Plymouth

**Plymouth** () is a city and unitary authority in South West England. It is on the south coast of Devon, about  south-west of Exeter and  south-west of London. Cornwall is to its west and south-west.

Humans in the Plymouth area started in the Bronze Age when a first settlement was made at Mount Batten. This settlement continued as a place for trading for the Roman Empire, until the nearby village of Sutton started in the ninth century was used instead, which is now called Plymouth. In 1588, an English fleet from Plymouth defeated the Spanish Armada. In 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers left Plymouth for the New World and started Plymouth Colony, the second English settlement in what is now Massachusetts, United States. During the English Civil War, the town was held by the Parliamentarians.

Through the Industrial Revolution, Plymouth became a global port, with boats from the United States carrying passengers and goods. The nearby town of Devonport became important to the Royal Navy for its shipyards and dockyards.  In 1914, three towns (the county borough of Plymouth, the County Borough of Devonport, and the urban district of East Stonehouse were merged, becoming the County Borough of Plymouth. In 1928, it became a city.  During World War II, due to the city being important to the navy, the German military destroyed some of the city by bombing, an act known as the Plymouth Blitz.  After the war, the city centre was completely rebuilt.  Plymouth grew and the towns of Plympton, Plymstock became part of it in 1967.

The city has a population of  () people, making it the 30th-most populous built-up area in the United Kingdom and the second-largest city in the South West, after Bristol. It is governed locally by Plymouth City Council and nationally by two MPs. Plymouth's economy is based mostly on ships.  It has ferry links to France (Roscoff and St Malo) and to Spain (Santander). It has the largest working naval base in Western Europe, HMNB Devonport, and also has the University of Plymouth. Plymouth is called a "Small-Port City" using the Southampton System for port-city classification.

## History

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Plymouth has his cathedral here. Plymouth was badly affected by German bombing during the Second World War, when many buildings were destroyed. The Plymouth Fathers and the Plymouth Brethren were both named after Plymouth. Plymouth is linked to Saltash in Cornwall by two bridges across the River Tamar: the Royal Albert Bridge (built in 1859) carries the railway line to Penzance and the Tamar Bridge the A38 main road. On Plymouth Hoe is the third lighthouse, which used to stand on the Eddystone Rock in the English Channel.

## Sports

It has a football team called Plymouth Argyle and a rugby football team called Plymouth Albion.

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Plymouth
- **settlement type**: City and unitary authority
- **image skyline**: Plymouth_2018.jpg
- **image caption**: Clockwise from top: West Hoe, Smeaton's Tower, University of Plymouth, Royal William Victualling Yard, Royal William Yard, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, National Marine Aquarium, Southside St, Barbican, Plymouth, Barbican
- **image flag**: File:Flag of Plymouth.svg
- **flag size**: 150px
- **flag link**: Flag of Plymouth
- **image blank emblem**: Arms CorporationOfPlymouth Devon.png
- **nickname**: Britain's Ocean City
- **motto**:
<small>"The name of Jehovah is the strongest tower"</small>
- **image map**: Plymouth UK locator map.svg
- **map caption**: Plymouth shown within Devon and England
- **pushpin map**: UK
- **pushpin map caption**: Location within the United Kingdom
- **pushpin relief**: yes
- **subdivision type**: List of sovereign states, Sovereign state
- **subdivision name**: United Kingdom
- **subdivision type1**: Countries of the United Kingdom, Country
- **subdivision type3**: Regions of England, Region
- **subdivision type4**: Ceremonial counties of England, Ceremonial county
- **subdivision name1**: England
- **subdivision name3**: South West England
- **subdivision name4**: Devon
- **established title**: City status in the United Kingdom, City status
- **established date**: 1928
- **established title1**: Unitary Authority
- **established date1**: 1998
- **government type**: City Council
- **governing body**: Plymouth City Council
- **leader title**: Executive
- **leader name**: No overall control, NOC
- **leader title1**: Lord Mayor
- **leader name1**: Sam Davey
- **area rank**: List of English districts by area, (of )
- **elevation min m**: 0
- **population density km2**: auto
- **population rank**: List of English districts by population, (of )
- **population blank1 title**: Demonyms
- **population blank1**: Plymothian (formal)
Janner (informal)
- **postal code type**: Postal codes in the United Kingdom, Postcode district
- **postal code**: PL postcode area, PL1–9
- **area code**: 01752
- **leader title2**: HQ
- **leader name2**: Civic Centre Precinct
- **leader title3**: Wards
- **leader name3**: List of wards in Plymouth, 20
- **leader title4**: List of MPs elected in the 2019 United Kingdom general election, MPs
- **leader name4**: Johnny Mercer (politician), Johnny Mercer (Conservative Party (UK), C)
Luke Pollard (Labour Party (UK), L)
- **elevation max m**: 155
- **timezone**: Greenwich Mean Time, GMT
- **utc offset**: 0
- **timezone dst**: British Summer Time, BST
- **utc offset dst**: +1