Bay of Plenty Region

Bay Of Plenty Region

The Bay of Plenty (Māori: Te Moana-a-Toi), often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name. The bay was named by James Cook after he noticed the abundant food supplies at several Māori villages there, in stark contrast to the earlier observations he had made in Poverty Bay.

In the 2006 Census, the Bay of Plenty had an estimated resident population of 257,379, making it the fifth-most populous region in New Zealand. The region also has the third-highest regional population density in New Zealand, with only the 11th-largest land area. The major population centres in the region are Tauranga, Rotorua and Whakatane. The Bay of Plenty is also one of the fastest growing regions in New Zealand: the regional population increased by 7.5% between 2001 to 2006, with significant growth along the coastal and western parts of the region, and is projected to increase to 277,900 by the year 2011.

Significant horticultural, forestry and tourism industries are well established in the region. However, the Bay of Plenty is also the third-most economically deprived region in New Zealand, with the Eastern districts being among the least economically developed in the country. However, in 2011 Business & Economic Research Limited (BERL) identified the Bay of Plenty as one of the top performing regions in economic development, ranking second behind Auckland. It had the highest employment and GDP growth for 2011 and had the fastest growing medium term GDP. Tauranga, the region's largest commercial centre, was named New Zealand's top city for economic performance for the 2011 year.