▁has ▁significant ▁u pl ift ▁and ▁many ▁active ▁fault s ; ▁large ▁earth qu akes ▁are ▁frequent ▁occurr ences ▁here . ▁The ▁most ▁powerful ▁in ▁recent ▁history , ▁the ▁M 8 . 3 ▁W air ar apa ▁earth qu ake , ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 5 . ▁This ▁earth qu ake ▁generated ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁of ▁vertical ▁u pl ift ▁in ▁places , ▁and ▁caused ▁a ▁local ised ▁t sun ami . ▁Fort un ately ▁cas ual ties ▁were ▁low ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁sparse ▁settlement ▁of ▁the ▁region . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁r att led ▁by ▁the ▁M 6 . 5 ▁Sed don ▁earth qu ake , ▁but ▁this ▁caused ▁little ▁damage ▁and ▁no ▁inj uries . ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁capital ▁city , ▁Well ington , ▁is ▁situated ▁in ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁this ▁region . ▁ ▁The ▁sub du ction ▁of ▁the ▁Ind o - Austral ian ▁Pl ate ▁drives ▁rapid ▁u pl ift ▁in ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁Island ▁( approx . ▁ ▁per ▁year ). ▁This ▁u pl ift ▁forms ▁the ▁Southern ▁Al ps . ▁These ▁roughly ▁divide ▁the ▁island , ▁with ▁a ▁narrow ▁wet ▁strip ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁and ▁wide ▁and ▁dry ▁pla ins ▁to ▁the ▁east . ▁The ▁resulting ▁or ographic ▁ra inf all ▁enables ▁the ▁hydro elect ric ▁generation ▁of ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁electric ity . ▁A ▁significant ▁amount ▁of ▁the ▁movement ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁pl ates ▁is ▁accommod ated ▁by ▁later al ▁sl