It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to
the north and south. The Hunter Valley is one of the largest river
valleys on the NSW coast, and is most commonly known for its wineries
and coal industry.
Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives
within 25 km (16 mi) of the coast, with 55% of the entire population
living in the cities of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. There are numerous
other towns and villages scattered across the valley in the eleven
Local Government Areas that make up the region. At the 2011 census the
combined population of all LGAs in the region was 620,530
