North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region: combined authority, unitary authority or metropolitan borough, and civil parishes. They are also multiple divisions without administrative functions; ceremonial county, emergency services (fire-and-rescue and police), built-up areas and historic county. The largest settlements in the region are Newcastle upon Tyne, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Gateshead, Darlington, Hartlepool and Durham.

The region has a diverse landscape that includes maritime cliffs and extensive moorland that contains a number of rare species of flora and fauna. Of particular importance are the saltmarshes of Lindisfarne, the Tees Estuary, the heaths, bogs and traditional upland hay meadows of the North Pennines, and the Arctic-alpine flora of Upper Teesdale.

The beauty of the Northumbrian coastline has led to its designation as an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB)stretching 100 miles from Berwick-Upon-Tweed to the River Coquet estuary. Among the 290 bird species identified on the Farne Islands, is the rare seabird the roseate tern. One of the foremost bird sanctuaries and observatory for migratory and wading birds in the UK is now operated at "Saltholme" which is part of a wider site of special scientific interest called Seal Sands. The Saltholme reserve is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). This project was pronounced as one of the best places to view birds by Bill Oddie, the former host of the BBC's Spring Watch Programme. In December 2012 he also presented the project with a prize as the UK's favorite National Lottery funded project.

The seal colony at Seal Sands on the mouth of the River Tees is thriving and in 2013 had more than 60 harbour seals. This is the only breeding colony of this species on the northeast coast. "Rainton Meadows" is also a recently created bird-watching site. The region is also the English stronghold of black grouse and contains 80–90% of the UK population of yellow marsh saxifrage.

The Northern Forest is a proposed forest in England to encompass five community forests. The aim is to plant 50 million trees by 2032 which would provide a timber industry, leisure opportunities and environmental benefits. Initial funding for the project was granted by the British government in January 2018.

The proposed forest has been welcomed by the Woodland Trust.

The proposed forest would run the whole width of England from Liverpool and Chester in the west to the coastline of the East Riding of Yorkshire and would include the cities of Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Hull. The forest scheme is led by the Woodland Trust and would incorporate five community forests: the Mersey Forest, Manchester's City of Trees, the [White Rose Forest], the South Yorkshire Forest and Humber Forest. The aim is to plant 50 million trees in the 25 years between 2017 and 2042, a trebling of current planting rates in the area; this would help to increase the rate of reforestation in England, which is at record low rates and may currently be outweighed by the rate of deforestation for the first time in decades. The area currently has less than 8% tree coverage, one of the lowest proportions in the country.

The Great Northumberland Forest is a proposed new forest in the north of England. Announced in September 2019, it is intended that up to a million trees will be planted between 2020 and 2024.