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Wellington

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Oceania
(Australasia)

                  Image:WellingtonPanorama.jpg
            The Wellington Cable Car and city centre.
                            Location
               Wellington shown within New Zealand
   Coordinates: 41°17′20″S, 174°46′38″E
                           Government
   Country:                 New Zealand
   Region:                  Wellington
   Regional Council:        Greater Wellington Regional Council
   Territorial Authorities: Wellington City Council
                            Hutt City Council
                            Upper Hutt City Council
                            Porirua City Council
                        Population (2005)
   Urban Area:              370,000
   Four cities:             374,000
   Wellington City:         182,600
   Wellington Region:       460,400
                            Time Zone
   Standard:                NZST (UTC +12)
   Daylight Saving:         NZDT (UTC +13)

   Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Poneke in Māori) is the capital of
   New Zealand, the country's second largest urban area and the most
   populous national capital in Oceania. It is in the Wellington Region at
   the southern tip of the North Island, near the geographical centre of
   the country.

   Like many cities, Wellington's urban area extends well beyond the
   boundaries of a single local authority. Greater Wellington or the
   Wellington Region means the entire urban area, plus the rural parts of
   the cities and the Kapiti Coast, and across the Rimutaka Range to the
   Wairarapa.

   Wellington has roughly the same urban area population as Canberra in
   Australia.

   Wellington was named in honour of Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of
   Wellington and victor at the Battle of Waterloo. The Duke's title comes
   from the town of Wellington in the English county of Somerset.

   In Māori Wellington goes by two names. Te Whanganui-a-Tara refers to
   Wellington Harbour and means "the great harbour of Tara". The
   alternative name Pōneke is often discouraged because of a belief that
   it is nothing more than a transliteration of the harbour's former
   nickname in English, Port Nick, short for Port Nicholson.

   Wellington is New Zealand's political centre, housing Parliament and
   the head offices of all government ministries and departments.

   Wellington's compact city centre supports an arts scene, café culture
   and nightlife much larger than most cities of a similar size. It is a
   centre of New Zealand's film and theatre industry. Te Papa Tongarewa
   (the Museum of New Zealand), the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the
   Royal New Zealand Ballet and the biennial International Festival of the
   Arts are all sited there.

   Wellington has the 12th best quality of living in the world, according
   to a 2006 study by consulting company Mercer. Of cities with English as
   the primary language, Wellington ranked fourth. 1

Settlement

   Māori who originally settled the Wellington area knew it as Te Upoko o
   te Ika a Māui, meaning "the head of Māui's fish". Legend recounts that
   Kupe discovered and explored the district in about the tenth century.

   European settlement began with the arrival of an advance party of the
   New Zealand Company on the ship Tory, on 20 September 1839, followed by
   150 settlers on the ship Aurora on 22 January 1840. The settlers
   constructed their first homes at Petone (which they called Britannia
   for a time) on the flat area at the mouth of the Hutt River. When that
   proved swampy and flood-prone they transplanted the plans without
   regard for a more hilly terrain. Wellington has some extremely steep
   streets running straight up the sides of hills.

Earthquakes

   Wellington from Mount Victoria
   Enlarge
   Wellington from Mount Victoria

   Wellington suffered serious damage in a series of earthquakes in 1848
   and from another earthquake in 1855. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake
   occurred on a fault line to the north and east of Wellington. It ranks
   as probably the most powerful earthquake in recorded New Zealand
   history, with an estimated magnitude of at least 8.2 on the Richter
   scale. It caused vertical movements of two to three metres over a large
   area, including raising an area of land out of the harbour and turning
   it into a tidal swamp. Much of this land was subsequently reclaimed and
   is now part of Wellington's central business district. For this reason
   the street named Lambton Quay now runs 100 to 200 metres from the
   harbour. Plaques set into the footpath along Lambton Quay mark the
   shoreline in 1840 and thus indicate the extent of the uplift and of
   subsequent reclamation.

   The area has high seismic activity even by New Zealand standards, with
   a major fault line running through the centre of the city, and several
   others nearby. Several hundred more minor fault lines have been
   identified within the urban area. The inhabitants, particularly those
   in high-rise buildings, typically notice several earthquakes every
   year. For many years after the 1855 earthquake, the majority of
   buildings constructed in Wellington were made entirely from wood. The
   1996-restored Government Buildings, near Parliament and the Railway
   Station, comprise the largest wooden office building in the Southern
   Hemisphere. While masonry and structural steel have subsequently been
   used in building construction, especially for office buildings, timber
   framing remains the primary structural component of almost all
   residential construction. Residents also place their hopes of survival
   in good building regulations, which gradually became more stringent in
   the course of the 20th century.

New Zealand's capital

   The historic former High Court building, future home of the Supreme
   Court of New Zealand.
   Enlarge
   The historic former High Court building, future home of the Supreme
   Court of New Zealand.
   The old Government Buildings (now a law school) on the left and the
   Beehive, Parliament's Executive Wing, in the centre. Parliament House
   is to the right (small part shown).
   Enlarge
   The old Government Buildings (now a law school) on the left and the
   Beehive, Parliament's Executive Wing, in the centre. Parliament House
   is to the right (small part shown).

   In 1865 Wellington became the capital of New Zealand, replacing
   Auckland, where William Hobson had established his capital in 1841.
   Parliament first sat in Wellington on 7 July 1862, but the city did not
   become the official capital for some time. In November 1863 the Premier
   Alfred Domett moved a resolution before Parliament (in Auckland) that
   "... it has become necessary that the seat of government ... should be
   transferred to some suitable locality in Cook Strait." Apparently there
   was concern that the southern regions, where the gold fields were
   located, would form a separate colony. Commissioners from Australia
   (chosen for their neutral status) pronounced the opinion that
   Wellington was suitable because of its harbour and central location.
   Parliament officially sat in Wellington for the first time on 26 July
   1865. The population of Wellington was then 4,900 .

   Wellington is also the seat of New Zealand's highest court, the Supreme
   Court of New Zealand. The historic former High Court building is to be
   refurbished for the court's use.

   Government House, the official residence of the Governor-General, is in
   Newtown, opposite the Basin Reserve.

Location and geography

   Satellite photo of the Wellington conurbation: (1) Wellington; (2)
   Lower Hutt; (3) Upper Hutt; (4) Porirua
   Enlarge
   Satellite photo of the Wellington conurbation: (1) Wellington; (2)
   Lower Hutt; (3) Upper Hutt; (4) Porirua

   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 to the south
   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 national acclaim.

   Wellington is the southernmost national 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".

   More than most cities, life in Wellington is dominated by its central
   business district. Approximately 62,000 people work in the 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.

   Wellington has the highest average income of a main urban area in New
   Zealand and the highest percentage of people with tertiary
   qualifications.
   Te Papa ("Our Place"), the Museum of New Zealand
   Enlarge
   Te Papa ("Our Place"), the Museum of New Zealand

   Wellington has a reputation for its picturesque natural harbour and
   green hillsides adorned with tiered suburbs of colonial villas. The 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.

   There is a network of bush walks and reserves maintained by the
   Wellington City Council and local volunteers. The Wellington region has
   500 square kilometres of regional parks and forests.

   In the east is the Miramar Peninsula, connected to the rest of the city
   by a low-lying isthmus at Rongotai, the site of Wellington
   International Airport. The narrow entrance to Wellington is directly to
   the east of the 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).
   The wind generator at Brooklyn
   Enlarge
   The wind generator at Brooklyn

   On the hill west of the city centre are Victoria University and
   Wellington Botanic Garden. Both can be reached on a funicular railway,
   the Wellington Cable Car.

   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 access
   during daylight hours by the Dominion Post Ferry.

   The city averages 2025 hours of sunshine per annum.

Energy

   The energy needs of Wellington are increasing, one likely source is
   from the wind, and a large farm is proposed for that purpose. The
   project will consist of 70 turbines with a maximum capacity of 210 MW,
   just a few kilometres to the south-west of Wellington CBD, between
   Makara Beach and Cape Terawhiti.

Demographics

   The population of Wellington, including the outlying areas, is
   approaching 400,000. In the 2001 census, 18.5% of people were under 15,
   compared with 22.7% for New Zealand. About 8.6% of people were aged 65
   and over, compared with 12.1% for New Zealand. 85.6% of people in
   Wellington city said they are of European ethnic origin. Around 4.1%
   are Māori, with the remainder being of Pacific Islander, Asian or other
   ethnicity.

Arts and culture

   Wellington is the arts and culture capital of New Zealand, and is the
   centre of the nation's film industry. Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor,
   and a growing team of creative professionals have managed to turn the
   eastern suburb of Miramar into one of the world's finest film-making
   infrastructures. Directors like Jane Campion and Vincent Ward have
   managed to reach the world's screens with their independent spirit.
   Emerging Kiwi film-makers, like Taika Waititi, Charlie Bleakley, Costa
   Botes and Jennifer Bush-Daumec, are extending the Wellington-based
   lineage and cinematic scope.

   Wellington is home to Te Papa Tongarewa (the Museum of New Zealand),
   the national opera company, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, City
   Gallery, Chamber Music New Zealand, Royal New Zealand Ballet, St.
   James' Theatre, Downstage Theatre, Bats Theatre and Arts Foundation of
   New Zealand.

   The once-prosaic capital has become home to dozens of high-profile
   events and cultural celebration. The city now hosts a biennial
   International Festival of the Arts, annual International Jazz Festival,
   and major events such as Cuba Street Carnival, New Zealand Fringe
   Festival, Summer City, New Zealand Affordable Art Show, numerous film
   festivals, and World of Wearable Art. Many of the city's neighbourhoods
   and ethnic communities also host annual festivals, all helping
   transform the city into the envy of New Zealand.

   The local music scene, on the success of bands like The Phoenix
   Foundation, Shihad, Fat Freddy's Drop, and The Black Seeds has become a
   diverse and thriving pool of talent. The New Zealand School of Music
   was established in 2005 through a merger of the conservatory and theory
   programmes at Massey University and Victoria University.

   Poet Bill Manhire, director of the International Institute of Modern
   Letters, has turned the Creative Writing Programme at Victoria
   University into a forge of new literary activity. Te Whaea, New
   Zealand's university-level school of dance and drama, and tertiary
   institutions such as The Learning Connexion, offer training and
   creative development for the next generation. Wellington underground
   poets broke new ground in creative expression in the 1980s and 1990s.

   The city's new Arts Centre, Toi Poneke, serves as a nexus of creative
   projects, collaborations, and multi-disciplinary production. Arts
   Programmes and Services Manager Eric Holowacz and a small team based in
   the Abel Smith Street facility have produced ambitious new initiatives
   such as Opening Notes, Drive by Art, the annual Artsplash Festival, and
   new public art projects.

   As a capital city, Wellington is home to diplomatic missions with
   cultural officers ready to interface with these aspects of the City's
   life. In the early part of the 21st century, Wellington has confirmed
   its place as a vibrant centre of arts, culture, and creativity in the
   South Pacific.

Sport

   Wellington is the home to:
     * The Hurricanes — Super 14 rugby team
     * Wellington Lions — Air New Zealand Cup (formerly NPC) rugby team
     * Wellington Firebirds - cricket team
     * Wellington Orcas - Bartercard Cup team
     * Capital Shakers — The National Bank Cup netball team
     * Team Wellington - Wellington's franchise in the New Zealand
       Football Championship
     * Wellington Saints - The National Basketball League basketball team

   Sporting events hosted in Wellington include:
     * Wellington Sevens - A round of the IRB Sevens World Series. Held at
       the Westpac Stadium over a weekend every February, this rugby
       sevens tournament brings more than 25,000 visitors and contributes
       over $8 million to the local economy each year.
     * a Wellington 500 street race for touring cars, between 1985 and
       1996.
     * the World Mountain Running Championships in 2005.

Notable Wellingtonians

     * Ivan Bootham - novelist, short story writer, poet and composer
     * Jane Campion — Oscar winning film-maker
     * Sir Robin Cooke, Baron Cooke of Thorndon (dec) - barrister and
       jurist
     * Russell Crowe — Oscar-winning actor
     * Rod Drury - technology entrepreneur
     * Lauris Edmond (dec) — poet
     * Peter Jackson — Oscar-winning film-maker
     * Katherine Mansfield (dec) — writer
     * Jack Marshall (dec) — former Prime Minister
     * Anna Paquin - Oscar-winning actress
     * William Hayward Pickering (dec) — electrical engineer, former head
       of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California
     * Antonia Prebble - actress
     * John Psathas - composer
     * Jonathan Sarfati - chess master and author, raised in Wellington
     * Tom Scott - cartoonist, political commentator
     * Richard Taylor — head of film prop and special effects company Weta
       Workshop, owned by Peter Jackson. Multiple Oscar winner.
     * Jon Toogood — singer and guitarist for the rock band Shihad
     * Tana Umaga — former captain of the All Blacks
     * Karl Urban — actor

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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