Portsmouth
Harbour
Portsmouth is a city located in the county of Hampshire
on the southern coast of England, and is the UK's only
island city. It is commonly nicknamed Pompey. The administrative
unit itself forms part of the wider Portsmouth conurbation,
with an estimated 442,252 residents within its boundaries,
making it the 11th largest urban area in England. At
the 2001 census it was the only city in England with
a greater population density (4,639/km² (12,015/sq mi))
than London as a whole (4,562/km² (11,816/sq mi)), although
many of London's individual boroughs had a much greater
density. A significant naval port for centuries, Portsmouth
is home to the world's oldest dry dock still in use
and home to many famous ships, which includes Nelson's
famous flagship HMS Victory. Portsmouth has declined
as a military port in recent years but remains a major
dockyard and base for the Royal Navy. There is also
a commercial port serving destinations on the continent
for freight and passenger traffic. The Spinnaker Tower
is a recent addition to the city's skyline. It can be
found in the recently redeveloped area known as Gunwharf
Quays. The Portsmouth Urban Area covers an area with
a population well over twice that of the city of Portsmouth
itself, and includes Fareham, Portchester, Gosport,
Havant (which includes the large suburb Leigh Park),
Lee-on-the-Solent, Stubbington and Waterlooville. The
suburbs of Portsmouth and Southampton to the west arguably
form a conurbation stretching from Southampton to Havant
on the M27/A27 road along the coast, and north to Clanfield
on the A3 road.
|