Taupō (Māori pronunciation: [ˈtaʉpɔː]), sometimes written Taupo, is a town on the north-eastern shore of Lake Taupō, New Zealand’s largest lake, in the central North Island. It is the largest urban area of the Taupō District, and the second-largest urban area in the Waikato region, behind Hamilton. It has a population of 26,100 (June 2022).^[1] Taupō was constituted as a borough in 1953.^[2] It has been the seat of Taupō District Council since the council was formed in 1989.^{[citation needed]}

Naming

The name Taupō is from the Māori language and is a shortened version of Taupō-nui-a-Tia. The longer name was first given to the cliff at Pākā Bay, on the eastern shore of the lake, and means the « great cloak of Tia ». It was named for Tia, the Māori explorer who discovered the lake. Māori later applied the name to the lake itself.^[3] In 2019 the official name of the town was changed from Taupo to Taupō.^[4][5]

Although the English pronunciation « tow-po » (/ˈtaʊpoʊ/, NZE /ˈtæʊpaʉ/) is widespread, it is often regarded as incorrect, and the Māori pronunciation, « toe-paw » (/ˈtoʊpɔː/, NZE /ˈtaʉpoː/), is generally preferred in formal use.^[6][7][8][9]