Also called just the Bay of Plenty (BOP), it is situated around the marine bight of that same name.

[6] It also has the third-highest regional population density in New Zealand, with only the 11th-largest land area.

[12] It extends along the eastern coast of the North Island, from the base of the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east.

It extends inland to the sparsely populated forest lands around Rotorua and Murupara.

Volcanic mountains and lakes, geothermal areas and geological fault lines all dot the landscape.

The eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886 and the 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake were two disasters related to geological activity in the volcanic plateau.

The Kaimai and Mamaku mountain ranges lie at the western border of the region.

[14] Large native and foreign (planted) forest areas are found in the inland parts of the region.

The Bay of Plenty region has warm, humid summers and mild winters.

It is one of the warmest regions in New Zealand, particularly along the coastline, and most areas experience at least 2,200 hours of sunshine per annum.

The results were 71.9% European (Pākehā); 30.6% Māori; 4.3% Pasifika; 8.8% Asian; 1.2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".

[1] The coast is dotted with several sizeable settlements, the largest of which is the conurbation of the city of Tauranga and its neighbour Mount Maunganui in the west.

[10] The most common agricultural land uses are horticulture, dairy, grazing and sheep farming.

The region has over 11,500 hectares of horticultural land, predominantly producing kiwifruit and avocadoes.

Forestry emerged as a vital industry in the 1950s, with radiata pine being planted during the early 20th century.

[26] The Bay of Plenty region is a popular holiday destination due to the warm and sunny summer climate and public beaches.

[24] Rotorua is a popular destination for international visitors, in particular the surrounding geothermal areas and Māori cultural centres.

[10] The main rail line is the East Coast Main Trunk Railway, which extends from Hamilton in the Waikato region to Kawerau via Tauranga, with the Murupara Branch Railway extending the Kawerau terminus to Murupara, and the Mount Maunganui Branch connecting the Mount Maunganui terminus with the East Coast Main Trunk.

The NZ Transport Agency, in conjunction with Environment Bay of Plenty, Tauranga City and the Western Bay of Plenty District Councils, is planning to build an Eastern Motorway bypassing Te Puke, a Western Motorway bypassing Ōmokoroa and a smaller Southern Motorway.

The Steamers are also a feeder club for the Chiefs who play in the Super Rugby competition.

The Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic compete in the ANZ Championship in netball, having previously played in the National Bank Cup.