Rotorua (Māori pronunciation: [ɾɔtɔˈɾʉa] ) is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authority encompassing Rotorua and several other nearby towns. It has an estimated resident population of 58,500, making it the country's 13th largest urban area, and the Bay of Plenty's second-largest urban area behind Tauranga.
Te Arawa Māori first settled in Rotorua in the 14th century, and a thriving pā was established at Ohinemutu by the people who would become Ngāti Whakaue. The city became closely associated with conflict during the Musket Wars of the 1820s. Ohinemutu was invaded by a Ngāpuhi-led coalition in 1823, commanded by Hongi Hika and Pōmare I. In the 19th century early European settlers had an interest in developing Rotorua, due to its unique geothermal activity in Rotorua and its surrounding area. Then, efforts by Māori and Europeans alike to establish Rotorua as a spa town led to a 99-year lease of land from Ngāti Whakaue to the Government. The city first became a major site of tourism due to the Rotorua's close proximity to the Pink and White Terraces, until they were destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886. Rotorua was elevated to borough status in 1922 and to city status 40 years later.
