Napier

Related Category: Australian and New Zealand Political Geography

(nā´pēər), city (1993 est. pop. 51,800), E central North Island, New Zealand, on Hawke Bay, close to Hastings. It is a major center for wool, as well as meat, fruit, and dairy exports; tourism is also important to the economy. When Napier suffered a severe earthquake in 1931, it was rebuilt largely in the art deco style, and numerous art deco buildings are now preserved there. It is the seat of an Anglican cathedral.