Canterbury is New Zealand’s largest region, with 45,238 sq km of diverse landscapes. It is home to New Zealand’s highest mountain (Aoraki/Mount Cook), more than 4,700 lakes, over 78,000 km of rivers, and some of the country’s most productive farmland. The population of Canterbury was 552,800 at June 2008, with 368,900 living in Christchurch. This makes Canterbury the most populated region in the South Island and the second most populated in New Zealand.