The place with the longest name.

The world’s longest place name is Taumata­whakatangihanga­koauau­o­tamatea­turi­pukaka­piki­maunga­horo­nuku­pokai­whenua­ki­tana­tahu. The name belongs to a hill located near Porangahau in southern Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. It contains 85 letters and is shortened to Taumata for ease.

How did Taumata hill get its lengthy name?

Taumata Hill got its name after Tamatea. Tamatea-Phokai-Whenua was a great chief, warrior and explorer of his time. Once Tamatea was passing through a district of Porangahau, he encountered the Ngati Hine tribe. Tamatea had to fight the people of Ngati Hine to get past but his brother was killed in that battle known as “Matanui”. Tamatea was so grieved at his brother’s death that he spent the following few days playing a lament on his Kōauau(a traditional Māori mouth flute) on the hill.

The word “Taumata­whakatangihanga­koauau­o­tamatea­turi­pukaka­piki­maunga­horo­nuku­pokai­whenua­ki­tana­tahu” translates to "The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the slider, climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his Kōauau(flute) to his loved one".

So, after the incident, the Māori people gave the hill its name in honour of Tamatea.

Other versions of the name

There are also some other versions of the name including "Taumata­whakatangihanga­koauau­o­tamatea­ure­haea­turi­pukaka­piki­maunga­horo­nuku­pokai­whenua­ki­tana­tahu" which has 92 letters. The even longer version of the name is “Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateahaumaitawhitiurehaeaturipukakapiki-maungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu” with 105 letters and means “The hill of the flute playing by Tamatea – who was blown hither from afar, had a slit penis, grazed his knees climbing mountains, fell on the earth, and encircled the land – to his beloved one”.

Find more about the legendary traveller Tamatea here.