City of Portsmouth
Geography
Status	Unitary, City (1926)
Region	South East England
Ceremonial County	Hampshire
Area - Total	Ranked 319th 40.25 km²
Admin. The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South East England is one of the nine official Regions of England. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain Surface area is the measure of how much exposed Area an object has This is a list of Districts of England ordered by area. The areas given are calculated from the Output Areas created for Census 2001 and made available To help compare sizes of different geographic regions we list here Areas between 10 km² (1000 Hectares and 100 km² (10000 hectares Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of HQ	Portsmouth
ONS code	00MR
Demographics
Population - Total (2006 est. The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating Census and other statistical data In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology ) - Density	Ranked 71st 196,400 4880 / km²
Ethnicity	91. The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different The figures are mid-year estimates for 2007 from the Office for National Statistics. 9% White[1] 3. 4% S. Asian 1. 1% Black 1. 2% Mixed Race 2. 4% Chinese or Other
Politics
Portsmouth City Council http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/
Leadership	Leader & Cabinet
Executive	TBA (council NOC)
MPs	Mike Hancock (LD) Sarah McCarthy-Fry (Lab/Co-op)

Portsmouth (/ˈpɔːtsməθ/ (help·info)) is a city located in the county of Hampshire on the southern coast of England, and is the UK's only island city^[2]. The pattern of local government in England is complex with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements Within the context of Local councils of the United Kingdom the term No Overall Control (abbreviated to NOC refers to a situation in which no single party achieves Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons Michael Thomas Hancock CBE (born April 9, 1946) known as Mike Hancock, is a British Politician. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the Sarah McCarthy-Fry (born 4 February 1955, Portsmouth) is the Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North Labour Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national The counties of England are territorial divisions of England for the purposes of administrative political and geographical demarcation Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland 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. A conurbation is an Urban area or Agglomeration comprising a number of Cities, large Towns and larger urban areas that through Population 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 nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs.

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. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform Construction In December 1758 the commissioner of Chatham Dockyard was instructed to prepare a Dry dock for the construction of a new First-rate Portsmouth has declined as a military port in recent years but remains a major dockyard and base for the Royal Navy. Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB Portsmouth ( HMS ''Nelson'') is one of three operating bases for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) 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. The Spinnaker Tower is a –high Tower in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. It can be found in the recently redeveloped area known as Gunwharf Quays. Gunwharf Quays is an area of Portsmouth, Hampshire, now home to a large Shopping centre.

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 Portsmouth Urban Area, in south-east Hampshire in southern England, includes the following components (as defined by the Office for National Statistics The Market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly Portchester is a small Suburb to the northwest of Portsmouth, England. History The Rowner area of the peninsula was known to have been settled in Saxon times mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles as Rughenor (Rough bank or slope Havant (ˈhævnt is a Town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. Leigh Park is a large Suburb (population 27500 of Havant, in Hampshire, England. Lee-on-the-Solent, often referred to as Lee-on-Solent, is a small seaside town in Hampshire, England about five miles west of Portsmouth. Stubbington is a large Hampshire village which is located between Southampton and Portsmouth on the south coast of England. Waterlooville is a Town in Hampshire, England approx 8 miles north of Portsmouth.

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. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England A conurbation is an Urban area or Agglomeration comprising a number of Cities, large Towns and larger urban areas that through Population Clanfield is a village and Civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England.

Contents 1 History 2 Economy 3 Government and politics 4 Demographics 5 Culture 5.1 Media 6 Crime 7 Geography 8 Landmarks 9 Education 10 Tourist attractions 11 Places of worship 12 Transport and communications 12.1 Bus Services 12.2 Light Rapid Transit & Monorail 12.3 Roads 12.4 Cycling 12.5 Railways 12.6 Ferries 12.7 Airports 12.8 Communications 13 Future developments 14 Notable residents 15 Town twinning 15.1 Sister links 15.2 Friendship links 16 See also 17 References 18 External links

History

Main article: History of Portsmouth

There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times, mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which was a Roman base (Portus Adurni) and possible home of the Classis Britannica. Portchester is a small Suburb to the northwest of Portsmouth, England. Portus Adurni was a Saxon Shore Fort in the Roman province of Britannia. The Classis Britannica (literally British fleet, in the sense of 'the fleet in British waters' or 'the fleet of the province of Britannia ' rather than 'the fleet Portsmouth is commonly regarded as having been founded in 1180 by John of Gisors (Jean de Gisors). Jean de Gisors (1133 &ndash 1220 was a Norman lord of the fortress of Gisors in Normandy, where meetings were traditionally convened between English Most early records of Portsmouth are thought to have been destroyed by Norman invaders following the Norman Conquest. The earliest detailed references to Portsmouth can be found in the Southwick Cartularies. The Southwick Cartularies was an early 13th century chronicle which listed the wealthiest people in England at the time However, there are records of "Portesmūða" from the late 9th century, meaning "mouth of the Portus harbour". ^[3]

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle entry for 501 claims that "Portesmuða" was founded by a Saxon warrior called Port, though historians do not accept that origin of the name. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of Annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The Chronicle states that:

"Her cwom Port on Bretene 7 his . ii. suna Bieda 7 Mægla mid . ii. scipum on þære stowe þe is gecueden Portesmuþa 7 ofslogon anne giongne brettiscmonnan, swiþe æþelne monnan. "

The battle is attested in early Welsh sources as the Battle of Llongborth. The Battle of Llongborth was an ancient battle in Great Britain mentioned in a poem of the same name traditionally attributed to Llywarch Hen. The poem names the Chronicle’s "young British man of nobility" as Geraint map Erbin.

In the Domesday Book there is no mention of Portsmouth. Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury Portsmouth, commonly known as Portsmouth Cathedral, is the Church of England Cathedral of the City The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey However, settlements that later went on to form part of Portsmouth are listed. At this time it is estimated the Portsmouth area had a population not greater than two or three hundred. While in Portsea there was a small church prior to 1166, Portsmouth's first real church came into being in 1181 when a chapel dedicated to Thomas Becket was built by Augustinian monks and run by the monks of Southwick Priory until the Reformation. St Thomas Becket (c 1118 &ndash December 29, 1170) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to 1170 Southwick Priory was a Priory of Augustinian canons originally founded in Portchester Castle and later transferred to Southwick, Hampshire The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The modern Portsmouth Anglican Cathedral is built on the original location of the chapel. Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury Portsmouth, commonly known as Portsmouth Cathedral, is the Church of England Cathedral of the City

In 1194 King Richard The Lionheart returned from being held captive in Austria, and set about summoning a fleet and an army to Portsmouth, which Richard had taken over from John of Gisors. Southsea Castle is one of Henry VIII 's Device Forts, built in 1544 on the waterfront at the southern end of Portsea Island (an area that later became Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death On May 2, 1194 the King gave Portsmouth its first Royal Charter granting permission for the borough to hold a fifteen day annual "Free Market Fair", weekly markets, to set up a local court to deal with minor matters, and exemption from paying the annual tax, with the money instead used for local matters. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. A Royal Charter is a Charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy council to legitimize an incorporated body such as a city company King Richard later went on to build a number of houses and a hall in Portsmouth. The hall is thought to have been at the current location of the Clarence Barracks (the area was previously known as Kingshall Green). It is believed that the crescent and eight-point star found on the thirteenth century common seal of the borough was derived from the arms of William de Longchamp, Lord Chancellor to Richard I at the time of the granting of the charter. ^[4] The crescent and star, in gold on a blue shield, were subsequently recorded by the College of Arms as the coat of arms of the borough. The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is an office regulating Heraldry and granting new Armorial bearings for England, Wales A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people ^[5]

In 1200 King John reaffirmed the rights and privileges awarded by King Richard. John (24 December 1167 &ndash 19 October 1216 reigned as a King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death King John's desire to invade Normandy resulted in the establishment of Portsmouth as a permanent naval base, and soon after construction began on the first docks, and the Hospital of St Nicholas, which performed its duties as an almshouse and hospice. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. Saint Nicholas (Άγιος Νικόλαος, Agios Nikolaos, "victory of the people" is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a Christian Saint During the thirteenth century Portsmouth was commonly used by King Henry III and Edward I as a base for attacks against France. Henry III (1 October 1207 &ndash 16 November 1272 was the son and successor of John "Lackland" as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307 popularly known as Longshanks, was a King of England who achieved historical fame by conquering large parts of Wales and almost This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

By the fourteenth century commercial interests had grown considerably, despite rivalry with the dockyard of nearby Southampton. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England Common imports included wool, grain, wheat, woad, wax and iron, however the ports largest trade was in wine from Bayonne and Bordeaux. Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by Bees ( Beeswax) and used by them in constructing their Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Bayonne ( French: Bayonne bajɔn Gascon Occitan and Basque: Baiona) is a city and commune of southwest ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate

In 1338 a French fleet led by Nicholas Béhuchet raided Portsmouth, destroying much of the town, with only the local church and hospital surviving. The English Channel naval campaign of the years 1338 and 1339 saw a protracted series of raids conducted by the nascent French navy and numerous privately owned raiders and pirates against Edward III gave the town exemption from national taxes to aid reconstruction. Edward III (13 November 1312 &ndash 21 June 1377 was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages. Only ten years after this devastation the town for the first time was struck by the Black Death. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia In order to prevent the regrowth of Portsmouth as a threat, the French again sacked the city in 1369, 1377 and 1380. Henry V was the first to build permanent fortification in Portsmouth. Henry V (16 September 1386 &ndash 31 August 1422 was one of the most significant English warrior kings of the 15th century In 1418 he ordered a wooden Round Tower be built at the mouth of the harbour, which was completed in 1426. King Henry VIII rebuilt the fortifications with stone, raised a square tower, and assisted Robert Brygandine and Sir Reginald Bray in the construction of the country's first dry dock. Sir Reginald Bray KG (c 1440 &ndash 1503 was an English courtier advisor to Henry VII and architect of the Henry VII Lady Chapel in Westminster A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform In 1527, with some of the money from the dissolution of the monasteries, Henry VIII built Southsea Castle. Southsea Castle is one of Henry VIII 's Device Forts, built in 1544 on the waterfront at the southern end of Portsea Island (an area that later became In 1545, he saw his vice-flagship Mary Rose founder off Southsea Castle, with a loss of about 500 lives, while going into action against the French fleet. flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels a designation given on account of being either the largest fastest newest most heavily armed or for publicity purposes the most well The Mary Rose was an English Tudor Carrack warship and one of the first to be able to fire a full Broadside of cannons Over the years Portsmouth's fortification was increased by numerous monarchs, although most of these have now been converted into tourist attractions. The Fortifications of Portsmouth are extensive due to its strategic position on the English Channel and role as home to the Royal Navy.

Portsmouth has a long history of supporting the Royal Navy logistically, leading to it being important in the development of the Industrial Revolution. Design and construction News of the highly-secretive designs for La Gloire reached the British Admiralty in May 1858 The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Marc Isambard Brunel, the father of famed Portsmouth engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, established in 1802 the world's first mass production line at the Portsmouth Block Mills, to mass produce pulley blocks for rigging on the Royal Navy's ships. Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, FRS ( 25 April 1769 &ndash 12 December 1849) was a French -born engineer who settled in the Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 &ndash 15 September 1859 (ˈɪzəmbɑrd ˈkɪŋdəm brʊˈnɛl was a British Engineer. For the Detroit Red Wings scoring line see Production line (hockey A production line is a set of sequential operations established The Portsmouth Block Mills form part of the Portsmouth Dockyard at Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, and were built during the Napoleonic A pulley (also called a sheave or block) is a Wheel with a groove between two Flanges around its Circumference In Sailing, a block is a single or multiple Pulley. One or a number of sheaves are enclosed in an assembly between cheeks or chocks At its height the Dockyard was the largest industrial site in the world. ^[6]

Admiral Nelson left Portsmouth for the final time in 1805 to command the fleet that would defeat the larger Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar. Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson 1st Viscount Nelson 1st Duke of Bronté, KB (29 September 1758– 21 October 1805 was a British The Battle of Trafalgar ( 21 October 1805) was a historic sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the ^[7] The Royal Navy's reliance on Portsmouth led to the city becoming the most fortified in Europe,^[8] with a network of forts circling the city. ^[9] From 1808 the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron, who were tasked to stop the slave trade, operated out of Portsmouth. The West Africa Squadron, established in 1808 after the passing of the Slave Trade Act in 1807 was a unit of the Royal Navy that was involved in the suppression On December 21, 1872 a major scientific expedition, the Challenger Expedition, was launched from Portsmouth. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The Challenger Expedition was a scientific expedition that made many discoveries to lay the foundation of Oceanography.

In 1916 the town experienced its first aerial bombardment when a Zeppelin airship bombed it during World War I. History The Rowner area of the peninsula was known to have been settled in Saxon times mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles as Rughenor (Rough bank or slope A Zeppelin is a type of Rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century based on designs he had outlined World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All ^[10]

In 1926 Portsmouth was granted city status,^[11] following a long campaign by the borough council. The application was made on the grounds that Portsmouth was the "first naval port of the kingdom". Two years later the city received the further honour of a lord mayoralty. The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city with special recognition ^[12] In 1929 the city council added the motto "Heaven's Light Our Guide" to the medieval coat of arms. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Apart from referring to the celestial objects in the arms, the motto was that of the Star of India. This recalled that troop ships bound for the colony left from the port. ^[5] Further changes were made to the arms in 1970, when the Portsmouth Museums Trust sponsored the grant of crest, supporters and heraldic badge. In Heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up In Heraldry, a badge is an Emblem or Personal device used to indicate allegiance to or property of an individual or family The crest and supporters are based on those of the royal arms, but altered to show the city's maritime connections: the lions and unicorn have been given fish tails, and a naval crown placed around the latter animal. The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official Coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The Naval Crown (in Latin corona navalis) was a gold crown awarded to the first man who boarded an enemy ship during a naval engagement Around the unicorn is wrapped representation of "The Mighty Chain of Iron", a Tudor defensive boom across Portsmouth Harbour. ^[13]

The city was bombed extensively during World War II, destroying many houses and the Guildhall. Old Portsmouth is a district of the city of Portsmouth. It is the area covered by the original town of Portsmouth as planned by Jean de Gisors. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including While most of the city has since been rebuilt, developers still occasionally find unexploded bombs. Unexploded ordnance (or UXO s/ UXB s sometimes acronymized as UO) are explosive Weapons ( Bombs Bullets shells Southsea beach and Portsmouth Harbour were military embarkation points for the D-Day landings on June 6 1944. D-Day may also refer to Decimal Day in the United Kingdom. D-Day is a term often used in Military parlance to denote Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Southwick House, just to the north of Portsmouth, had been chosen as the headquarters for the Supreme Allied Commander, US General Dwight D. Southwick House is a manor house of the Southwick Estate located just to the north of Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. Eisenhower, during D-Day.

After the war, much of the city's housing stock was damaged and more was cleared in an attempt to improve the quality of housing. Those people affected by this were moved out from the centre of the city to new developments such as Paulsgrove and Leigh Park. Leigh Park is a large Suburb (population 27500 of Havant, in Hampshire, England. Post-war redevelopment throughout the country was characterised by utilitarian and brutalist architecture, with Portsmouth's Tricorn Centre one of the most famous examples. The term Brutalist Architecture originates from the French Béton brut, or "raw concrete" a term used by Le Corbusier to describe The Tricorn Centre was a famed Brutalist shopping, Apartment, Nightclub and Car park complex in Portsmouth, Hampshire More recently, a new wave of redevelopment has seen Tricorn's demolition, the renewal of derelict industrial sites, and construction of the Spinnaker Tower. The Spinnaker Tower is a –high Tower in Portsmouth, United Kingdom.

Economy

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Portsmouth at current basic prices published (pp. 240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.

Year	Regional Gross Value Added[4]	Agriculture[1]	Industry[2]	Services[3]
1995	2,023	-	496	1,528
2000	2,750	-	658	2,092
2003	3,362	-	705	2,657

Note 1. includes hunting and forestry

Note 2. includes energy and construction

Note 3. includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured

Note 4. Components may not sum to totals due to rounding

A tenth of the city's workforce works at Portsmouth Naval Dockyard, which is directly linked to the city's biggest industry, defence with major sites for BAE and VT Group located in the city. VT Group plc is a British defence and services company formerly known as Vosper Thornycroft. VT have been awarded some of the construction on the two new Royal Navy aircraft carriers, although this will involve merger with BAe ship group. ^[14][15][16] This potentially could lead to job creation or cuts depending on overlap between the two companies. At the same time as announcing the placement of the carrier contracts the MoD confirmed that, following review, HMNB Portsmouth would continue to operate but with a reduced workforce. ^[17] There is also a major ferry port which deals with both passengers and cargo. The city is also host to the European headquarters of IBM, and the UK headquarters of Zurich. International Business Machines Corporation abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue", is a multinational Computer Technology Zurich Financial Services Group is a major Financial services group based in Zürich, Switzerland.

In the last decade the number of shops in Portsmouth has grown dramatically due to both the buoyancy of the local economy and improved transport links. Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB Portsmouth ( HMS ''Nelson'') is one of three operating bases for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and In the city centre, shopping is centred around Commercial Road and the 1980s Cascades Shopping Centre, with over 100 high street shops between them. Cascades Shopping Centre is situated in the commercial heart of the historic and bustling city of Portsmouth on the South Coast of England. Recent redevelopment have created new shopping areas, including the upmarket Gunwharf Quays, containing fashion stores, restaurants, and a cinema; and the Historic Dockyard, which aims at the tourist sector and holds regular French markets, and an annual Christmas market. Gunwharf Quays is an area of Portsmouth, Hampshire, now home to a large Shopping centre. Large shopping areas include Ocean Retail Park, on the north-eastern side of Portsea Island, composed of shops requiring large floor space for selling consumer goods; and the Bridge Centre an 11,043 square metre shopping centre built in 1988, now dominated by the Asda Walmart store. Asda is a United Kingdom Supermarket chain which retails food clothing and general merchandise There are also many smaller shopping areas throughout the city.

There is a small fishing fleet based in the city.

Tourism is also a growing sector of the economy.

The housing boom has also spurned economic growth with prices rising at a speed second only to London.

Government and politics

The city is administered by Portsmouth City Council, which is currently a unitary authority. Portsmouth Guildhall is the biggest events venue in the Hampshire city of Portsmouth in England. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions Portsmouth was granted its first charter in 1194. In 1904 the boundaries were extended to finally include the whole of Portsea Island. The boundaries were further extended in 1920 and 1932, taking in areas of the mainland. Until April 1, 1997 it was a non-metropolitan district of Hampshire. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially ' shire districts', are a type of local government district in England. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain Portsmouth remains part of the Ceremonial county of Hampshire. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies The city is divided into two parliamentary constituencies, represented in the House of Commons by a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament, Mike Hancock, and a Labour MP, Sarah McCarthy-Fry. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the Michael Thomas Hancock CBE (born April 9, 1946) known as Mike Hancock, is a British Politician. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Sarah McCarthy-Fry (born 4 February 1955, Portsmouth) is the Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North

The city council is made up of 42 councillors. There is no overall majority control of the city council, with 19 Liberal Democrat, 19 Conservative, 2 Labour, and 2 members of the Independent group. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The Council is currently led by the Liberal Democrats with the two independents forming part of the administration. Gerald Vernon-Jackson is the council leader. Councillors are returned from 14 wards, each ward having three councillors. Councillors have a 4 year term, only one council seat is up for election in each Ward at any one election.

Demographics

Population change^[18]

Year	Dwellings	Population
1560		1000 (est)
1801	5310	32,160
1851	12,825	72,096
1901	36,368	188,133
1951		233,545
1961	68,618	215,077
1971		197,431
1981		175,382
1991		177,142
2001		186,700

Portsmouth is a mainly white city in terms of ethnicity with 94. 7%. Portsmouth's long association with the Royal Navy has meant that it represents one of the most diverse cities in terms of the peoples of the British Isles, with many De-mobilised sailors staying in the city, in particular, Scots and English from the Industrial North East and Northern Ireland, Former Prime Minister James Callaghan's father was a Protestant from Northern Ireland. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Leonard James Callaghan Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC (27 March 1912 – 26 March 2005 was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 Similarly some of the largest and most established non white communities have their roots with the Royal Navy, most notably the large community from Hong Kong. Portsmouth's long industrial history in support of the Royal Navy has seen many people from across the British Isles move to Portsmouth to work in the factories and docks, the largest of these groups being the Irish Catholics (Portsmouth is one of a handful of cities with a catholic cathedral); surnames like Doyle and Murphy are extremely common in Portsmouth. ^[19][20] Portsmouth is the City with the highest number of emmigrants, in the UK, particularly the most skilled ^[21].

Culture

The city has three established music venues: The Wedgewood Rooms, The Pyramids and The Guildhall. The Wedgewood Rooms is a venue in Southsea (in Portsmouth) Hampshire, UK, that hosts music and comedy events Portsmouth Guildhall is the biggest events venue in the Hampshire city of Portsmouth in England. The most successful bands to have emerged from Portsmouth in the past quarter of a century are The Cranes and Ricky, both of whom enjoyed critical acclaim and minor chart success. Cranes are a British music group Their music has frequently been described as incorporating elements of Gothic rock, Dream pop, and Shoegazing Ricky were a critically-acclaimed Top 40 English indie band led by the harmonising singer/songwriter trio of James Lines Guy Gyngell and Darren Richardson However there remains a very limited number of venues for less experienced bands to play at.

The city is home to FA Premier League football team, Portsmouth F.C., who play their home games at Fratton Park. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. Fratton Park is the home stadium of Portsmouth FC, and is situated in the English city-port of Portsmouth. 'Pompey', as the club is colloquially known, is the most successful football club south of Birmingham (with the exception of the clubs in London), having twice been crowned Champions of England, and are the current FA Cup holders. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The City's second team, United Services Portsmouth F.C. play in the Wessex League Division One. United Services Portsmouth FC are a football club based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. Past champions 1986-87 - Bashley 1987-88 - Bashley 1988-89 - Bashley 1989-90 - Romsey Town Portsmouth Rugby Football Club play their home games in the London Division 1 at Rugby Camp, Hilsea. Like many towns on the English south coast, watersports are popular here, particularly sailing and yachting. Locks Sailing Club at Longshore way is the city's premier dinghy sailing club. The city's rowing club is located in Southsea at the Seafront near the Hovercraft Terminal.

In literature, Portsmouth is the chief location for Jonathan Meades' novel Pompey (1993) ISBN 0-09-930821-5, in which it is inhabited largely by vile, corrupt, flawed freaks. Jonathan (Turner Meades (born 21 January 1947, Salisbury, England) is a British writer on food Architecture, and He has subsequently admitted that he had never actually visited the city at that time. Since then he has presented a TV programme about the Victorian architecture in Portsmouth Dockyard.

In Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park, Portsmouth is the hometown of the main character Fanny Price, and is the setting of most of the closing chapters of the book. Mansfield Park is a Novel by Jane Austen, written at Chawton Cottage between 1812 and 1814.

Portsmouth Point is an overture for orchestra by the English composer William Walton. Portsmouth Point is an Overture for Orchestra by the English composer William Walton, composed in 1925 The work was inspired by Rowlandson's print depicting Portsmouth Point. It was used as an opening for a Proms Concert in the 2007 season.

H.M.S. Pinafore, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. HMS Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a Comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and Libretto by S. Gilbert, which is set in Portsmouth Harbour.

Portsmouth also runs its own series of concerts encompassing a range of music at the Bandstand in Southsea Common.

The city is also known for its vibrant south Asian community and is where bollywood starlet Geeta Basra hails from. Geeta Basra is an Indian actress who has done two known movies She was born and raised in the city where her family still live.

The City hosts yearly remembrances of the D-Day landings to which veterans from the Allied nations travel to attend. D-Day may also refer to Decimal Day in the United Kingdom. D-Day is a term often used in Military parlance to denote ^[22]

Media

ITV1 Meridian is the local ITV television franchise. Meridian Broadcasting (now legally known as ITV Meridian is the holder of the ITV franchise for the south and south east of England. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Portsmouth was one of the second-tier of cities in the UK to get a local TV station, MyTV, in 2001. The station later rebranded to PortsmouthTV, but its limited availability in some parts of Portsmouth had limited its growth, and the station later went off-air as a result of the parent company becoming insolvent. Insolvency means the inability to pay one's debts This is defined in two different waysCash flow insolvency unable to pay debts as they fall dueBalance sheet insolvency

The local commercial radio station is 107.4 The Quay, whilst the city also has a non-profit community radio station Express FM on 93. 7. Other radio stations based outside of Portsmouth, but received there are Ocean FM, on 97. 5FM, Power FM on 103. This article relates to the UK radio station For the Australian radio station network of the same name see Power FM Network. 2FM, Wave 105 on 105. Wave 105 is a UK regional commercial radio station broadcasting across Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and part of West Sussex 2FM and BBC Radio Solent on 96. BBC Radio Solent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Isle of Wight and the English counties of Hampshire and Dorset 1FM. Original 106 launched on 1 October, 2006; based in Southampton, they have a newsroom in the Portsmouth area. A newsroom is the Place where Journalists — Reporters editors, and producers along with other staffers—work to gather News Patients at Portsmouth's primary hospital Queen Alexandra also have access to local programming from charity station Portsmouth Hospital Broadcasting.

When the first local commercial radio stations were licenced in the 1970s by the IBA, Radio Victory was the radio service for Portsmouth, however in 1986 it was replaced by Ocean Sound, later renamed as Ocean FM. Radio Victory was the Independent local radio station for Portsmouth. With the launch of cable television, Victory was relaunched as a cable station. The station went on to win a Radio Authority small scale licence, launching on the 107. The Office of Communications (Y Swyddfa Gyfathrebiadau or as it is more often known Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the Communication 4FM frequency. However, due to bad RAJAR figures the station relaunched in 2001 as The Quay, with Portsmouth Football Club purchasing a stake in the station during 2007. RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research Limited was established in 1992 to operate a single audience measurement system for the radio industry in the United Kingdom.

The city currently has one daily local newspaper known as The News, together with a free weekly newspaper, from the same publisher, called The Journal. Portsmouth News is the only paid-for newspaper in Portsmouth, England. Portsmouth also has a weekly magazine called the Portsmouth and District Post which is sold in Portsmouth, Havant, Fareham, Gosport and Waterlooville. Havant (ˈhævnt is a Town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. The Market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly History The Rowner area of the peninsula was known to have been settled in Saxon times mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles as Rughenor (Rough bank or slope Waterlooville is a Town in Hampshire, England approx 8 miles north of Portsmouth.

Pugwash News which is produced by the University of Portsmouth Student's Union is a fortnightly newspaper aimed primarily at students.

Crime

In the British crime survey of 2001, Portsmouth did not have a distinctly different profile to the other cities in its basic command unit profile. ^[23] However, for that period it did have a large number of sexual assaults and rapes. Sexual assault is any Assault of a sexual nature on another person Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person A BBC News report in May 2006 reported that it was Britain's worst city for sexual assaults and rapes, based on the 2001 British crime survey by the think tank Reform. A think tank (also called a policy institute) is an organization institute corporation or group that conducts Research and engages in advocacy in areas such Reform is a London, United Kingdom based free-market Think tank whose mission is to set out a better way to deliver public services and economic prosperity ^[24][25] Police officers responded by saying "Police in Portsmouth have worked closely with partner agencies and the city council to develop a climate where victims feel confident to report rape, which is generally an under-reported crime" and that this could be the reason for the increased number of reported sexual assaults. ^[26] However, in a subsequent government survey, the number of reported sexual assaults and rapes had decreased by 22. 8% bringing the rate below most large UK cities. ^[27]

Geography

Most of the city of Portsmouth lies on Portsea Island, located where the Solent joins the English Channel. The Solent is a stretch of Sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. This makes Portsmouth the United Kingdom's only island city and the thirteenth most densely populated place in Europe. It is the second most densely populated place in the UK, after Inner London. ^[28] The island is separated from the mainland to the north by a narrow creek, bridged in places to make it - in appearance - a peninsula. A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. The sheltered Portsmouth Harbour lies to the west of the island and the large tidal bay of Langstone Harbour is to the east. Portsmouth Harbour is a large Natural harbour in Hampshire, England. Langstone Harbour is an English inlet of the English Channel, sandwiched between Portsea Island to the south and west Hayling Island to Portsdown Hill dominates the skyline to the north, providing a magnificent panoramic view over the city, and to the south are the waters of the Solent with the Isle of Wight beyond. Portsdown Hill is a long Chalk hill in Hampshire, England, offering good views over Portsmouth, The Solent, Hayling Island The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the Being a seaside city, it is low-lying -- the majority of its surface area is only about 10 feet above sea level, the highest natural point on Portsea Island being Kingston Cross (21 feet) although the road surface over Fratton raliway bridge reaches 25. There are, therefore, dangers that rising sea levels as a result of global warming could cause serious damage to the city. Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the The west of the city is mainly council estates such as Buckland, Landport and Portsea. The council house is a form of public or social housing in the United Kingdom. Landport is a district located near the centre of Portsea Island and is part of the city of Portsmouth England. There is also a town in Australia named Portsea Victoria after this island These were built after most of the original Victorian terraces were destroyed by bombings in World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including After the war the massive estate of Leigh Park (one of the largest housing development of its kind in Europe) was built to solve the chronic housing shortage during the post-war reconstruction. Leigh Park is a large Suburb (population 27500 of Havant, in Hampshire, England. As of the early part of this decade this estate is now entirely under the jurisdiction of Havant Borough Council, However Portsmouth City Council is still the Landlord for these properties, thus making it the biggest landowner in Havant Borough. Havant Borough Council The Borough Council is Conservative controlled Old Portsmouth which is the oldest part of the city, was also known as Spice Island and was famous for its pubs, that serviced the many sailors calling into the port. Portsmouth Point, or " Spice Island " is part of Old Portsmouth in Portsmouth, Hampshire on the southern coast of England

Landmarks

Portsmouth Guildhall is an imposing neoclassical building. It was designed by William Hill and is based on an earlier design used for the town hall in Bolton. Bolton ( is a large town in Greater Manchester, in the North West region of England.

Education

The city's post-1992 university, the University of Portsmouth, previously known as Portsmouth Polytechnic, has notable achievements in mathematics and biological sciences. In the United Kingdom, the term New University has various meanings regarding British universities. The University of Portsmouth is a British University in the historic south coast city of Portsmouth. Institute of technology, and polytechnic, are designations employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable Several local colleges also have the power to award HNDs, including Highbury College, the largest, which specializes in vocational education; and Portsmouth College, which offers a mixture of academic and vocational courses in the city. A Higher National Diploma ( HND) is a Higher education qualification in the United Kingdom. Additionally there are several colleges in the surrounding area, all of which offer a varying range of academic and vocational courses available. Post 16 education in Portsmouth, unlike many areas, is carried at these colleges rather than at secondary schools.

As of 2007 for the first time in over a decade, no school in Portsmouth is below the government's minimum standards and thus none of them are in special measures but many are still among the worst performing schools in the country. St Luke's C of E VA Secondary School is, in terms of performance, one of the worst schools in the country though it has improved in recent years. St Luke's is one of the few religious schools in the country that operates its intake policy as a standard comprehensive taking from its catchment area rather than being selective on religious background. This is the opposite of its nearby rival St Edmund RC school. The rivalry between St Edmund's Catholic School and St Luke's Church of England school (Protestant) has often become violent. This has its roots in the Catholic-Protestant conflict of Northern Ireland as the city has both large communities of Irish Catholics and Irish Protestant, who settled in the city because of the Royal Navy. ^[29] Both Admiral Lord Nelson School and Miltoncross School were built recently to meet the demand of a growing school age population.

Portsmouth's secondary schools are to undergo a major redevelopment in the next few years with three being totally demolished and rebuilt, (St Edmund's, City boys and King Richard's) and the rest receiving major renovation work.

Tourist attractions

Most of Portsmouth's tourist attractions are related to its naval history. In the last decade Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard has been given a much needed face-lift. Among the attractions are the D-Day museum (which holds the Overlord embroidery) and, in the dockyard, HMS Victory, the remains of Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose (raised from the sea-bed in recent years), HMS Warrior (Britain's first iron-clad steamship) and the Royal Naval Museum. The D-Day Museum is located in Portsmouth, Southsea in Hampshire, England. The Overlord embroidery was commissioned by Lord Dulverton in 1968 and made by the Royal School of Needlework from designs by artist Sandra Lawrence. Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB Portsmouth ( HMS ''Nelson'') is one of three operating bases for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and Construction In December 1758 the commissioner of Chatham Dockyard was instructed to prepare a Dry dock for the construction of a new First-rate The Mary Rose was an English Tudor Carrack warship and one of the first to be able to fire a full Broadside of cannons Design and construction News of the highly-secretive designs for La Gloire reached the British Admiralty in May 1858 The Royal Naval Museum is the Museum of the history of the Royal Navy in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard section of HMNB Portsmouth

Many of the city's former defences now host museums or events. Several of the Victorian era forts on Portsdown hill are now tourist attraction. Fort Nelson is now home to the Royal Armouries museum,^[30] Forts Purbrook and Widley are activities centres. ^[31] the Tudor era Southsea Castle has a small museum, and much of the seafront defences up to the Round Tower are open to the public. The southern part of the once large Royal Marines Eastney Barracks is now the Royal Marine Museum. ^[32] There are also many buildings in the city that host occasionally open days particularly those on the D-day walk which are serious of signs around the city which notes sites of particularly importance in the city to operation Overlord.

The city also hosts the D-Day museum a short distance from southsea castle, this museum is home to the famous Overlord Tapestry. ^[33]

Portsmouth's long association with the armed forces means it has a large number of war memorials around the city, including several at the Royal Marines Museum, at the dockyards and in Victoria Park. The Royal Marines Museum is located in Portsmouth Hampshire England and is open to the public every day of the week throughout the year apart from Christmas Eve Christmas Day and Boxing In the city centre, the Guildhall Square Cenotaph displays the names of the fallen, and is guarded by stone sculptures of machine gunners carved by the sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger. Charles Sargeant Jagger MC (1885-1934 was a British Sculptor who following active service in the First World War, sculpted many works on the theme ^[34] The memorial is inscribed:

“	THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF PORTSMOUTH IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY OF THOSE WHO IN THE GLORIOUS MORNING OF THEIR DAYS FOR ENGLAND'S SAKE LOST ALL BUT ENGLAND'S PRAISE. MAY LIGHT PERPETUAL SHINE UPON THEM.	”
—West face

The millennium project to build the Spinnaker Tower at Gunwharf Quays was completed in 2005. The Spinnaker Tower is a –high Tower in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Gunwharf Quays is an area of Portsmouth, Hampshire, now home to a large Shopping centre. The tower is 552 ft tall and features viewing decks at sea level, 325 ft, 341 ft and 357 ft.

Other tourist attractions include the birthplace of Charles Dickens, the Blue Reef Aquarium (formerly the Sea Life Centre), Cumberland House (a natural history museum), The Royal Marines Museum and Southsea Castle, also in the Southsea area of Portsmouth is home to the famous Clarence Pier amusement park. Sea Life Centres are a chain of Sealife themed Attractions. The chain has twenty-five centres located in Belgium, England, Finland The Royal Marines Museum is located in Portsmouth Hampshire England and is open to the public every day of the week throughout the year apart from Christmas Eve Christmas Day and Boxing Southsea Castle is one of Henry VIII 's Device Forts, built in 1544 on the waterfront at the southern end of Portsea Island (an area that later became Clarence Pier is an amusement pier in Portsmouth, Hampshire. It is located by the Portsmouth Hovercraft terminal

English Heritage and the Ministry of Defence are in the process of turning the Portsmouth Block Mills into a museum.

Places of worship

Portsmouth is unusual among British cities in having two cathedrals; the Anglican cathedral of St Thomas, in Old Portsmouth, and the Roman Catholic cathedral of St John the Evangelist, in Edinburgh Road, Portsea. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury Portsmouth, commonly known as Portsmouth Cathedral, is the Church of England Cathedral of the City Old Portsmouth is a district of the city of Portsmouth. It is the area covered by the original town of Portsmouth as planned by Jean de Gisors. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth was founded in 1882 by Pope Leo XIII. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic Diocese in England Pope Leo XIII ( March 2, 1810 – July 20, 1903) born Count Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, was the 256th Pope Vatican policy in England at the time was to found sees in locations other than those used for Anglican cathedrals, and the Ecclesiastical Titles Act forbade a Catholic bishop from bearing the same title as one in the established church. The Ecclesiastical Titles Act 1851 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (14 & 15 Vict Accordingly, Portsmouth was chosen in preference to Winchester. ^[35]

In 1927 the Church of England diocese of Winchester was divided, and St Thomas's Anglican Church became the cathedral for the newly created Diocese of Portsmouth. The Diocese of Winchester forms part of the Province of Canterbury of the Church of England. The Diocese of Portsmouth is an administrative division of the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England ^[36] When St Mary's Church, Portsea, was rebuilt in Victorian times, it had been envisaged that it might be the cathedral if Portsmouth became the seat of a bishop, but St Thomas's was given the honour because of its historic status.

Another historic old Portsmouth church, the Garrison Church, was bombed during World War II with the nave left roofless as a memorial. Domus Dei (Hospital of Saint Nicholas) was an almshouse and hospice established in 1212 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK by Pierre des Of more modern buildings, St Philip's Cosham is cited as a fine example of Ninian Comper's work. Cosham is a northern suburb of Portsmouth lying within the city boundary but off Portsea Island. Sir John Ninian Comper, ( June 10, 1864 – December 22, 1960) was a Scottish Architect. There are numerous other active churches and places of worship throughout the city. There are several Mosques and a Jewish cemetery in the city.

Transport and communications

Bus Services

Local bus services are provided by First in Hampshire & Dorset and Stagecoach serving the city of Portsmouth and the surroundings of Havant, Leigh Park, Waterlooville, Fareham, Petersfield and long distance service 700 to Chichester, Worthing and Brighton. First Hampshire & Dorset is a subsidiary bus company within FirstGroup, which operates buses and trains throughout Great Britain. Stagecoach South is an operating division of the Stagecoach Group. Havant (ˈhævnt is a Town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. Leigh Park is a large Suburb (population 27500 of Havant, in Hampshire, England. Waterlooville is a Town in Hampshire, England approx 8 miles north of Portsmouth. The Market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly Petersfield can refer to any of the following places Petersfield Hampshire, a market town in England The Petersfield School Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, England. It has a long history as a settlement its Roman past and its subsequent importance Worthing (ˈwɜrðɪŋ is a large seaside town and a local government borough in West Sussex, England Brighton ( is a town on the south coast of England and with its neighbour Hove, forms the city of Brighton and Hove. National Express services from Portsmouth run mainly from The Hard Interchange to London, Cornwall, Bradford, Birkenhead and Eastbourne. The Hard Interchange is a transport Interchange in Portsmouth. Many bus services also stop at The Hard Interchange. Other bus services run from Commercial Road North and Commercial Road South. A new bus station has been proposed next to Portsmouth & Southsea Station replacing Commercial Road South bus stops and new bus stops and taxi ranks on Andrew Bell Street to replace the Commercial Road North bus stops when the Northern Quarter Development is built. Portsmouth and Southsea railway station is the main railway station in central Portsmouth in Hampshire, England.

Light Rapid Transit & Monorail

There is an ongoing debate on the development of public transport structure, with monorails and light rail both being considered. A monorail is a transportation system based on a single beam The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system or the vehicles travelling on such a beam or For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. A light rail link to Gosport has been authorised but is unlikely to go ahead following the refusal of funding by the Department for Transport in November 2005. In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport (or DfT) ( Welsh: Adran am Drafnidiaeth) is the government department ^[37] The monorail scheme is unlikely to proceed following the withdrawal of official support for the proposal by Portsmouth City Council, after the development's promoters failed to progress the scheme to agreed timetables. ^[38]

Roads

There are three road links to the mainland. These are the M275, A3 (London Road) and A2030 (Eastern Road). The M275 is a two-mile long dual three-lane Motorway in the county of Hampshire, southern England. The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road for much of its length is a Trunk road in Southern England, connecting London to Portsmouth The M27 has a junction connecting to the M275 into Portsmouth. The Soviet motorway M27 connects Sochi, Tbilisi, and Baku. The M27 is a Motorway in Hampshire The A27 has a westbound exit onto the A3 (London Road) and a junction onto the A2030 (Eastern Road). The A27 is a major Road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish (near Salisbury) in the county of The A3(M) is small part of motorway which runs from Bedhampton north to Horndean.

Cycling

The city is connected to Route 2 of the National Cycle Network. The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.

Railways

The city has several mainline railway stations, on two different direct South West Trains routes to London Waterloo, via Guildford and via Basingstoke. South West Trains ( SWT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom, providing Train services to the south-west of London chiefly Guildford ( IPA /ˈgɪlfəd/ is the County town of Surrey, England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, England It lies across a Valley at the source of the River Loddon. There is also a South West Trains stopping service to Southampton Central, and a service by First Great Western to Cardiff Central via Southampton, Bath and Bristol. South West Trains ( SWT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom, providing Train services to the south-west of London chiefly Southampton Central railway station is a main line railway station serving the city of Southampton in Hampshire, southern England. First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates Southen also offer services to Brighton and London Victoria. Southern is a train operating company in England, running to south London, Surrey, and Sussex from Victoria and London Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. London Victoria is a major London Underground, National Rail and Coach station in the City of Westminster.

Portsmouth's stations are (in order, out of the city): Portsmouth Harbour, Portsmouth & Southsea, Fratton, Hilsea and Cosham. Portsmouth Harbour railway station is a Railway station in Portsmouth, England. Portsmouth and Southsea railway station is the main railway station in central Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. Fratton railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, located near Fratton Park, the Stadium of Association football (soccer club Hilsea railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England with a limited service Cosham Railway station serves the former village of Cosham, today a northern suburb of the city of Portsmouth in southern England.

Ferries

Portsmouth Harbour has passenger ferry links to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. Portsmouth Harbour is a large Natural harbour in Hampshire, England. The Gosport Ferry is a Ferry service operating between Gosport pontoon and Portsmouth pontoon in Hampshire, southern England History The Rowner area of the peninsula was known to have been settled in Saxon times mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles as Rughenor (Rough bank or slope The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the A car ferry service to the Isle of Wight operated by Wightlink is nearby. The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the Wightlink is a Ferry company operating routes between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England. Britain's longest-standing commercial hovercraft service, begun in the 1960s, still runs from near Clarence Pier to Ryde, Isle of Wight, operated by Hovertravel. A hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicle (ACV is an Amphibious vehicle or craft, designed to travel over any sufficiently smooth surface supported by Ryde is a British seaside town and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30000 The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the For information on hovercraft in general please see Hovercraft.

Portsmouth Continental Ferry Port has links to Caen, Cherbourg-Octeville, St Malo and Le Havre in France, Bilbao in Spain and the Channel Islands. Caen (kɑ̃ is a commune in northwestern France. It is the Prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Saint-Malo ( Breton: Sant-Maloù; Gallo: Saent-Malô) is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern Le Havre is a city in the northwest region of France situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Seine River as it outlets into the Bay of the Seine This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Bilbao, (also Bilbo) in the North of Spain, is the largest city in the Basque Country and the capital of the province of Biscay (Basque Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Channel Islands ( Norman: Îles d'la Manche, French: Îles Anglo-Normandes or Îles de la Manche) are a group of Islands Ferry services from the port are operated by Brittany Ferries, P&O Ferries, Condor Ferries and LD Lines. Brittany Ferries is a French Ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain. P&O Ferries (formerly P&O European Ferries) is a constituent company of DP World (which took over its parent company the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Condor Ferries is an operator of ferry services between mainland England and the Channel Islands, between England and France, and between France and the LD Lines are a French -owned Shipping company They are predominantly a freight operator with both deep-sea and Ferry operations but also operate some On 18 May 2006 Acciona Trasmediterranea started a service to Bilbao in competition with P&O’s existing service. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Acciona Trasmediterránea is part of the Acciona group It operates passengers and cargo ferries between mainland Spain and the Canary Bilbao, (also Bilbo) in the North of Spain, is the largest city in the Basque Country and the capital of the province of Biscay (Basque This service got off to a bad start when the ferry 'Fortuny' was detained in Portsmouth by the MCA for numerous safety breaches. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is a UK Executive agency working to prevent the loss of lives at sea and is responsible for implementing British and International The faults were quickly corrected by Acciona and the service took its first passengers from Portsmouth on the 25 May 2006. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. The port is the second busiest ferry port in the UK after Dover handling around 3 million passengers a year and has direct access to the M275. Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. The M275 is a two-mile long dual three-lane Motorway in the county of Hampshire, southern England.

Airports

The nearest airport is Southampton which is approximately 20-30 minutes away by motorway, with a indirect South West Trains rail connection requiring a change at Southampton Central or Eastleigh. An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land Southampton Airport is the 20th largest Airport in the UK, located in Eastleigh near Southampton. South West Trains ( SWT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom, providing Train services to the south-west of London chiefly Southampton Central railway station is a main line railway station serving the city of Southampton in Hampshire, southern England. Eastleigh is a former Railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough.

Heathrow and Gatwick are both about 60-90 minutes away by motorway. Gatwick Airport is London 's second largest Airport and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. Gatwick is directly linked by Southern services to London Victoria, whilst Heathrow is linked by coach to Woking, which is on both rail lines to London Waterloo. Southern is a train operating company in England, running to south London, Surrey, and Sussex from Victoria and London London Victoria is a major London Underground, National Rail and Coach station in the City of Westminster. Heathrow is directly linked to Portsmouth by National Express coaches. National Express Group plc ( is a UK -based Transport group with headquarters in London that operates Bus, coach, rail

Portsmouth had an airport with grass runway from 1932 to 1973; after its closure, housing, industrial sites, retail areas and a school were built on the site. A runway ( RWY) is a strip of land on an Airport, on which Aircraft can take off and land.

Communications

The telephone area code for Portsmouth is 023 followed by an eight digit number (usually beginning with 92), and was previously (01705), and before that (0705).

Future developments

Portsmouth will build and be the home port of the two new Royal Navy Supercarriers, this has secured the base future for the next 40 years and will revitalise shipbuilding in the city. ^[39]

Development at Gunwharf Quays will continue until 2007 with the completion of the 29 storey East Side Plaza. Development of the former Whitbread Brewery site, now under way, will include a 22 storey tower known as the Admiralty Quarter Tower. This article is about the Whitbread company For the sailing race see Volvo Ocean Race. Portsmouth's regeneration is being continued in the city centre with the controversial demolition of the award winning Tricorn Centre, a long abandoned shopping mall and car park, described as a "concrete monstrosity". The Tricorn Centre was a famed Brutalist shopping, Apartment, Nightclub and Car park complex in Portsmouth, Hampshire The site is due to be transformed by 2010 to include shops, cafés and restaurants, a four-star 150-bed hotel, 200 residential apartments, and a 2,300-space car park.

Portsmouth is in the midst of a continuing housing boom with many former commercial, industrial and military sites being converted into residential properties particularly large blocks of flats, leading to an increasing population, if demand upon services such as water and transport infrastructure continues to increase at the current rate demand will surpass maximum capacity in under 5 years. ^[40]

In April 2007 Portsmouth F.C. announced plans to move away from Fratton Park, their home for 109 years, to a new stadium situated on a piece of reclaimed land on The Hard beside the Historic Dockyard. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. The £600m mixed use development, designed by world renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron, would also include 1,500 harbourside apartments as well as shops and offices. Herzog & de Meuron Architekten BSA/SIA/ETH ( HdeM) is a Swiss Architecture firm founded and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland in The scheme has attracted considerable criticism due to its huge size and location. ^[41][42] It also involves moving HMS Warrior from her current permanent mooring, the HMS Warrior trust has said they will not move. Four ships and one Shore establishment of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Warrior. This threatens to derail the project as the trust own the sea bed and pier which would be built on were the project to go ahead. In Autumn 2007 Portsmouth's local paper 'The News' published that the plans had been turned down as the supercarriers to be situated in Portsmouth dockyard sight lines would be blocked. In answer to this Portsmouth FC have planned a similar stadium in Horsea Island near Port Solent. This plan will involve building a 36,000 seated stadium, around 1,500 apartments as the original plan yet this time not around the stadium but as single standing structures. Yet the new plan also involves improving and saving land for the Royal Navy's diver training centre by the proposed site and buying a fair amount of land from the MoD. Also a new £7m railway station is to be built at Paulsgrove in Racecourse Lane near the site where there was originally a station. Along with these new roads towards the stadium, it has also been proposed to build a new bridge from Tipner alongside the motorway. This will be for people walking to the stadium and for a park and ride scheme that will also be introduced. there are also plans to capitalise on the proposed development for the local tip which will be neighbouring the new stadium. If accepted the stadium is predicted to be finished for the 2011/12 season. As part of the plans, the club's previous stadium site at Fratton Park would also be redeveloped once the new stadium is completed. Make Architects has been commissioned to draw up designs for 750 new apartments on the site. MAKE Architects is an Architects practice based in the United Kingdom. Planning applications for the proposed development will be submitted in the autumn.

Notable residents

• Admiral George Anson
• Sir Francis Austen (brother of Jane Austen)
• Emma Barton, actress (Honey Mitchell in Eastenders)
• Geeta Basra, Bollywood Actress born and raised in Portsmouth
• Admiral Jonathon Band, current First Sea Lord
• Walter Besant was born in Portsmouth
• Roger Black (Olympic medallist) was born in Portsmouth
• Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born in Portsmouth
• Neil Burgess (Actor) better known as Barry Scott grew up in Portsmouth. Admiral George Anson 1st Baron Anson PC RN ( 23 April 1697 &ndash 6 June 1762) was a British Admiral of the Fleet Sir Francis William Austen, GCB (23 April 1774 – 10 August 1865 was a British officer who spent most of his long life on active duty in the Jane Austen (16 Emma Jane Barton (Born 1978 in Portsmouth, England) is an Susan "Honey" Mitchell (née Edwards) is a Fictional character that appeared in the BBC Soap opera EastEnders EastEnders is a most popular and award-winning Television Soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985 Geeta Basra is an Indian actress who has done two known movies Admiral Sir Jonathon Band GCB, ADC (born 1950 since 2006 is the First Sea Lord of the United Kingdom the most senior serving officer The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service. Sir Walter Besant ( August 14, 1836, Portsmouth - June 9, 1901, London) was a Novelist and Historian Roger Anthony Black MBE (born 31 March 1966) is a retired British athlete who now works as a Television presenter Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 &ndash 15 September 1859 (ˈɪzəmbɑrd ˈkɪŋdəm brʊˈnɛl was a British Engineer. Neil Burgess (born 1965 in Middlesex England) is an actor best known for his portrayal of the character "Barry Scott" on the United Kingdom and Barry Scott is an American DJ author and voice over personality
• James Callaghan (British prime minister 1976-1979) was born in Portsmouth
• Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth
• Arthur Conan Doyle
• Nicola Duffett, actress, best known for her role on Family Affairs
• Helen Duncan (last woman imprisoned under the Witchcraft Act in the UK)
• Michael East (Commonwealth Games gold medal winning athlete)
• Kate Edmondson Presenter on MTV and TMF
• Matt Edmondson Former presenter on CBBC
• Richard Harwood cellist, was born in Portsmouth
• Rob Hayles (Olympic Games medal winner, cycling)
• Simon Heartfield, Techno musician
• Ian Hicks, aka hardcore artist DJ Hixxy
• Christopher Hitchens author, journalist and literary critic was born in Portsmouth
• Roger Hodgson of Supertramp was born in Portsmouth
• Brian Howe (vocalist Bad Company) was born in Portsmouth
• Joe Jackson
• Paul Jones (vocalist Manfred Mann)
• Dillie Keane (songwriter, entertainer, founder Fascinating Aida), was born in Portsmouth
• Rudyard Kipling
• Michelle Magorian author (Goodnight Mr Tom)
• Roland Orzabal musician Tears for Fears
• Alan Pascoe (Olympic medallist) was born in Portsmouth
• Marcus Patric, actor on Hollyoaks, was born in Portsmouth
• John Pounds creator of the ragged schools
• Peter Sellers, comedian, actor, and performer was born in Southsea
• Katy Sexton, former world champion swimmer
• Alison Shaw (vocals, bass) and Jim Shaw (guitar) of the band Cranes
• Nevil Shute (also known as Nevil Shute Norway)
• David Wells (medium) (psychic) of Most Haunted
• HG Wells author, lived in Portsmouth during the 1880s. Leonard James Callaghan Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC (27 March 1912 – 26 March 2005 was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930 was an Anglo-Scottish Author most noted for his stories about the Nicola Duffett (born January 22 1963 in Portsmouth, Hampshire) is an English actress For the American sitcom of similar name see Family Affair. See also Family Affair (disambiguation. Helen Duncan ( November 25, 1897 &ndash December 6, 1956) was a Scottish medium best known as the last person to be imprisoned under In England, a succession of Witchcraft Acts have governed Witchcraft and provided penalties for its practice or (in later years for pretending to its practice Michael East is also the name of a Renaissance madrigal composer who lived from 1580 to 1648 The Commonwealth Games is a multinational Multi-sport event. Held every four years it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. Kate Edmondson is a British Television presenter from Portsmouth England and older sister of former CBBC presenter Matt Edmondson. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. Matt Edmondson is a presenter, Comedian and ex- CBBC host Matt is a former columnist and feature writer for the Southern Daily Echo and has also CBBC ( Children's BBC) is the brand-name for the BBC 's Children's television programmes aimed at children aged between 6 and 12 years old Richard Harwood is also the assumed name of National Front member Richard Verrall. Robert John Hayles (born 21 January 1973 in Portsmouth) is a track and road racing Cyclist, riding for Great Britain, The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Cycling is the use of Bicycles or - less commonly - Unicycles Tricycles Quadricycles and other similar wheeled Human powered vehicles Simon Heartfield (born 1962 in Nantwich, Cheshire) is a DJ, Musician and Record Ian Hicks, better known as Hixxy (or DJ Hixxy) is a British Happy Hardcore DJ and Musician from Portsmouth, Christopher Eric Hitchens (born April 13, 1949) is a British Author, Journalist, Literary critic and American Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson, born 21 March 1950, in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England is a British Vocalist See also Supertramp (ecology and Alexander Supertramp Supertramp were a British Progressive rock band Brian Howe can refer to Brian Howe (murder victim, murder victim of Mary Bell Brian Howe (politician, Australian politician Bad Company are an English Blues rock supergroup founded in 1973 consisting of band members from Free ( Paul Rodgers, Simon Joe Jackson (born David Ian Jackson, 11 August 1954 Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire) is an English Musician and Singer-songwriter Paul Jones (born Paul Pond 24 February 1942 in Portsmouth, England) is an English Singer, Actor, Harmonica player and This article is about Manfred Mann the band For Manfred Mann the man see Manfred Mann (musician. Dillie Keane is an Olivier Award -nominated actress comedian and singer Fascinating Aida (otherwise known as Fascinating Aïda) is a British Comedy singing group and satirical Cabaret act which has Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936 was an English Author and poet Michelle Magorian (born November 6, 1947 in Southsea, Portsmouth) is an English author of children's books including Goodnight Goodnight Mister Tom (also Good Night Mr Tom) is a 1981 Novel by Michelle Magorian. Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana (born 22 August 1961) is a British Musician, Songwriter and Record producer. Tears for Fears (sometimes informally abbreviated to TFF are Alan Peter Pascoe MBE (born 11 October 1947) was a British athlete who gained success in hurdles. Marcus Patric (born Patrick Henry Gosling, 17 August 1979, Portsmouth, England) is a British Actor, best known for the Hollyoaks is a British television Soap opera which was first broadcast on 23 October 1995 on Channel 4. John Pounds ( June 17 1766 - January 1, 1839) was a teacher and altruist born in Portsmouth, and the man most responsible for Ragged schools is a name commonly given after about 1840 to the many independently established 19th century charity Schools in the United Kingdom which provided Richard Henry Sellers, CBE, commonly known as Peter Sellers ( 8 September 1925 &ndash 24 July 1980) was a British Katy Sexton MBE (born 21 July 1982, Portsmouth, England) is a British Swimmer. Cranes are a British music group Their music has frequently been described as incorporating elements of Gothic rock, Dream pop, and Shoegazing Nevil Shute Norway ( 17 January 1899 - 12 January 1960) was both a popular novelist and a successful aeronautical engineer David Wells (born June 8, 1960) is a medium and Astrologer. Born in the community of Kelloholm in Scotland, Wells claims he discovered Most Haunted is a British Paranormal television programme based on investigating purported Paranormal activity although Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 &ndash 13 August 1946 He was an outspoken socialist and a pacifist, his later works becoming increasingly political
• Kim Woodburn of How Clean is Your House? was born in Portsmouth
• Sir Arthur Young, policeman and police reformer

Town twinning

Portsmouth is twinned with two European cities, and has sister and friendship links with a numbers of other places around the world. Kim Woodburn (born Patricia Mary MacKenzie on March 25 1942 in Eastney, Hampshire, England) is an expert cleaner who appears How Clean Is Your House? is a British entertainment/lifestyle Television programme in which expert cleaners Kim Woodburn and Aggie Colonel Sir Arthur Edwin Young, KBE, CMG, CVO, KPM (15 February 1907 – 20 January 1979 was the Commissioner of the City of ^[43] Many of the schools in the local area conduct visits to the cities in order to educate its residents on foreign languages and culture.

• Duisburg
• Caen

Sister links

• Haifa
• Maizuru
• Portsmouth, Virginia
• Sydney, New South Wales

Friendship links

• Lakewood, Colorado
• Portsmouth, New Hampshire
• Zha Lai Te Qi (Pinyin: Zālàitè Qí; Zhalaite Banner; Jalaid Banner, Hinggan League)

See also

• HMNB Portsmouth
• Southsea
• Ferrol Spanish Armada (1588)
• Portsmouth Sinfonia
• Old Portsmouth

References

External links

• Clarence Pier
• Portsmouth Pubs
• Portsmouth City Council
• University of Portsmouth
• Portsmouth Records Office
• Queen's Harbour Master, Portsmouth
• Gunwharf Quays Shopping Centre
• Portsmouth Port
• Portsmouth travel guide from Wikitravel

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