North Island

Lore & Background

According to Māori mythology, the North Island arose when the demigod Māui caught a great fish while fishing with his brothers from their canoe (the South Island). His brothers fought over the fish and chopped it up, and this great fish became the North Island, giving it the Māori name Te Ika-a-Māui ('The Fish of Māui'). The mountains and valleys are believed to have been formed by the hacking of Māui's brothers. The island has been known in English as the North Island for many years. On some 19th-century maps, the North Island was named New Ulster. Most of the North Island was covered in thorn scrubland and forest, while the modern-day Northland Peninsula was a subtropical rainforest.

Reader's Guide

The 'Golden Triangle' enclosed by Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga contains nearly half of New Zealand's population and a similar proportion of its economic activity. The island's population growth has historically outpaced that of the South Island due to higher natural increase and international migration, though since the late 1980s internal migration has flowed from the North Island to the South Island. Māori form the majority in three districts (Kawerau, Ōpōtiki, and Wairoa). The island's official dual name—North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui—reflects its Māori heritage, though the Māori name remains seldom used by most residents. The island's geography includes notable volcanic features such as Mount Ruapehu, Mount Taranaki, and the Auckland Volcanic Field, as well as major national parks including Tongariro and Egmont.

Did You Know?

• The North Island is co-officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, meaning 'The Fish of Māui' in Māori.
• The 'Golden Triangle' of Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga contains nearly half of New Zealand's population.