Hull
Kingston upon Hull, almost invariably referred to as
Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the East
Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is located 25 miles
(40 km) from the North Sea on the River Hull at its
junction with the Humber estuary. Hull has a resident
population of 256,200 (2006 est.).
Renamed
Kings town upon Hull by King Edward I in 1299, the town
and city of Hull has served as market town, military
supply port, trading hub, fishing and whaling centre,
and industrial metropolis. Hull was an early theatre
of battle in the English Civil Wars, and was the backdrop
to events leading to the abolition of the slave trade
in Britain.
The
city was unique in the United Kingdom in having a municipally
owned telephone system from 1902, sporting cream, not
red, telephone boxes. After suffering heavy damage during
the Second World War, Hull weathered a period of post-industrial
decline, during which the city gained unfavourable results
on measures of social deprivation, education and policing.
However, the city has embarked on a programme of regeneration
and renewal and a range of sporting and cultural activities
is available.
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