Greater London is an administrative area governed by the Greater London Authority, and a ceremonial county of England that covers the bulk of the same area, with the exception of the City of London. It forms the London region. Greater London is the administrative boundary for London, and is organised into 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs and the City of London, which is part of the region but forms a separate ceremonial county. The Greater London Authority, based in Newham as of the start of 2022, is responsible for strategic local government across the region and consists of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. 
Greater London was first established in 1965 as a sui generis council area and ceremonial county under the Greater London Council on 1 April 1965 through the London Government Act 1963. The GLC was abolished in 1986. In 1994, the area was established as a government office region. The Greater London Authority was formed in 2000.The region covers 1,572 km2 (607 sq mi) and had a population of 8,174,000 at the 2011 census. In 2018 the estimated population surpassed 9 million. The Greater London Built-up Area is used in some national statistics and is a measure of most of the continuous urban area, and includes areas outside the administrative region.
Although Greater London would appear to be a city, it lacks any formal recognised city status in the UK and has not been granted an official city charter from the monarch (though two local authorities within the region - Westminster and the City of London have been granted that title). Instead, Greater London is officially a ceremonial county and wider English region, not a city.However, the ancient "Square Mile" City of London, which lies in the centre of Greater London (but is not one of Greater London's 32 boroughs) does have its own separate official city status, with its own separate Lord Mayor and separate City of London police force. The City of London is also a separate ceremonial county, the smallest in England.As a ceremonial county, Greater London has a Lord-Lieutenant and a High Sheriff, both appointed by the British monarch, but Greater London is not one of England's historic counties.
Before the UK seceded from the European Union in 2020 after Brexit, Greater London had also a been a regional constituency of the European Parliament, known generally as "London".


The Greater London Built-up Area is a measure of the continuous urban area, and includes areas outside the administrative region.

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