regional council, eastern North Island, New Zealand. It consists mostly of the hill country fronting Hawke Bay to the east, stretches from the Mahia Peninsula in the northeast to the vicinity of Cape Turnagain in the southeast, and is noted for its rolling sheep lands. The area extends westward to the Huiarau, Maungaharuru, Kaweka, and Ruahine mountain ranges; the only large patch of low-lying land is the Heretaunga Plain near the city of Hastings. Hastings is a food-processing centre for the surrounding orchards, market gardens, and vineyards. The city of Napier on Hawke Bay is New Zealand's largest wool wholesale centre and is also a major resort area. Area 5,448 square miles (14,111 square km). Pop. (2006) 151,755.