| Revision as of 22:24, 22 October 2005 editSimon Lieschke (talk | contribs)273 editsm →The region: linking Rotorua← Previous edit | Revision as of 21:17, 31 October 2005 edit undo203.118.179.91 (talk) →The bay itselfNext edit → | ||
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| The bay stretches from the ] Peninsula in the west to ] in the east. The region is bound by the ] and ] in the west and extends inland to the sparsely populated forest lands around ], ] and ]. | The bay stretches from the ] Peninsula in the west to ] in the east. The region is bound by the ] and ] in the west and extends inland to the sparsely populated forest lands around ], ] and ]. | ||
| Several islands are located in the bay, notably ], ], ] and, most famously, the active volcano of ]. | Several islands are located in the bay, notably ], ], ] and, most famously, the active volcano of ]. | ||
| The bay was named by ] some time during October or November ]. Cook named it the Bay of Plenty after he noticed the abundant food supplies at several ] villages he visited on the coast, in stark contrast to the observations he had made earlier in ]. | The bay was named by ] some time during October or November ]. Cook named it the Bay of Plenty after he noticed the abundant food supplies at several ] villages he visited on the coast, in stark contrast to the observations he had made earlier in ]. | ||
Revision as of 21:17, 31 October 2005
The Bay of Plenty, often abbreviated to BoP, is a region of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name.
The bay itself
The bay stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. The region is bound by the Kaimai and Mamaku Ranges in the west and extends inland to the sparsely populated forest lands around Rotorua, Kawerau and Murupara. Several islands are located in the bay, notably Mayor Island/Tuhua, Motiti Island, Whale Island and, most famously, the active volcano of Whakaari/White Island.
The bay was named by James Cook some time during October or November 1769. Cook named it the Bay of Plenty after he noticed the abundant food supplies at several Maori villages he visited on the coast, in stark contrast to the observations he had made earlier in Poverty Bay.
The region
The local government region has a 2004 estimated population of 257,500, which is forecasted to increase to 277,900 by the year 2011. The region is dominated by two cities: Tauranga (population 106,500) and Rotorua (55,100). As a compromise between the cities, the town of Whakatane was selected as the seat for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Other towns in the region include Te Puke, Katikati and Opotiki. Agriculture and tourism are the region's two main industries, with the geothermal region around Rotorua being a popular tourist destination.
| Regions of New Zealand | ||
|---|---|---|
| North Island |  | |
| South Island | ||
| * Governed by a unitary authority rather than a regional council | ||