Auckland is a central metropolitan area on the North Island of New Zealand. Auckland is the most populous urban area in New Zealand. It has a population of approximately 1,463,000 (June 2002). It is found in Auckland Region, an area that Auckland Council governs. This includes outlying rural regions and the islands of Hauraki Gulf. The total population of the Auckland Region is 1,715,600.

Although most of Auckland’s residents are still Europeans, Auckland became multicultural and cosmopolitan during the 20th century. In 2018, 31% of Auckland’s total population was Asian. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian community in the world.

New Zealand’s capital city is Wellington. It lies between Cook Strait, the Remutaka range, at the southwestern tip of the North Island. Wellington is the largest population center in the southern North Island. It also serves as the administrative center for Wellington Region. 

The Wellington Region includes the Kapiti coast and the Wairarapa. It is also the capital of the world’s most southern sovereign state. Wellington enjoys a pleasant maritime climate and is the city with the highest average wind speed.

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island’s east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / Ōtākaro flows through the city’s center, with an urban park located along its banks. The city’s territorial authority population is 392,100 people and includes some smaller urban and rural areas.

The population of the urban area is 380,600 people. Christchurch is the second largest city by urban area population in New Zealand, after Auckland. Christchurch is the central urban area of an emerging sub-region known informally as Greater Christchurch. Notable smaller urban areas within this sub-region include Rangiora and Kaiapoi in Waimakariri District, north of the Waimakariri River, and Rolleston and Lincoln in Selwyn District to the south.

Napier is a New Zealand beachside city with a seaport located in Hawke’s Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. Known for its warm Mediterranean climate, esplanade lined with Norfolk Pines, and extensive Art Deco architecture, Napier is often revered as the “Nice of the Pacific.”

The population of Napier is about 66,700 as of June 2021. About 18 kilometers (11 mi) south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These neighboring cities are called “The Bay Cities” or “The Twin Cities” of New Zealand. The total population of the Napier-Hastings Urban Area is 134,410 people, which makes it the sixth-largest urban area in New Zealand, closely followed by Dunedin (105,000) and trailing Tauranga (155,200).

Rotorua is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand’s North Island. The city lies on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name.

It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authority encompassing Rotorua and several other nearby towns. Rotorua has an estimated resident population of 58,400, making it the country’s 12th-largest urban area and the Bay of Plenty’s second-largest urban area behind Tauranga.