Peterborough | ||
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City and unitary authority | ||
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Motto: Upon this rock | ||
Peterborough Unitary Authority Area shown within Cambridgeshire |
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Coordinates: 52°35′N 0°15′W / 52.583°N 0.250°W | ||
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Constituent country | England | |
Region | East of England | |
Ceremonial county | Cambridgeshire | |
Historic County | Northamptonshire | |
Admin HQ | Peterborough | |
City status | 1541 | |
Incorporated | 1874 | |
Unitary | 1998 | |
Government | ||
• Type | Unitary Authority | |
• Governing body | Peterborough City Council | |
• Leadership | Leader and Cabinet | |
• Executive | Conservative | |
• MPs |
Stewart Jackson (Con) Shailesh Vara (Con) |
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Area | ||
• Total | 132.58 sq mi (343.38 km2) | |
Population (mid-2015 est.) | ||
• Total | 194,000 | |
• Density | 1,460/sq mi (564/km2) | |
• Ethnicity | 82.5% White 11.7% Asian 2.3% Black 0.8% Other 2.8% Mixed |
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Time zone | GMT (UTC±0) | |
• Summer (DST) | BST (UTC+1) | |
Postcode area | PE | |
Area code(s) | 01733 | |
ISO 3166-2 | GB-PTE | |
ONS code | 00JA (ONS) E06000031 (GSS) |
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OS grid reference | TL185998 | |
NUTS 3 | UKH11 | |
Website | www.peterborough.gov.uk |
Peterborough (i/ˈpiːtərˌbrə, -bərəˌ -ˌbʌrə/) is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 183,631 in 2011. Historically part of Northamptonshire, it is 75 miles (121 km) north of London, on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea 30 miles (48 km) to the north-east. The railway station is an important stop on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh.
The local topography is flat and in some places lies below sea level, for example in the Fens that lie to the east of Peterborough. Human settlement in the area began before the Bronze Age, as can be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east of the current city centre, also with evidence of Roman occupation. The Anglo-Saxon period saw the establishment of a monastery, Medeshamstede, which later became Peterborough Cathedral.