[[Canterbury of New Zealand]]
*[[Canterbury Television]]
*[[Christchurch Casino]]
*[[Countdown (supermarket)]]
*[[Designline]]
*[[D.I.C. (department store)]]
*[[Emersons]]
*[[Eurekster]]
*[[Fergburger]]
*[[Fulton Hogan]]
*[[Glenorchy Air]]
*[[Helicopters NZ]]
*[[Hillside Engineering]]
*[[H & J Smith's]]
*[[Kathmandu (company)]]
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*[[Kea Audio]]
*[[Link ElectroSystems]]
*[[Longacre Press]]
*[[Macpac Outdoors]]
*[[McCashins Brewery]]
*[[Monteith's]]
*[[Mount Cook Group]]
*[[NZSKI]]
*[[New Zealand Midland Railway Company]]
*[[New Zealand Natural]]
*[[Northern Arch]]
*[[Origin Pacific Airways]]
*[[Passenger Transport (New Zealand)]]
*[[Postie Plus]]
*[[Radio Otago]]
*[[Rice Refrigeration Limited]]
*[[Ritchies Coachlines]]
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*[[SLI Systems]]
*[[Speight's]]
*[[Star Gazing Tours]]
*[[Straylight Studios]]
*[[Talley's Frozen Foods]]
*[[TNL Freighting]]
*[[Two Paddocks]]
*[[Westland Savings Bank]]
*[[Wests (drink)]]
*[[Whitcombe and Tombs]]
*[[Whitestone cheese]]
*[[Whittaker's]]
*[[Wigram Beer|Wigram Brewing company]]
*[[Wynn Williams & Co]]
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==Geographic features==
[[Image:Satellite image of South Island New Zealand.jpg|thumb|right|40%|A true-colour image of the South Island, after a powerful winter storm swept across New Zealand on [[June 12]], [[2006]].]]
The South Island with an area of 151,215&nbsp;km² (58,093 square miles) is the largest land mass of New Zealand and the [[List of islands by area|world's 12th-largest island]]. It is divided along its length by the [[Southern Alps]], the highest peak of which is [[Aoraki/Mount Cook]] at 3754 [[metre]]s (12,316&nbsp;[[foot (unit of length)|ft]]). There are eighteen peaks over 3000 metres (9800&nbsp;ft) in the South Island.

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* [[Arthur's Pass]]
* [[Banks Peninsula]]
* [[The Catlins|Catlins]]
* [[Doubtful Sound]]
* [[Fox Glacier]]
* [[Farewell Spit]]
* [[Franz Josef Glacier]]
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* [[Haast Pass]]
* [[Lake Manapouri]]
* [[Lake Wakatipu]]
* [[Lake Te Anau]]
* [[Mackenzie Basin]]
* [[Marlborough Sounds]]
* [[Milford Sound]]
* [[Southern Alps]]
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==National Parks==
* [[Abel Tasman National Park]]
* [[Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park]]
* [[Fiordland National Park]]
* [[Kahurangi National Park]]
* [[Mount Aspiring National Park]]
* [[Nelson Lakes National Park]]
* [[Paparoa National Park]]
* [[Rakiura National Park]]
* [[Westland National Park]]

==Demographics==
Compared to the more populated and multi-ethnic North Island, the South Island only has a resident population of 991,100 . At the 2001 Census, over 91 percent of people in the South Island said they belong to the European ethnic group, compared with 80.1 percent for all of New Zealand . This high percentage of European population has added weight to the argument for [[South Island Independence]].

==Education==
The major universities in the South Island are [[Lincoln University (New Zealand)|Lincoln University]], the [[University of Canterbury]] and the [[University of Otago ]].

== Film location ==
Several movies have been filmed (in large part) in the South Island, including the ''[[The Lord of the Rings film trilogy|Lord of the Rings]]'' and 2005's ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe|The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe]]''.

== See also ==
* [[Flag concepts for the South Island]]
* [[List of famous South Islanders]]
* [[Military of the South Island]]
* [[New Munster]]
* [[South Island Independence]]

== External links ==


== References == 

<small>This article uses material from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Island Wikipedia, "South Island"].

{{Regions of New Zealand}}

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[[Category:Geography of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Islands of New Zealand]]