About Portsmouth

and Lord Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory. Although smaller than in its heyday, the naval base remains a major dockyard and base for the Royal Navy and Royal Marine Commandos whose Headquarters resides there. There is also a thriving commercial ferryport serving destinations on the continent for freight and passenger traffic. The City of Portsmouth and Portsmouth Football Club are both nicknamed Pompey.

The Spinnaker Tower is a striking recent addition to the city's skyline. It can be found in the redeveloped former HMS Vernon, formerly a shore establishment or 'stone frigate' of the Royal Navy, now an area of retail outlets, restaurants, clubs and bars now known as Gunwharf Quays.

The City of Portsmouth has a population of 209,166 and is the only city in England with a greater population density (5,145 /km (13,330 /sq mi)) than London (4,984 /km (12,910 /sq mi)). Portsmouth forms part of the South Hampshire Built-up Area, which includes Southampton, Havant, Eastleigh, Fareham and Gosport, and is the 6th largest urban area in England and the largest in Hampshire, with an estimated 860,000 residents according to the 2011 Census this area forms the centre of one of the United Kingdom's most populous metropolitan areas with a population in excess of a million