Canterbury Region

thumb|right|220px| A map showing population density in the Canterbury Region at the 2023 census

Canterbury () is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of , making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of

The region in its current form was established in 1989 during nationwide local government reforms. The Kaikōura District joined the region in 1992 following the abolition of the Nelson-Marlborough Regional Council.

Christchurch, the South Island's largest city and the country's second-largest urban area, is the seat of the region and home to percent of the region's population. Other major towns and cities include Timaru, Ashburton, Rangiora and Rolleston.

History

Natural history

The land, water, flora, and fauna of Canterbury has a long history, stretching from creation of the greywacke basement rocks that make up the Southern Alps to the arrival of the first humans. This history is linked to the solidification and development of tectonic plates, the development of oceans and then life itself.

The region is a part of the larger Zealandia continent, itself a part of the larger Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. In the first instance, the land is based upon the constructive tectonic forces of this convergent and transformational tectonic plate boundary. In the second instance, the erosive forces of rain, snow, ice, and rock grinding against rock have developed large gravel fans that extend out from the mountains. In the third instance, there is volcanism punching through the basement rocks and blanket of sediments to the surface. Upon this solid foundation, and slowly over the billions of years, life made up of a countless generations of interconnected adaptations developed into the unique flora and fauna of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The remnants populations of these unique species are visible today in the publicly protected conservation lands.

The species of Waitaha/Canterbury were adapted to the climate and geography that traverses inland from the coastline to the highest peaks, and from the warmer climes in the north to the colder in the south.

Before European settlement

Canterbury has been populated by a succession of Māori peoples over the centuries. When European settlers arrived, it was occupied by Ngāi Tahu, whose numbers had been greatly reduced by warfare, among themselves and with Te Rauparaha and his Ngāti Toa from the North Island, in the early 19th century.

Colonisation

In 1848, Edward Gibbon Wakefield, a Briton, and John Robert Godley, an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, founded the Canterbury Association to establish an Anglican colony in the South Island. The colony was based upon theories developed by Wakefield while in prison for eloping with a woman not-of-age. Due to ties to the University of Oxford, the Canterbury Association succeeded in raising sufficient funds and recruiting middle-class and upper-class settlers. In April 1850, a preliminary group led by Godley landed at Port Cooper – modern-day Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō – and established a port, housing and shops in preparation for the main body of settlers. In December 1850, the first wave of 750 settlers arrived at Lyttelton in a fleet of four ships. The modern Canterbury Region has slightly different boundaries, particularly in the north, where it includes some districts from the Nelson Province.

2010–2011 earthquakes

September 2010

thumb|Building damage in [[Worcester Street, Christchurch|Worcester Street, corner Manchester Street, with ChristChurch Cathedral in the background (September 2010)]]

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred in the region on Saturday 4 September 2010, at 04:35 am. The epicentre was located west of Christchurch; south-east of Darfield, and had a depth of . The earthquake caused widespread damage to buildings and power outages, but no direct fatalities. Sewers were damaged, gas and water lines were broken, and power to up to 75% of the city was disrupted. Christchurch residents reported chimneys falling in through roofs, cracked ceilings and collapsed brick walls.

A local state of emergency was declared at 10:16 am on 4 September for the city, and evacuations of parts were planned to begin later in the day. People inside the Christchurch city centre were evacuated, and the city's central business district remained closed until 5 September. A curfew from 7 pm on 4 September to 7 am on 5 September was put in place. The New Zealand Army was deployed to assist police and enforce the curfew.

There were 63 reported aftershocks in the first 48 hours, with three registering 5.2 magnitude. The total insurance costs of the event were estimated as up to $11 billion, according to the New Zealand Treasury.

February 2011

thumb|[[ChristChurch Cathedral showing the effects of the February 2011 earthquake (tower under demolition)]]

A large aftershock of magnitude 6.3 occurred on at 12:51 pm. It was centred just to the north of Lyttelton, 10 kilometres south-east of Christchurch, at a depth of 5 km.

Although lower on the moment magnitude scale than the quake of September 2010, the intensity and violence of the ground shaking was measured to be VIII on the MMI, which is among the strongest ever recorded globally in an urban area due to the shallowness and proximity of the epicentre.

The quake struck on a busy weekday afternoon. This, along with the strength of the quakes, and the proximity to the city centre, resulted in 181 deaths. Many buildings and landmarks were severely damaged, including the iconic Shag Rock and Christchurch Cathedral. New Zealand's first National State of Emergency was promptly declared.

June 2011

On 13 June 2011 at about 1:00 pm New Zealand time, Christchurch was rocked by a magnitude 5.7 quake, followed by a magnitude 6.3 quake at 2:20 pm, centred in a similar location to that of the February quake with a depth of 6.0 kilometres. Dozens of aftershocks occurred over the following days, including several over magnitude 4.

Phone lines and power were lost in some suburbs, and liquefaction surfaced mainly in the eastern areas of the city which were worst affected following the aftershocks. Many residents in and around the hillside suburb of Sumner self-evacuated. Further damage was reported to buildings inside the cordoned central business district, with an estimate of 75 additional buildings needing demolition. Among the buildings further damaged was the Christchurch Cathedral, which lost its iconic rose window. There was one death and multiple injuries.

Geography

thumb|[[Aoraki / Mount Cook, the highest elevation in New Zealand is located inland of the Canterbury region]]

The area administered by the Canterbury Regional Council consists of all the river catchments on the east coast of the South Island from that of the Waiau Toa / Clarence River, north of Kaikōura, to that of the Waitaki River, in South Canterbury. It is New Zealand's largest region by area, with an area of 45,346 km².

Canterbury was formerly bounded in the north by the Conway River, to the west by the Southern Alps, and to the south by the Waitaki River. The area is commonly divided into North Canterbury (north of the Rakaia River to the Conway River), Mid Canterbury (from the Rakaia River to the Rangitata River), South Canterbury (south of the Rangitata River to the Waitaki River) and Christchurch City.

Climate

Demographics

Canterbury Region covers . Statistics New Zealand estimates the population of Canterbury is as of , which gives a population density of people per km². The region is home to % of New Zealand's population.