Greater London

Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. It is one of the nine regions of England. The administrative area of Greater London covers the large conurbation which comprises the City of London, the City of Westminster and 31 other London boroughs, and encompasses what is commonly known simply as London, capital of England and the United Kingdom. It covers 1579 km² (609 sq. mi) and had a population of 7,172,036 at the April 2001 census. The results of the census were proved to be underestimated, and after careful research the UK Office for National Statistics published a 2001 midyear estimate of 7,322,400 which is more credible than the census itself.

History

Greater London was formally created on 1 April 1965, replacing the former administrative counties of Middlesex and London, adding the City, which was not under the London County Council, and absorbing parts of Kent, Hertfordshire, Surrey, and Essex. Greater London is bounded by the Home Counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey, and Kent.

Related Topics:
1 April - 1965 - Administrative counties - Middlesex - London - City - Kent - Hertfordshire - Surrey - Essex - Home Counties - Buckinghamshire - Berkshire

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Greater London originally had a two-tier system of local government, with the Greater London Council (GLC) sharing power with the Corporation of London (governing the small City of London) and the 32 London borough councils. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 under the government of Margaret Thatcher, with some of its functions devolved to the Corporation and the boroughs, and others reverting to central government. In 2000 the Labour government created a Greater London Authority consisting of a London Assembly and a Mayor of London to govern the entire area. The 2000 and 2004 Mayoral elections were both won by Ken Livingstone, the final leader of the GLC.

Related Topics:
Greater London Council - Corporation of London - 1986 - Margaret Thatcher - 2000 - Labour - Greater London Authority - London Assembly - Mayor of London - Ken Livingstone

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The population on the current territory of Greater London rose from about 1.1 million in 1801 (back then only about 0.85 million people were in the urban area of London, while 0.25 million were living in villages and towns not yet part of London) to an estimated 8.6 million in 1939, but declined to 6.8 million around 1980, before starting to rebound in the beginning of the 1980s. As of 2003, the population in Greater London has only recovered the level of the beginning of the 1970s (which was also the level of population in 1921). Some researchers expect the population of Greater London to reach 8.15 million by 2016, which would still be 0.45 million short of the 1939 peak, but it is hard to make exact predictions for such a distant date.

Related Topics:
1801 - 1939 - 1980

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Wider definitions of London's metropolitan area (the London commuter belt) extend over a far larger region with about 12 million to 12.5 million in it, but generally include districts distinct from London proper.

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The term 'Greater London' had been used before 1965, particularly to refer to the area covered by the Metropolitan Police Service (which did not coincide with Greater London until 2000), however the term 'Metropolitan Police District' is now preferred.

Related Topics:
1965 - Metropolitan Police Service - 2000 - Metropolitan Police District

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Historical population

Please note: Figures here are for Greater London in its 2001 limits. Figures before 1971 have been reconstructed by the Office for National Statistics based on past censuses in order to fit the 2001 limits. Figures from 1981 onward are midyear estimates (revised as of 2004), which are more accurate than the censuses themselves, known to underestimate the population of London.

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1891, April 5/6 5,572,012

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1901, March 31/April 1 6,506,954

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1911, April 2/3 7,160,525

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1921, June 19/20 7,386,848

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1931, April 26/27 8,110,480

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1939, Midyear estimate 8,615,245

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1951, April 8/9 8,196,978

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1961, April 23/24 7,992,616

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1971, April 25/26 7,452,520

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1981, Midyear estimate 6,805,000

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1991, Midyear estimate 6,829,300

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2001, Midyear estimate 7,322,400

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2003, Midyear estimate 7,387,900

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