Christchurch is New Zealand's second-largest city and the largest on the South Island. It covers 1,426 square kilometers. The city is situated on the Canterbury Plains, on the eastern coast of the South Island. The Pacific Ocean borders it to the east, and the Avon River and Heathcote River flow into the sea there. The volcanic slopes of the Port Hills lie to the south, while the Waimakariri River marks the northern edge.
The city is known as the "Garden City". It has many parks and private gardens. Most households plant trees. The population is about 366,000 (estimated, June 2013). Of this total, 75 percent are of European descent, 7.9 percent are of Asian descent, and 7.6 percent are Māori. Māori settled in the area around 1,000 years ago. Europeans arrived on the Canterbury Plains in 1840. British colonists arrived aboard four ships at Lyttelton Harbour, southeast of the city, between 1850 and 1851. In July 1856, Christchurch became New Zealand's first officially established city.
Christchurch is a key industrial and commercial center. It serves as a hub for wool, beef, lamb, and other agricultural products. Factories in the city handle meat freezing, wool textiles, sawmilling, electrical assembly, tanning, and garment manufacturing. The Canterbury Plains are New Zealand's largest plains. The land is fertile, and the region has strong agricultural and pastoral sectors with high productivity. Key sectors include vegetables, horticulture, grains, dairy, wool, fisheries, and timber. The city also has strengths in software development, tourism, soft industrial design, and electronics.
Lyttelton Harbour lies about 7 kilometers southeast of the city. It is a natural deep-water harbour and a major New Zealand port. Its annual throughput ranks third in the country.
Christchurch International Airport is New Zealand's second-largest airport. It sits just 10 kilometers from the city center and can handle all large aircraft.
Christchurch has several universities and strong research facilities. The University of Canterbury has a long history and strong engineering and business programs. The Lincoln University is a national center for agricultural and pastoral research. Christchurch is also known as the "Gateway to Antarctica" due to its proximity to the continent. The New Zealand government has set up the International Antarctic Centre at the airport. The United States and Italy work with New Zealand on Antarctic research there. Scientists use Christchurch as a base for travel to and from Antarctica.
On April 1, 2015, the Shenzhen Mayor Xu Qin and the Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel signed the Memorandum of Friendly Exchange and Cooperation.
On June 10, 2026, the Shenzhen Mayor Qin Weizhong and the Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger signed an agreement in Shenzhen to establish sister-city relations. This agreement officially upgraded the relationship between the two cities from friendly exchange cities to sister cities.