Regions | |
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Category | Unitary state |
Location | ![]() |
Number | 16 |
Populations | 32,900 (West Coast) – 1,739,300 (Auckland) |
Areas | 450 km2 (172 sq mi) (Nelson) – 45,350 km2 (17,508 sq mi) (Canterbury) |
Government | |
Subdivisions |
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New Zealand is divided into sixteen regions (Māori: ngā rohe) for local government purposes. Eleven are administered by regional councils (the top tier of local government), and five are administered by unitary authorities, which are territorial authorities (otherwise the second tier of local government) that also perform the functions of regional councils.[1][2] The Chatham Islands Council is not a region but is similar to a unitary authority, authorised under its own legislation.[3]