Poole is positioned on a popular stretch of coastline, with the resort of Bournemouth to the east, Studland and the Jurassic coast to the south-west. Poole is part of a built-up area known as the South East Dorset conurbation which includes Bournemouth and Christchurch and has a combined population of 383,713, [1] the whole area being sufficiently populous to be one of the major retail and commercial centres in the south of England.

Poole lies on the northern and eastern sides of Poole Harbour. The oldest part of the town (including the historic quarter of Poole, the Dolphin Shopping center, and the Civic Centre Park) lies to the south of the Holes Bay and the north of Poole Harbour. To the west of Poole is Hamworthy and Upton. At the northern edge of Poole are the settlements of Broadstone, Merley, Wimborne, Canford Heath and Tower Park. At the eastern edge of Poole, the town merges with Bournemouth and the settlements of Kinson, Winton and Westbourne. The administrative boundary of Poole also includes the mainly residential areas of Parkstone and Branksome. The Poole areas of Wallisdown, and Talbot Village houses students who attend Bournemouth University (the administrative area and main campus of which is in fact located in Poole itself).

Sandbanks, a small sand peninsula across part of the harbour mouth (to the east of the main town centre), is so popular that it has the fourth highest land value, by area, in the world. There are exclusive homes both on Sandbanks and the area stretching east from the Harbour to The Avenue (the eastern boundary of Poole).

Culture, recreation, and entertainment

Poole Harbour is a popular location for watersports because it is sheltered and calm. Poole Harbour is also one of the largest centres for sailing in the UK with many yacht clubs including Lilliput Sailing Club, Parkstone Yacht Club and Poole Yacht Club. Parkstone Yacht Club has recently been hosts of the OK World Championships, numerous large National Championships as well as being organisers of Youth Week and Poole Week, two of the largest dinghy regattas of their type in the country. In 2006 they will be hosts of the J24 European Championship Regatta.

Poole's best known sports team is its motorcycle speedway team, the Poole Pirates. Poole's oldest football team is Poole Town FC which plays in the Wessex League Premier Division. Poole Borough FC play in the Dorset Premier League.

Poole has a variety of entertainment sites, such as the out-of-town development Tower Park, the refurbished arts centre now known as The Lighthouse, Poole town centre itself and Bournemouth's many clubs, bars and restaurants.