Wellington . . .

Welcome to Wellington - New Zealand's capital city and my home town. Wellington has:

•  A land area of 29,000 hectares.
•  166,800 residents in the city and 414,048 regional residents.
•  5.3% unemployment (June 2000).
•  An average house price of $273, 474 (June 2000).
•  23% of people with tertiary degrees.
•  An average maximum summary temperature of 20.3^oC.
•  An average minimum winter temperature of 5.9^oC.
•  An average of 2,048 sunshine hours per year.
•  An average rainfall of 1270 mm per year.

Wellington is named after Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington (1769-1852). After distinguishing himself in the Indian Army (1797-1805), he commanded the British Army against Napoleon in the Peninsular War (1808-14) and at Waterloo (1815). He was British Prime Minister from 1828 to 1830. The settlement was named Wellington in 1840 by the directors of the New Zealand Company in recognition of the Duke's influence on the company. The settlement was originally to be called Britannia. The earliest name for Wellington, from Maori legend, is Te Upoko o te Ika a Maui. In Maori it means "the head of Maui's fish." Caught and pulled to the surface by Polynesian navigator Maui, the fish became the North Island.

Wellington has several active fault lines running through the city and experiences regular earthquakes. You can see the real time output from a Wellington seismic drum here.

Wellington enjoys a well-earned reputation as New Zealand's arts and entertainment capital.