Gore District is located in the southern South Island. It covers approximately 1,253 square kilometres and has a population of about 12,900.

Gore, the district’s largest town, is its main administrative and commercial centre. Mataura is the other principal town.

The economy is based on agriculture and pastoral farming, dairy farming and food processing. Gore is known as the “Capital of Country Musicof in New Zealand”, and its annual Gold Guitar Awards are among the country’s best-known country music events. The area is also renowned for brown trout fishing in the Mataura River.

The current mayor is Ben Bell.