Westland District

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Westland
Westland District
Population 7,773

Westland District is a territorial authority on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island, and one of the most sparsely populated parts of the country. Westland covers the long thin strip of land west of the Southern Alps and south of Grey District. At the 2001 Census, the district was home to 7,773 people. It has an area of 11,400 square kilometres.

Despite Westland's isolation it has a distinguished past. Between 1873 and 1876 Westland had its own provincial government — Westland Province with roughly the same boundaries that the district has now.

[edit] Settlements

The only urban centre, and seat of the Westland District Council is the town of Hokitika, near the north of the district. Hokitika has an urban area population of 3,087 which accounts for 40% of the district's total population. Further south, along State Highway 6 are the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers. At the small settlement of Haast, the road turns steeply inland and toward the Haast Pass, the alpine boundary with the Queenstown-Lakes District.

In other languages