City of London | |||
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City and county | |||
The City of London, seen from the south bank of the Thames in September 2015
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Nickname(s): the Square Mile, the City | |||
Motto: Domine Dirige Nos (Latin) "O Lord Direct us" (motto of City of London Corporation) |
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City of London within Greater London |
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Coordinates: 51°30′56″N 0°05′32″W / 51.5155°N 0.0922°WCoordinates: 51°30′56″N 0°05′32″W / 51.5155°N 0.0922°W | |||
Status | Sui generis; city and county | ||
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | ||
Country | England | ||
Region | London | ||
Roman settlement | c. 47 AD (Londinium) | ||
Wessex resettlement | 886 AD (Lundenburh) | ||
Wards | |||
Government | |||
• Body | City of London Corporation | ||
• Lord Mayor | Andrew Parmley | ||
• Town Clerk | John Barradell | ||
• Admin HQ | Guildhall | ||
• London Assembly | Unmesh Desai (Lab; City and East) | ||
• UK Parliament | Mark Field (Con; Cities of London and Westminster) | ||
Area | |||
• City | 2.90 km2 (1.12 sq mi) | ||
Highest elevation | 21 m (69 ft) | ||
Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) | ||
Population (Mid 2016 (est.)) | |||
• City | 9,401 | ||
• Rank | 325th (of 326) | ||
• Density | 3,200/km2 (8,400/sq mi) | ||
Ethnicity (2011) | |||
• City |
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Time zone | GMT (UTC) | ||
• Summer (DST) | BST (UTC+1) | ||
Postcodes | EC, WC, E | ||
Area code(s) | 020 | ||
Geocode |
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Transport for London zones | Fare zone 1; congestion charge zone | ||
Police | City of London Police | ||
Patron saint | St. Paul | ||
Website | cityoflondon.gov.uk |
The City of London is a city and county that contains the historic centre and central business district of London. It constituted most of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages, but the agglomeration has since grown far beyond the City's borders. The City is now only a tiny part of the metropolis of London, though it remains a notable part of central London. Administratively, it forms one of the 33 local authority districts of Greater London; however, the City of London is not a London borough, a status reserved for the other 32 districts (including London's only other city, the City of Westminster).
The City of London is widely referred to simply as the City (differentiated from the phrase "the city of London" by capitalising City) and is also colloquially known as the Square Mile, as it is 1.12 sq mi (720 acres) in area. Both of these terms are also often used as metonyms for the United Kingdom's trading and financial services industries, which continue a notable history of being largely based in the City. The name London is now ordinarily used for a far wider area than just the City. London most often denotes the sprawling London metropolis, or the 32 London boroughs, in addition to the City of London itself. This wider usage of London is documented as far back as 1888, when the County of London was created.
The local authority for the City, namely the City of London Corporation, is unique in the UK and has some unusual responsibilities for a local council, such as being the police authority. It is also unusual in having responsibilities and ownerships beyond its boundaries. The Corporation is headed by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, an office separate from (and much older than) the Mayor of London. The current Lord Mayor, as of November 2016, is Andrew Parmley.