Chatham Islands



The Chatham Islands (/ˈtʃætəm/ CHAT-əm) form an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about 800 kilometres (500 mi) east of the South Island of New Zealand. Politically, they are part of New Zealand. The archipelago consists of about ten islands within an approximate 60-kilometre (37 mi) radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island. Some of these islands, formerly cleared for farming, are now preserved as nature reserves to conserve some of the unique flora and fauna. As of 2013 the islands had a resident population of 600. The local economy depends largely on conservation, tourism, farming, and fishing.

The archipelago is called Rēkohu ("misty sun") in the indigenous Moriori language, and Wharekauri in Māori. The Moriori people, indigenous to the Chatham Islands, arrived around 1500 and developed a peaceful way of life. In 1835 members of the Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāti Tama Māori iwi from the North Island of New Zealand invaded the islands and nearly exterminated the Moriori, enslaving the survivors. The Chatham Islands officially became part of the Colony of New Zealand in 1842; in 1863 the resident magistrate declared the Moriori released from slavery.

The Chatham Islands include New Zealand's easternmost point, the Forty-Fours.