Wellington

:For other Wellingtons, see Wellington (disambiguation). For the City of Wellington, see Wellington City.

Location and demographics

Wellington stands at the south-western tip of the North Island on Cook Strait, the passage that separates the North and South Islands. On a clear day the snowcapped Kaikoura Ranges are visible across the strait. To the north stretch the golden beaches of the Kapiti Coast. On the east the Rimutaka Range divides Wellington from the broad plains of the Wairarapa, a wine region of worldwide acclaim.

Related Topics:
North Island - Cook Strait - Kaikoura Ranges - Kapiti Coast - Rimutaka Range - Wairarapa

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Wellington is the southernmost capital city in the world, with a latitude about 41°S. It is more densely populated than most other settlements in New Zealand, due to the small amount of building space available between the harbour and the surrounding hills. Because of its location in the roaring forties latitudes and its exposure to omnipresent winds coming through Cook Strait, the city is known to kiwis as "Windy Wellington".

Related Topics:
Capital city - Latitude - Roaring forties - Cook Strait - Kiwis

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More than most cities, life in Wellington is dominated by its central business district. Approximately 62,000 people work in the Wellington CBD, only 4,000 fewer than work in Auckland's CBD, despite that city having three times Wellington's population. Wellington's cultural and nightlife venues concentrate in Courtenay Place and surroundings located in the southern part of the CBD, making the inner city suburb of Te Aro the largest entertainment destination in New Zealand.

Related Topics:
Auckland - CBD

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Wellington has the highest average income of a main urban area in New Zealand and the highest percentage of people with tertiary qualifications.

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Wellington has a reputation for its picturesque natural harbour and green hillsides adorned with tiered suburbs of colonial villas. The city's CBD is sited close to Lambton Harbour, an arm of Wellington Harbour. Wellington Harbour lies along an active geological fault which is clearly evident on its straight western coast. The land to the west of this rises abruptly, meaning that many of Wellington's suburbs sit high above the centre of the city.

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To the east of the city is Miramar Peninsula, connected to the rest of the city by a low-lying isthmus at Rongotai, which is the site of Wellington International Airport. The narrow entrance to Wellington is directly to the east of Miramar Peninsula, and contains the dangerous shallows of Barrett Reef, where many ships have been wrecked (most famously the inter-island ferry Wahine in 1968).

Related Topics:
Miramar Peninsula - Wellington International Airport - Barrett Reef - Wahine - 1968

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On the hill west of the city centre are Victoria University and Wellington Botanic Garden. Both can be reached on a funicular railway (the "cable car").

Related Topics:
Victoria University - Wellington Botanic Garden - Funicular

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Wellington Harbour has three islands: Matiu/Somes Island, Makaro/Ward Island and Mokopuna. Only Matiu/Somes Island is large enough for settlement. It has been used as a quarantine station for people and animals and as an internment camp during the First and Second World Wars. It is now a conservation island, providing refuge for endangered species, much like Kapiti Island further up the coast. There is limited access to the public during daylight hours by means of a stop-off on the Dominion Post Ferry.

Related Topics:
Matiu/Somes Island - Kapiti Island

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The city has an average annual rainfall of 1270 mm.

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