Fun facts about Chatham Islands
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The first human inhabitants of the Chatham Islands are the Moriori, descended from East Polynesians.
Chatham Islands
New Zealand
From the “History” section
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: NASA · Public Domain
The Chatham Islands lie roughly 840 km east of Christchurch and are the only part of the Chatham Rise showing above sea level.
Chatham Islands
New Zealand
From the “Geography” section
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: NASA · Public Domain
As of June 2025, the estimated population of the Chatham Islands is 620, with a population density of 0.8 people per km2.
Chatham Islands
New Zealand
From the “Population” section
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: NASA · Public Domain
The Chatham Islands are administered by the Chatham Islands Council, established by the Chatham Islands Council Act 1995.
Chatham Islands
New Zealand
From the “Government” section
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: NASA · Public Domain
Most of the Chatham Island economy is based on fishing and crayfishing, with only a fragment of the economic activity in adventure tourism.
Chatham Islands
New Zealand
From the “Economy and infrastructure” section
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: NASA · Public Domain