Waikato

Waikato (/ˈwaɪkɑːtɔː/) is a region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupō District, and parts of the Rotorua Lakes District.[6] It is governed by the Waikato Regional Council.

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Waikato Waikato
Waikato Region in New Zealand
Country	New Zealand
Seat	Hamilton City
Government [1]
• Type	Regional council
• Body	Waikato Regional Council
• Chair	Pamela Storey[2]
• Deputy chair	Bruce Clarkson
Area [3]
• Land	23,901.09 km2 (9,228.26 sq mi)
Population  (June 2023)[4]
• Total	522,600
HDI (2021)	0.923[5] very high · 8th
Website	www.waikatoregion.govt.nz

The region stretches from Coromandel Peninsula in the north, to the north-eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu in the south, and spans the North Island from the west coast, through the Waikato and Hauraki to Coromandel Peninsula on the east coast. Broadly, the extent of the region is the Waikato River catchment. Other major catchments are those of the Waihou, Piako, Awakino and Mokau rivers. The region is bounded by Auckland on the north, Bay of Plenty on the east, Hawke's Bay on the south-east, and Manawatū-Whanganui and Taranaki on the south. Waikato Region is the fourth largest region in the country in area and population:[7] It has a land area of 23,901.09 km² (9,228.26 sq mi) and a population of 522,600 (June 2023).[4]

The region encompasses all or part of eleven territorial authorities, the most of any region of New Zealand. It is centred on the Waikato which consists of Waikato District, Matamata-Piako District, Waipa District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City.[6] In descending order of land area the eleven territorial authorities are Taupō District (part), Waikato District, Waitomo District (part), Thames-Coromandel District, Ōtorohanga District, South Waikato District, Matamata-Piako District, Waipa District, Hauraki District, Rotorua Lakes District (part), and Hamilton City.

The name for the region is taken from the Waikato River; waikato is a Māori word traditionally translated as "flowing water" (specifically, wai = "water" and kato = "the pull of the river current in the sea").[8]

When Waikato is used in spoken language it takes the definite article: the Waikato. But this usually refers to a smaller region than the Waikato local government region. Two definitions that would meet with wide acceptance are those of the Waikato rugby football union and of Hamilton Waikato tourism. The former takes in the local government areas of Hamilton City, the southern part of Waikato district, Waipa district, most of Matamata-Piako district and the South Waikato district.[9] Hamilton Waikato tourism takes in additionally the northern part of Waikato district (Tuakau and other centres), the northern King Country (Waitomo and Ōtorohanga districts), and the Te Aroha district.[10]

The parts of Waikato region beyond these limits are usually identified as Thames Valley and/or Hauraki/Coromandel (for the north-eastern part of Waikato region)[11] and Taupō, on the Volcanic or Central Plateau (for the south-eastern part of the region).[12]