Canterbury Region - Geography

Geography

See also: Geology of the Canterbury Region

Canterbury is New Zealand's largest region by area, with an area of 45,346 km². The region is traditionally bounded in the north by the Conway River and to the west by the Southern Alps. The southern boundary is the Waitaki River.

The area is commonly divided into North Canterbury (north of the Rakaia River), Mid Canterbury (from the Rakaia River to the Rangitata River), South Canterbury (south of the Rangitata River) and Christchurch (Christchurch City). For many purposes South Canterbury is considered a separate region, centred on the city of Timaru.

The population of Canterbury region is 558,800 (June 2012 estimate), making it the largest region in the South Island and the second largest region in New Zealand by population.

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