Christchurch is the largest city on the South Island of New Zealand and is the third-largest urban area in the country. It occupies a coastal position on the island’s east side and functions as the principal urban centre for the surrounding plains.
Location and character
The urban area stretches across the low-lying Canterbury Plains and is oriented toward the Pacific coast. Christchurch combines residential neighbourhoods, commercial districts, and civic institutions, and is a regional hub for transport, education and culture.
Population
The city’s recorded population was about 376,700 at the 2010 count; more recent estimates indicate modest growth since then. Population figures vary depending on whether one measures the city proper, the wider urban area, or the greater metropolitan region.
Name and early history
The name was chosen at the inaugural meeting of the Canterbury Association on 27 March 1848. The founders named the settlement after Christ Church, the college at the University of Oxford; the suggestion came from John Robert Godley, who had been associated with that college. Initially the town was known as "Christ Church." On 31 July 1856 it was granted city status by Royal Charter, a milestone that is commonly cited when referring to Christchurch as New Zealand’s oldest established city.
Today Christchurch remains an important centre on the South Island, with educational institutions, arts organisations and services that serve the wider Canterbury region.