Map of New Zealand South Island

New Zealand's largest island is the so called South Island, which is obviously the southernmost of the two major islands of the country. The island is the twelfth largest island on the world. It is cut off from the North Island by the Cook Strait. Despite being the larger island, it only hosts just above 20% of the country's population. The largest city of the island is Christchurch, situated on the eastern coast, at the foot of the Banks Peninsula. The spectacular ranges of the Southern Alps divide the island in a southwest-northeast direction, almost parallel to its coastlines. The highest peak is Mount Cook, reaching 3744 meters above sea level.