[image]Taranaki is a region in New Zealand's North Island and the name of the mountain which is the region's main feature.
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Mount Taranaki - Te Maunga O Taranaki - is the dominant feature of the province, being the second-tallest mountain in the North Island. Maori legend says that Taranaki previously lived with the Tongariro, Ngauruhoe, and Ruapehu mountains in the central North Island but fled to its current location after a battle with Tongariro.
[image]Its original name of Taranaki was changed by Europeans to Egmont when sighted by Captain James Cook, but common usage has reverted to Taranaki. The mountain is a near-perfect cone and dominates the landscape. It last erupted in the mid-eighteenth century. The mountain and its immediate surrounds form Egmont National Park.
The region has an area of 7258 km2, and a population (2001) of 102,858. Just under half live in the city of New Plymouth, located on the northern coast. Other centres include Waitara, Inglewood, Stratford, Opunake, Eltham, Hawera, and Patea.
The region has had a strong Maori presence for centuries. The local Iwi (tribes) include Ngati Mutunga, Ngati Ruanui, Taranaki, Te Ati Awa, Nga Rauru and Ngati Tama.
[image]The province is exceptionally fertile, thanks to generous rainfall and the rich volcanic soil. Dairy farming predominates, with the milk factory just outside Hawera being the second largest in the Southern Hemisphere. There are also oil and gas deposits in the region, both on shore and off-shore. The Maui gas field off the north coast provides most of New Zealand's gas supply, as well as supporting two Methanol plants (one formerly a synthetic petrol plant) near Waitara. More fuel and fertilizer is produced at Kapuni. However, the Maui field is being depleted sooner than expected, leading to increased efforts to find further reserves.
The way the land mass projects into the Tasman Sea with northerly, westerly, and southerly exposures results in many excellent surfing and windsurfing locations, some of them considered world-class.
Following the withdrawal of the British troops, Maori resistance continued, with Titokowaru leading an uprising which achieved some notable successes against the colonial forces in the south Taranaki region. Titokowaru advanced almost to Wanganui, defeating three colonial forces and causing much alarm amongst the settlers.
Titokowaru's vigorous military response can be contrasted with Te Whiti o Rongomai's peaceful opposition centred in Parihaka. However, Te Whiti's peaceful community was suppressed by colonial troops.
The result of Maori opposition to settlement was a series of illegal government land confiscations. The release of a Waitangi Tribunal report on the situation led to some debate on the matter in 2002. The authors of the report compared the suppression of Taranaki Maori to the Holocaust. This controversial choice of language met general disapproval, with one government minister being forced to resign for trying to defend it.
| Regions of New Zealand |
|---|
| North Island: Northland | Auckland | Waikato | Bay of Plenty | Gisborne* | Hawke's Bay | Taranaki | Manawatu-Wanganui | Wellington |
| South Island: Tasman* | Marlborough* | Nelson* | West Coast | Canterbury | Otago | Southland |
| *unitary authorities |