Greater London

Greater London
and
London (region)
Greater London ceremonial county (red)
City of London (red & white stripes)
Greater London administrative area (London Region) (both)
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
Established1 April 1965
Established byLondon Government Act 1963
Time zoneUTC±00:00 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+01:00 (British Summer Time)
Members of Parliament73 MPs
Police
Ceremonial county
Lord LieutenantKen Olisa
High SheriffIna De
Area1,569 km2 (606 sq mi)
 • Ranked25th of 48
Population (2021)8,899,375
 • Ranked1st of 48
Density5,671/km2 (14,690/sq mi)
Ethnicity
Region
GovernmentGreater London Authority
Mayor Sadiq Khan
London Assembly
Admin HQCity Hall, Newham
Area1,572 km2 (607 sq mi)
Population8,796,628[1]
Density5,596/km2 (14,490/sq mi)
GSS codeE12000007
ITLTLI
Website

Ceremonial counties of the London Region
Counties
  1. City of London
  2. Greater London

The City of London and the 32 London boroughs
 

Greater London is the administrative area of London, England,[2] which is coterminous with the London region. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a ceremonial county also called Greater London, and the City of London. The Greater London Authority is responsible for strategic local government across the region, and regular local government is the responsibility of the borough councils and the City of London Corporation. Greater London is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Hertfordshire to the north, Essex to the north-east, Kent to the south-east, Surrey to the south, and Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to the west.

Greater London has a geographic area of 1,572 km2 (607 sq mi) and a population of 9,002,488. The ceremonial county of Greater London is only slightly smaller, with an area of 1,569 km2 (606 sq mi) and a population of 8,889,375. The area is almost entirely urbanised and contains the majority of the Greater London Built-up Area, which extends into Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Berkshire and in 2011 had a population of 9,787,426. None of the administrative area, region, or ceremonial county hold city status, but the boroughs of the City of London and City of Westminster do. The area was historically part of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire.

The River Thames is the defining geographic feature of the area, entering it near Hampton in the west and flowing east before exiting downstream of Dagenham. Several tributaries of the Thames flow through the area, but are now mostly culverted and form part of London's sewerage system. The land immediately north and south of the river is flat, but rises to low hills further away, notably Hampstead Heath, Shooter's Hill, and Sydenham Hill. The area's highest point is Westerham Heights (245 m (804 ft)), part of the North Downs. In the north-east the area contains part of Epping Forest, an ancient woodland.

The City of London has had its own government since the Anglo-Saxon period. The first London-wide directly elected local government was the London County Council, established for the County of London in 1889, which covered the core of the urban area. In 1965 the county was abolished and replaced by Greater London, a two-tier administrative area governed by the Greater London Council, thirty-two London boroughs, and the City of London Corporation.[3] The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986, and its responsibilities largely taken over by the boroughs. The Greater London Authority was formed in 2000.

  1. ^ Park, Neil (21 December 2022). "Estimates of the population for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  2. ^ "London Government Act 1963 - Latest Available". legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  3. ^ "London Government Act 1963 - Latest Available". legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.