| Bristol is a city in southwest England, 105 miles
(169 km) west of London, and 44 miles (71 km) east of Cardiff. With
an estimated population of 416,400 in mid-2007, and a surrounding
urban area with an estimated 561,500 residents, Bristol is England's
sixth, and the United Kingdom's eighth most populous city.
Bristol received a Royal Charter in 1155 and was granted County
status in 1373. It borders the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire
and it also has a short coastline on the estuary of the River
Severn where it flows into the Bristol Channel.
Bristol is the largest centre of culture, employment and education
in the region. In more recent years the economy has depended on
the aerospace industry, and the city centre docks have been regenerated
as a centre of heritage and culture.
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