Otago

Otago, a New Zealand province at the southern part of the South Island, having 25,487 square miles of area and 400 miles of coast-line, and surrounded by the ocean on three sides. On the E. and S. are the harbours of Otago, Bluff, and others, and there are long inlets on the W. The western part and the centre of the province are mountainous, the height ranging from three to nine thousand feet, and the upland pastures are excellent for sheep. The E. and S. are fertile, and produce much wheat. The Clyde, the largest river in New Zealand, flows S.E., and drains the lakes Hawea, Wanaka, and Wakatingue. There are other extensive lakes. The chief natural productions are timber, flax, gold, and coal. The capital, Dunedin, inaccessible to large vessels, is at the head of Otago harbour. The colony, of Scottish origin, was founded in 1848.