The Chatham Islands from space. Chatham Island is the largest, Pitt Island is the second largest, and South East Island is the small island to the right of Pitt.

The archipelago of the Chatham Islands, Rekohu in the Moriori language, consists of about 10 islands within a 40-kilometre radius. An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands. ... Moriori are the indigenous people of the Chatham Islands (Rekohu in the Moriori language), east of the New Zealand archipelago. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ...

Geography

The islands as a grouping are located at about 43°59′17″S, 176°27′13″W, roughly 800 km to the east of Christchurch, New Zealand. The islands have officially belonged to New Zealand since 1842. They cover a total of 966 km², almost all of which is in the two main islands, Chatham Island (43°53′54″S, 176°31′44″W) and Pitt Island (44°18′01″S, 176°13′14″W). A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... Situated on the Eastern coast, Christchurch is the principal city of the South Island of New Zealand. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Chatham Island is by far the largest island of the Chatham Islands group, in the south Pacific Ocean off the eastern coast of New Zealand, named after the survey ship HMS Chatham which discovered the island in 1791. ... Pitt Island or Rangiauria is the second largest island in the Chatham Islands, territorially part of New Zealand, the mainland of which lies 800 kilometres to the west. ...

The two main islands are the only inhabited islands, with the smaller islands mostly conservation reserves with access restricted or prohibited.

Names of the main islands are (in English and Moriori): Moriori are the indigenous people of the Chatham Islands (Rekohu in the Moriori language), east of the New Zealand archipelago. ...

• Chatham Island/Rekohu (and Wharekauri in Maori) (43°53′54″S, 176°31′44″W)
• Pitt Island/Rangiauria (44°18′01″S, 176°13′14″W)
• Little Mangere Island
• Star Keys/Motuhope - a group of five islets with Round Islet being the largest — located 12 km east of Pitt Island
• Forty-Fours/Forty Fours/Motuhara - located some 50 km east of Chatham Island
• Mangere Island (1.13 km²) - lying off Pitt Island
• South East Island/Rangatira (2.18 km²) - located 2 km southeast of Pitt Island
• The Sisters/Rangitatahi - located around 11 km north of Cape Pattison (Cape Pattison is a headland in the northwestern part of Chatham Island)

Some of these islands, once cleared for farming, are now preserved as natures reserves, helping to conserve some of the flora and fauna that are unique to the Chatham Islands. Chatham Island is by far the largest island of the Chatham Islands group, in the south Pacific Ocean off the eastern coast of New Zealand, named after the survey ship HMS Chatham which discovered the island in 1791. ... Māori (or Maori) is a language spoken by the native peoples of New Zealand and the Cook Islands. ... Pitt Island or Rangiauria is the second largest island in the Chatham Islands, territorially part of New Zealand, the mainland of which lies 800 kilometres to the west. ... Pitt Island or Rangiauria is the second largest island in the Chatham Islands, territorially part of New Zealand, the mainland of which lies 800 kilometres to the west. ... Chatham Island is by far the largest island of the Chatham Islands group, in the south Pacific Ocean off the eastern coast of New Zealand, named after the survey ship HMS Chatham which discovered the island in 1791. ... Pitt Island or Rangiauria is the second largest island in the Chatham Islands, territorially part of New Zealand, the mainland of which lies 800 kilometres to the west. ... Pitt Island or Rangiauria is the second largest island in the Chatham Islands, territorially part of New Zealand, the mainland of which lies 800 kilometres to the west. ... Chatham Island is by far the largest island of the Chatham Islands group, in the south Pacific Ocean off the eastern coast of New Zealand, named after the survey ship HMS Chatham which discovered the island in 1791. ...

Most of the land is fern or pasture covered, although there are some areas of forest. If you have a chance, take a look at the macrocarpa trees, which are affected by the wind. If you could imagine someone standing upright with long hair, trailing almost horizontally in the lee of the wind. The islands are hilly – Pitt more so than Chatham – with the highest point being a 290-metre summit on Pitt Island. The main island of the chain is dotted with numerous lakes and lagoons, notably the large Te Whanga Lagoon. Other lakes on Chatham include Huro and Rangitahi. The main island has streams including Te Awainanga and Tuku. Covering 180 km2, Te Whanga Lagoon dominates the geography of Chatham Island, in the South Pacific Ocean off New Zealands east coast. ...

The international date line lies to the east of the Chathams, even though the islands lie east of 180° longitude. Consequently, the Chatham Islands observe their own time, 45 minutes ahead of New Zealand time, including during periods of daylight saving. (New Zealand Time orients itself to 180° longitude.) The International Date Line around 180° The International Date Line is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, which offsets the hours that are added or subtracted as one travels east or west through successive time zones. ... On November 2, 1868, New Zealand officially adopted a standard time to be observed nationally, and was perhaps the first country to do so. ...

History

The first human habitation of the Chathams involved migrating Polynesian tribes who settled the islands about 1000 CE, and in their isolation became the Moriori people. The exact origins of these people remains a matter of some dispute. Some have thought they arrived directly from more northerly Polynesian islands, but the now more current theory sees them as Maori from mainland New Zealand. The debate has political overtones as modern Maori inhabitants, descendants of those who invaded and conquered the archipelago in 1832, claim access to ancestral Maori fishing rights. An extensive report on these claims, "Rekohu", has been published by the Waitangi Tribunal. [[{{{diversity_link}}}|Diversity]] {{{diversity}}} Binomial name Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Trinomial name {{{trinomial}}} Type Species {{{type_species}}} Subspecies Homo sapiens idaltu (extinct) Homo sapiens sapiens [[Image:{{{range_map}}}|{{{range_map_width}}}|]] Synonyms {{{synonyms}}} Homo (genus). ... Polynesia is generally defined as the islands within the triangle Polynesia (from Greek, poly = many and nesos = island) is a large grouping of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. ... Viewed historically or developmentally, a tribe consists of a social formation existing before the development of, or outside of, states. ... The Common Era (CE), also known as the Christian Era and sometimes the Current Era, is the period of measured time beginning with the year 1 until the present. ... Polynesia is generally defined as the islands within the triangle Polynesia (from Greek, poly = many and nesos = island) is a large grouping of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. ... Te Puni, Māori Chief Māori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their language. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

The Moriori population of the islands numbered about 2000. They lived as hunter-gatherers, taking food from the sea and from native flora. The society lived peacefully, resolving disputes through consensus rather than warfare and keeping its population stable by castrating a certain percentage of the male children. In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... Castration, gelding, neutering, orchiectomy or orchidectomy is any action, surgical, chemical or otherwise, by which a biological male loses use of the testes. ...

The name "Chatham Islands" comes from the ship HMS Chatham, whose captain William R. Broughton landed on November 29, 1791, and claimed possession for Great Britain. Sealers and whalers soon made the islands a centre of their activities. Fishing activities continue to contribute significantly to the economy, although the sealing and whaling industries ceased activities about 1861. Fifteen ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Chatham after the town of Chatham, Kent or the Chatham Dockyard where most were built. ... ... November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1791 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Categories: Disambiguation | Stub ... The crew of the oceanographic research vessel Princesse Alice, of Albert Grimaldi (later Prince Albert I of Monaco) pose while flensing a catch Whaling is the hunting and killing of whales. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish. ...

The invading Maori from New Zealand – as well as European whalers – all but wiped out the indigenous Moriori population. Today, however, some island families continue a Moriori lineage, and the Moriori culture continues to recover. Moriori have recently established a national marae and united under the Hokotehi Trust. A Maori word now common in New Zealand English, marae refers an area of land where the Wharenui or meeting house (literally big house) sits. ...

Population

Chatham Islands Flag (unofficial, but is widely used on the Islands)

Chatham and Pitt Islands are inhabited. The population of 717 (Census 2001) individuals has European (70%), Maori and Moriori origins. The town of Waitangi is the main settlement with some 200 residents. Other villages are at Te One (pronounced as Te-own-ne) and Kaingaroa (pronounced as Kai-n-ga-raw) (where the two primary schools are located) and the fishing villages of Owenga and Port Hutt. Image File history File links Nz-chath. ... Image File history File links Nz-chath. ... A satellite composite image of Europe // Etymology Picture of Europa, carried away by bull-shaped Zeus. ... Te Puni, Māori Chief Māori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their language. ... Moriori are the indigenous people of the Chatham Islands (Rekohu in the Moriori language), east of the New Zealand archipelago. ...

Waitangi facilities include a hospital with resident doctor, trading bank, several stores, and engineering and marine services. The main shipping wharf is located here.

Transportation

Visitors to the Chathams usually arrive by air from Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington (around 1.5 - 2 hours from Christchurch on a Convair 580). While freight generally arrives by ship (4 - 5 days' sailing time), the sea journey takes too long for many passengers, and is not always available. For many years a Bristol Freighter served the islands, a slow and noisy freight aircraft converted for carrying passengers by installing a passenger container equipped with airline seats and a toilet in part of the cargo hold. The air service primarily served to ship out high-value export crayfish products. Situated on the Eastern coast, Christchurch is the principal city of the South Island of New Zealand. ... Families Astacoidea   Astacidae   Cambaridae Parastacoidea   Parastacidae Crayfish, sometimes called crawfish, lobsters, crawdads, mudbugs, carmels, yabbies, or spoondogs, are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are closely related. ...

The grass landing-field at Hapupu, at the northern end of the Island, proved a limiting factor, as few aircraft apart from the Bristol Freighter had both the range to fly to the islands and the ruggedness to land on the grass airstrip. Although other aircraft did use the landing field occasionally, they would often require repairs to fix damage resulting from the rough landing. In 1991, after many years of requests by locals and the imminent demise of the aging Bristol Freighter aircraft, the construction of a sealed runway at Karewa allowed more modern aircraft to land safely. The Chathams' own airline, Air Chathams, now operates services to Auckland on Thursdays, Wellington on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays and Christchurch on Tuesdays. The timetable varies seasonally, but generally planes depart the Chathams around 10.30am (Chathams Time) and arrive in the mainland around noon. Then they refuel and reload, depart again at around 1pm, back to the Chathams. Air Chathams operates twin turboprop Convair 580 aircraft in combi (freight and passenger) configurations and Fairchild Metroliners. The Bristol Freighter (Bristol Type 170) was a twin engined cargo aircraft built by Bristol designed to carry motor cars as well as their owners. ... Air Chathams is an airline based in the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. ... Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ... Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Poneke) is the capital city of New Zealand, the countrys second-largest urban area and the most populous national capital city in Oceania. ... Situated on the Eastern coast, Christchurch is the principal city of the South Island of New Zealand. ...

Reef Shipping operates shipping services from Auckland and Napier, and Black Robin Freighters operates shipping services from Timaru and Napier. Napier is an important port city in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. ... Timaru is a major port city in south Canterbury, New Zealand, located 160 kilometres south of Christchurch and about 200 kilometres north of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. ...

Visitors to the islands should pre-arrange their accommodation before arrival with The Ultimate Hideaway, Chatham Lodge, Waitangi Hotel, Chathams Motel, or local homestays. The islands have rental vehicles, but no taxis or public transport.

Driving in Chathams is great fun. Make sure you have a map (buy a good size one from the mainland before you leave for Chathams), as it is easy to get lost if you missed a signpost. Take extra care when driving at night, as there are animals on the road (cows and sheep) and oncoming vehicles with or without lights!

Government

In Parliament, until the 1980s the Chathams constituted part of the Lyttelton electorate, but since that time they have formed part of the Rongotai general electorate, which mostly lies in Wellington. Annette King serves as the Member for Rongotai. The Te Tai Tonga Maori seat (held in 2004 by Mahara Okeroa) also includes the Chatham Islands. The term of all current Parliamentarians expires at the next General Election in September 2005. Lyttelton on a sunny day Lyttelton (43. ... Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Poneke) is the capital city of New Zealand, the countrys second-largest urban area and the most populous national capital city in Oceania. ... Annette Faye King (born 13 September New Zealand politician. ... After the establishment of Westminster-style Parliamentary Government in New Zealand in 1852, the Māori inhabitants had allotted to them from 1867 specific seats in the New Zealand Parliament. ... Members of New Zealands House of Representatives, commonly called Parliament, normally gain their seats in nationwide general elections, or, less frequently, in by-elections. ...

Local government on the islands, uniquely within New Zealand, involves a council established by its own Act of Parliament (Chatham Islands Council Act 1995). The Chatham Islands Council operates as a district council with regional council functions, making it in effect a unitary authority but with not quite as many responsibilities as the others. Local governments are administrative offices of an area smaller than a state. ... Territorial authorities is the formal term for the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. ... Region is the formal term for the top tier of local government in New Zealand. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single-tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ...

Because of the isolation and small population, some of the rules governing daily activities undergo a certain relaxation on some of New Zealand's smaller islands. For example, every transport service operated solely on Great Barrier Island, the Chatham Islands or Stewart Island need not comply with section 70C of the Transport Act 1962 (the requirements for drivers to maintain driving-hours logbooks). Drivers subject to section 70B must nevertheless keep record of their driving hours in some form. See New Zealand Gazette 14 August 2003. August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (227th in leap years), with 139 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The partially-elected Hawke's Bay District Health Board provides the islands with health services. Hawkes Bay is a region of New Zealand. ...

Policing comes courtesy of a sole-charge constable appointed by the Wellington police district, who at various times has often doubled as an official for many government departments, including court registrar (Department for Courts), customs officer (New Zealand Customs Service) and immigration officer (Department of Labour -- New Zealand Immigration Service). A Constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly that of law-enforcement. ... Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Poneke) is the capital city of New Zealand, the countrys second-largest urban area and the most populous national capital city in Oceania. ... State sector organisations in New Zealand (as at January 2004) are as follows: Parliamentary Offices Office of the Controller and Auditor-General (Tumuaki o te Mana Arotake) Office of the Ombudsmen (Nga Kaitiaki Mana Tangata) Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (Te Kaitiaki Taiao a Te Whare Pāremata...

A District Court judge sent from either the North Island or the South Island presides over court sittings, but urgent sittings may take place at the Wellington District Court. North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ... The South Island The South Island forms one of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the North Island. ... Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Poneke) is the capital city of New Zealand, the countrys second-largest urban area and the most populous national capital city in Oceania. ...

For the Chatham Islands' numismatic history see the following;

• History of Chatham Islands numismatics

This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

External links

• A map of the Chatham Islands, featuring also various outlying islands
• Chatham Islands
• Rekohu: A Report on Moriori and Ng?ti Mutunga Claims in the Chatham Islands
• 1998 Information
• Department of Conservation information
• Unofficial Flag
• History of Chatham Islands numismatics
• New Zealand Outdoors
• Chatham Islands Council Act 1995
• Massey University study of Chathams ecology
• Information and pictures of Chatham Islands. The Sisters are also mentioned
• Chathams Islands from satellite on Google-maps: on the center of the image

Chatham Islands
Chatham Island / Rekohu / Wharekauri | Pitt Island / Rangiauria | Little Mangere Island | Star Keys / Motuhope | Forty-Fours / Motuhara | Mangere Island | South East Island / Rangatira | The Sisters / Rangitatahi