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Bournemouth, Dorset

Bournemouth
Borough of Bournemouth
Town, Borough and unitary authority
The Square, Bournemouth
The Square, Bournemouth
Coat of arms of Bournemouth
Coat of arms
Motto: "Pulchritudo et Salubritas"
"beauty and health"
Bournemouth UK locator map.svg
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country England
Region South West England
Ceremonial county Dorset
Historic county Hampshire
Founded 1810
Founded by Lewis Tregonwell
Admin. HQ Bournemouth
Government
 • Type Bournemouth Borough Council
 • Leadership: Leader & Cabinet
 • Executive: Conservative
 • MPs: Conor Burns,
Tobias Ellwood
 • Mayor Edward Coope
Area
 • Total 17.83 sq mi (46.18 km2)
Area rank 276th
Population (2011)
 • Total 183,491
 • Rank Ranked 88th
 • Density 10,000/sq mi (4,000/km2)
Time zone Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0)
 • Summer (DST) British Summer Time (UTC+1)
Postcode BH1–11
Area code(s) 01202
Website www.bournemouth.gov.uk

Bournemouth /ˈbɔːrnməθ/ is a large coastal resort town on the south coast of England directly to the east of the Jurassic Coast, a 96-mile (155 km) World Heritage Site. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 183,491 making it the largest settlement in Dorset. With Poole to the west and Christchurch in the east, Bournemouth forms the South East Dorset conurbation, which has a total population of over 465,000.

Before it was founded in 1810 by Lewis Tregonwell, the area was a deserted heathland occasionally visited by fishermen and smugglers. Initially marketed as a health resort, the town received a boost when it appeared in Augustus Granville's 1841 book, The Spas of England. Bournemouth's growth truly accelerated with the arrival of the railway and it became a recognised town in 1870. Historically part of Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974. Since 1997, the town has been administered by a unitary authority, giving it autonomy from Dorset County Council, although it remains part of that ceremonial county. The local council is Bournemouth Borough Council.


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