page_title: Wellington Region
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Wellington Region / Geography
caption_attribution_description: Map showing population density of a region of New Zealand (by Statistics NZ Area Unit) as of the 2006 census
context_page_description: The Wellington Region is a local-government region of New Zealand that occupies the southern end of the North Island. The region covers an area of 8,049 square kilometres, and has a population of 527,800.
  The region takes its name from Wellington, New Zealand's capital city and the region's seat. The Wellington urban area, including the cities of Wellington, Porirua, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt, accounts for 41 percent of the region's population; other major urban areas include the Kapiti conurbation and the town of Masterton.
context_section_description: The region occupies the southern tip of the North Island, bounded to the west, south and east by the sea. To the west lies the Tasman Sea and to the east the Pacific Ocean, the two seas joined by the narrow and turbulent Cook Strait, which is 28 kilometres (17 mi) wide at its narrowest point, between Cape Terawhiti and Perano Head in the Marlborough Sounds.
  The region covers 7,860 square kilometres (3,030 sq mi), and extends north to Ōtaki and almost to Eketahuna in the east.
  Physically and topologically the region has four areas running roughly parallel along a northeast–southwest axis:
  The Kapiti Coast, a narrow strip of coastal plain running north from Paekakariki towards Foxton. It contains numerous small towns, many of which gain at least a proportion of their wealth from tourism, largely due to their fine beaches.
  Rough hill country inland from the Kapiti Coast, formed along the same major geologic fault responsible for the Southern Alps in the South Island. Though nowhere near as mountainous as the alps, the Rimutaka and Tararua ranges are still hard country and support only small populations, although it is in small coastal valleys and plains at the southern end of these ranges that the cities of Wellington and the Hutt Valley are located.
  The undulating hill country of the Wairarapa around the Ruamahanga River, which becomes lower and flatter in the south and terminates in the wetlands around Lake Wairarapa and contains much rich farmland.
  Rough hill country, lower than the Tararua Range but far less economic than the land around the Ruamahanga River. This and the other hilly striation are still largely forested.
  There are five parks owned by the regional council:
  Battle Hill Farm Forest Park
  Belmont Regional Park
  East Harbour Regional Park
  Kaitoke Regional Park
  Queen Elizabeth Park
caption: Population density at the 2006 census
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