Otago

Article summary

Otago is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government region. Its population was The name Otago is the local southern Māori dialect pronunciation of "Ōtākou", the name of the Māori village near the entrance to Otago Harbour. The exact meaning of the term is disputed, with common translations being 'isolated village' and 'place of red earth', the latter referring to the reddish-ochre clay that is common in the area around Dunedin. Otago is also the old name of the European settlement on the harbour, established by the Weller Brothers in 1831, which lies close to Ōtākou. The upper harbour later became the focus of the Otago Association, an offshoot of the Free Church of Scotland, notable for its adoption of the principle that ordinary people, not the landowner, should choose the ministers. Major centres include Dunedin (the principal city), Oamaru, Balclutha, Alexandra, and the major tourist centres Queenstown and Wānaka. Kaitangata in South Otago is a prominent source of coal. The Clutha river provides much of the country's hydroelectric power. Vineyards and wineries have been developed in the Central Otago wine region.…

Key claims

1. date of establishment: 1831 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of foundation: 1848 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of foundation: 1869 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. date of foundation: 1869 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
5. population: 15,714 people — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of establishment is "1831". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of foundation is "1848". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of foundation is "1869". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the date of foundation is "1869". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. The record states that the population is "15,714 people". What evidence would count against this claim?
7. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
8. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378782178