Auckland is in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country. Auckland has a population of 1,418,000, which constitutes 32 percent of the country's population. The Auckland Council area has a population of 1,529,300. It is part of the wider Auckland Region, which includes the rural areas and towns north and south of the urban area, plus the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. Auckland has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world. Auckland was officially declared New Zealand's capital in 1841.