Portal:New Zealand/Selected article/24
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Great Barrier Island is a large island of New Zealand, situated 90 km to the north-east of central Auckland in the outer Hauraki Gulf. With an area of 285 km² it is the fourth-largest island of New Zealand's main chain of islands, though its highest point, Mount Hobson, rises only 621 m. The remote island, initially exploited for its kauri trees and seeing some very limited agriculture, is now inhabited by a small population of around 850 people, mostly living from farming and tourism.
The island receives its European name because it acts as a barrier between the Pacific Ocean and Gulf. For centuries, the indigenous Māori called it Motu Aotea, meaning (island [of the] white cloud) in the Māori language.
