Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. The Dunedin urban area lies on the central-eastern coast of Otago. Dunedin City has a land area of 3,314.8 square kilometres, and has a population of 127,900 (June 2013 estimate).

Dunedin was settled by Maori in around 1300 AD. European settlers came in around 1770. In 1861 the discovery of gold at Gabriel's Gully led to a rapid influx of people and saw Dunedin become New Zealand's first city by growth of population in 1865. Even though the population declined after the gold rush, the city continued to develop and is today recognised as a centre of excellence in tertiary education and research and art.

The city's largest industry is tertiary education – Dunedin is home to the University of Otago, New Zealand's first university (1869), and the Otago Polytechnic. Dunedin has flourishing niche industries including engineering, software engineering, bio-technology and fashion. Port Chalmers on the Otago Harbour provides Dunedin with deep-water facilities. It is served by the Port Chalmers Branch, a branch line railway which diverges from the Main South Line and runs from Christchurch by way of Dunedin to Invercargill. Dunedin International Airport is the third-busiest airport in the South Island.

The cityscape glitters with gems of Victorian and Edwardian architecture – the legacy of the city's gold-rush affluence. Many, including First Church, Otago Boys' High School and Larnach Castle were designed by one of New Zealand's most eminent architects R A Lawson. Other prominent buildings include Olveston and the Dunedin Railway Station. Other unusual or memorable buildings or constructions are Baldwin Street, claimed to be the world's steepest street; the Captain Cook tavern; Cadbury Chocolate Factory (Cadbury World); and the local Speight's brewery. Dunedin is also a centre for ecotourism. The world's only mainland Royal Albatross colony and several penguin and seal colonies lie within the city boundaries on the Otago Peninsula. To the south, on the western side of Lake Waihola, are the Sinclair Wetlands.

The Dunedin City Council (DCC) governs the Dunedin City territorial authority. It is made up of an elected mayor and 14 additional councillors elected across three wards, one of whom gets chosen as deputy mayor. The current mayor is Dave Cull.

Dunedin is a sister city of Shanghai City in China (1994).

Some of Dunedin’s main attractions are Dunedin Railway Station, Larnach Castle, Cadbury World, Speight's Brewery, University of Otago Clocktower complex, the Octagon, Otago Museum, Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Dunedin Chinese Garden.