New Zealand Capitals

The capital city of New Zealand is Wellington which is located in the southern part of the North Island of the country. Wellington became the capital city of the country in 1865, replacing Auckland. The town was settled by Europeans in 1839, but the city and surrounding areas had been occupied for centuries by the Maori people. The city is the political center of the country as well as housing several film studios, museums, and foreign embassies. Wellington takes its name from Arthur Wellesley who was the first Duke of Wellington and victor of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

The population of Wellington is 203,000 but the surrounding areas that encompass the region is home to more than 412,000 residents. Wellington is made up of four towns, Lower and Upper Hutt, Porirua, and Wellington City. Around 27 percent of the population was born overseas, and the most common overseas place of birth is the United Kingdom. There are also small communities of Samoans, Indians, Chinese, Australians, Filipinos, South Africans, and Fijians.

Wellington has been named as the world's “coolest little capital” by Lonely Planet as well as the city ranking in the top 20 most livable cities in the world every year. Wellington's scenic natural harbor and green hillsides combined with tiered colonial villas are a favorite photographic opportunity for many tourists. The region also has 500 square kilometers (190 square miles) of protected regional parks and forests that make for great hiking and day-trips. Wellington is also home to the best museums in New Zealand.

Wellington's climate is classified as a temperate marine environment which sees modest temperatures year-round. The city is known for being windy all year as well as having a high frequency of rainfall. The temperature in Wellington will rarely rise above 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) or below 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit). The wind in the city makes the temperature seem colder than it is. The average yearly rainfall in Wellington is 1,244 millimeters (49 inches) in June and July being the wettest months of the year.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

More on Graphicmaps

Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Wellington
Languages	English (de facto official) 89.8%, Maori (de jure official) 3.5%, Samoan 2%, Hindi 1.6%, French 1.2%, Northern Chinese 1.2%, Yue 1%, other or not stated 20.5%, New Zealand Sign Language (de jure official)
Ethnic Groups	European 71.2%, Maori 14.1%, Asian 11.3%, Pacific peoples 7.6%, Middle Eastern, Latin American, African 1.1%, other 1.6%, not stated or unidentified 5.4%
Religion	Christian 44.3% (Catholic 11.6%, Anglican 10.8%, Presbyterian and Congregational 7.8%, Methodist, 2.4%, Pentecostal 1.8%, other 9.9%), Hindu 2.1%, Buddhist 1.4%, Maori Christian 1.3%, Islam 1.1%, other religion 1.4% (includes Judaism, Spiritualism and New Age religions, Baha'i, Asian religions other than Buddhism), no religion 38.5%, not stated or unidentified 8.2%, objected to answering 4.1%
Government	Parliamentary democracy (New Zealand Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Independance	26 September 1907 (from the UK)
Area	268,838.00 km²
Water Area	4,301.00 km²
Land Area	264,537.00 km²
Population	4,474,549.00
Location	Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
GDP(PPP)	$175,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$37,100.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are China, Australia, and the United States.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are dairy products, meat and edible offal, logs and wood articles.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, Australia, and the United States.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include petroleum and products, mechanical machinery, and vehicles.
Climate	Temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain	Predominately mountainous with large coastal plains
Learn More	New Zealand

New Zealand Capitals

More on Graphicmaps

What is a Trade Embargo?

Which Two Countries Used to Have the Same Flag?

What Is the Only Two-Sided State Flag?

Which Country Flag Looks Like the Texas Flag?

Flags That Resemble the US Flag

What is Demography?