Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand.
It is located in the northern half of the North Island (one of the two main islands of New Zealand).
As of May 2020, the population of Auckland is about 1.7 million people.
The city covers a total area of 1,103 square kilometers (426 square miles).
The highest point is at 196 meters (643 feet) above sea level. The lowest point is sea level.
The area was settled by Māori c. 1350, and was valued for its rich and fertile land. Many pā (fortified villages) were created, mainly on the volcanic peaks.
The Māori population in the area is estimated to have peaked at 20,000 before the arrival of Europeans.
After the Colony of New Zealand was established in 1840, William Hobson, then Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand, chose the area as his new capital.
Hobson named the new settlement in honour of George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland, a patron and his friend.
The Māori-language name for Auckland is Tāmaki Makaurau, meaning “Tāmaki desired by many”, in reference to the desirability of its natural resources and geography.
Māori–European conflict over land in the region led to war in the mid-19th century.
Auckland was replaced as the capital in 1865 by Wellington, but the influx of immigration stayed strong, and it has remained the nation’s largest city.
Today, Auckland is the world’s largest Polynesian city and one of the great cities of the Pacific.
The Sky Tower is a telecommunications and observation tower in Auckland. Located at the corner of Victoria and Federal Streets within the city’s CBD, it is 328 metres (1,076 ft) tall, as measured from ground level to the top of the mast, making it the tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere and the 25th tallest tower in the world. It has become an iconic landmark in Auckland’s skyline due to its height and unique design.
Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland. For this reason it is often referred to as Auckland Harbour, despite the fact that it is one of two harbours adjoining the city. The harbour forms the northern and eastern coasts of the Auckland isthmus and is crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It is matched on the southern side of the city by the shallower waters of the Manukau Harbour.
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane motorway bridge over the Waitematā Harbour. While often considered an Auckland icon, criticism has included complaints that it mimics the Sydney Harbour Bridge in copyist fashion.
The Auckland Domain is Auckland’s oldest park, and at 75 hectares one of the largest in the city. Located in the central suburb of Grafton, the park contains all of the explosion crater and most of the surrounding tuff ring of the Pukekawa volcano. The park is home to one of Auckland’s main tourist attractions, the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
The Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira or simply the Auckland Museum is one of New Zealand’s most important museums and war memorials. Its collections concentrate on New Zealand history (and especially the history of the Auckland Region), natural history, and military history. The museum is also one of the most iconic Auckland buildings, constructed in the neo-classicist style.
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is the principal public gallery in Auckland. It has the most extensive collection of national and international art in New Zealand. It frequently hosts travelling international exhibitions.
The Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph usually known as St Patrick’s Cathedral is a Catholic church in Auckland. It is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland and the cathedral of the Bishop of Auckland. It was founded in 1841 by Bishop Jean Baptiste Pompallier, the first Catholic bishop in New Zealand.
Auckland Zoo is a 16.35-hectare (40-acre) zoological garden in Auckland. It is situated next to Western Springs park not far from Auckland’s central business district. It is run by the Auckland Council with the Zoological Society of Auckland as a supporting organisation. Auckland Zoo is currently home to over 1,400 individuals representing 135 species.
Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium is a public aquarium in Auckland, that was opened in 1985. Located at 23 Tamaki Drive, it was the brainchild of New Zealand marine archaeologist and diver Kelly Tarlton (1937–1985).
Auckland is the only city in the world built on a basaltic volcanic field that is still active. It is estimated that the field will stay active for about one million years.
It is one of the few cities in the world to have a harbour on each of two separate major bodies of water.
Rugby union, cricket, rugby league, football and netball are widely played and followed.
The average daily maximum temperature is 23.7 °C (74.7 °F) in February and 14.7 °C (58.5 °F) in July. The absolute maximum recorded temperature is 34.4 °C (93.9 °F), while the absolute minimum is −3.9 °C (25.0 °F).