Chatham Islands, an island group in the South Pacific Ocean about 500 miles (800 km) east of New Zealand, of which it is a part. Chatham, Pitt, and Rangatira are the largest islands. The total land area of the group is 372 square miles (963 sq km). The islands rise from a submarine shelf that is geologically associated with New Zealand. Shallow lakes and swamps cover more than a fifth of the land, and there are extensive beds of thick peat. A dense forest, originally supported by the cool, moist climate, has been largely destroyed by fire and grazing of animals.

Chatham Islands is the city of New Zealand situated in the east of the country. Most of the inhabitants live in or near the villages of Waitangi and Owenga on Chatham Island. Many of the people are Maoris. Sheep farming and a limited fishing industry are the principal means of livelihood. The islands were named by Lt. William R. Broughton, who discovered them while on the ship Chatham in 1791. The first known inhabitants were Morioris, the predecessors of New Zealand Maoris.