Claim: South East England is the third largest region of a country.

South East England is the most populous of the nine official regions of England at the first level of NUTS for statistical purposes . It consists of Berkshire , Buckinghamshire , East Sussex , Hampshire , the Isle of Wight , Kent , Oxfordshire , Surrey and West Sussex . As with the other regions of England , apart from Greater London , the south east has no elected government .   It is the third largest region of England , with an area of 19,096 km ² -LRB- 7,373 sq mi -RRB- , and is also the most populous with a total population of over eight and a half million -LRB- 2011 -RRB- . The headquarters for the region 's governmental bodies are in Guildford , and the region contains seven cities : Brighton and Hove , Canterbury , Chichester , Oxford , Portsmouth , Southampton and Winchester , though other major settlements include Reading and Milton Keynes . Its proximity to London and connections to several national motorways have led to south east England becoming an economic hub , with the largest economy in the country outside the capital . It is the location of Gatwick Airport , the UK 's second-busiest airport , and its coastline along the English Channel provides numerous ferry crossings to mainland Europe .   The region is known for its countryside , which includes the North Downs and the Chiltern Hills as well as two national parks : the New Forest and the South Downs . The River Thames flows through the region and its basin is known as the Thames Valley . It is also the location for a number of internationally known places of interest , such as HMS Victory in Portsmouth , Cliveden in Buckinghamshire , Thorpe Park and RHS Wisley in Surrey , Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire , Windsor Castle in Berkshire , Leeds Castle , the White Cliffs of Dover and Canterbury Cathedral in Kent , Brighton Pier and Hammerwood Park in East Sussex , and Wakehurst Place in West Sussex . The region has many universities ; the University of Oxford is ranked among the best in the world .   South east England is host to various sporting events , including the annual Henley Royal Regatta , Royal Ascot and the Epsom Derby , and sporting venues include Wentworth Golf Club and Brands Hatch . Some of the events of the 2012 Summer Olympics were held in the south east , including the rowing at Eton Dorney and part of the cycling road race in the Surrey Hills .