owned_by admiralty house
Surrey is a county in the south east of England and also one of the home counties bordering Greater ___MASK43___ . Surrey shares borders with ___MASK81___ to the east , East Sussex to the south - east , West Sussex to the south , Hampshire to the west and south - west and Berkshire to the north - west . The county town is Guildford . Surrey County Council sits extraterritorially at Kingston upon Thames , administered as part of Greater ___MASK43___ since 1965 . With a resident population of 1 . 1 million , Surrey is the most densely populated and third most populated county in the South East region , after ___MASK81___ and Hampshire . Great Britain , also known as Britain , is a large island in the north Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe . With an area of , Great Britain is the largest European island and the ninth - largest in the world . In 2011 the island had a population of about 61 million people , making it the world ' s third - most populous island after Java in ___MASK87___ and Honshu in Japan . The island of Ireland is situated to the west of it , and together these islands , along with over 1 , 000 smaller surrounding islands , comprise the British Isles archipelago . Hertfordshire ( often abbreviated Herts ) is a county in southern England , bordered by Bedfordshire to the north , Cambridgeshire to the north - east , Essex to the east , Buckinghamshire to the west and Greater ___MASK43___ to the south . For government statistical purposes , it is placed in the East of England region . The ___MASK43___ Assembly is an elected body , part of the Greater ___MASK43___ Authority , that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of ___MASK43___ and has the power , with a two - thirds majority , to amend the Mayor ' s annual budget and to reject the Mayor ' s draft statutory strategies . The assembly was established in 2000 and meets at ___MASK31___ Hall on the South Bank of the River Thames , close to Tower Bridge . The assembly is also able to investigate other issues of importance to Londoners ( transport , environmental matters , etc .), publish its findings and recommendations , and make proposals to the Mayor . Head of government is a generic term used for either the highest or second highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state , a federated state , or a self - governing colony , ( commonly referred to as countries , nations or nation - states ) who often presides over a cabinet , a group of ministers or secretaries who lead executive departments . The term " head of government " is often differentiated from the term " head of state ", ( e . g . as in article 7 of the ___MASK42___ Convention on the Law of Treaties , article 1 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons , including Diplomatic Agents and the United Nations protocol list ), as they may be separate positions , individuals , and / or roles depending on the country . The Mayor of ___MASK43___ is an elected politician who , along with the ___MASK43___ Assembly of 25 members , is accountable for the strategic government of Greater ___MASK43___ . The current mayor is Sadiq Khan , who took up office on 9 May 2016 . The position had been held by Ken Livingstone from the creation of the role on 4 May 2000 until he was defeated in 2008 by Boris Johnson , who served two terms before being succeeded by Khan . England is a country that is part of the ___MASK14___ . It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west . The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest . England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south . The country covers five - eighths of the island of Great Britain ( which lies in the North Atlantic ) in its centre and south ; and includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly , and the Isle of Wight . ___MASK81___ is a county in South East England and one of the home counties . It borders Greater London to the north west , Surrey to the west , East Sussex to the south west , and Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north . The county town is Maidstone . Whitehall is a road in the ___MASK31___ of Westminster , Central London , which forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea . It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Square . The street is recognised as the centre of Her Majesty ' s Government and is lined with numerous departments and ministries including the Ministry of Defence , Horse Guards and the Cabinet Office . Consequently , the name " Whitehall " is used as a metonym for British central governmental administration , and the geographic name for the surrounding area . The ___MASK41___ ( EU ) is a political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe . It has an area of , and an estimated population of over 510 million . The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states . EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people , goods , services , and capital within the internal market , enact legislation in justice and home affairs , and maintain common policies on trade , agriculture , fisheries , and regional development . Within the Schengen Area , passport controls have been abolished . A monetary union was established in 1999 and came into full force in 2002 , and is composed of 19 EU member states which use the euro currency . A head of state ( or chief of state ) is the public persona that officially represents the national unity and legitimacy of a sovereign state . In developing the current Constitution of ___MASK7___ ( 1958 ), former French president Charles de Gaulle said the head of state should embody " the spirit of the nation " (""). In some countries , typically those with parliamentary governments , the head of state is a ceremonial figurehead that does not actually guide day - to - day government activities and may not even be empowered to exercise any kind of political authority ( e . g ., Queen ___MASK98___ in the ___MASK14___ ). In other countries , the head of state is also the head of government , such as in the U . S ., where the president is both a public figurehead and the actual highest ranking political leader who , in practice , oversees the executive branch . The Cabinet Office is a department of the ___MASK84___ responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom . It is composed of various units that support Cabinet committees and which co - ordinate the delivery of government objectives via other departments . It currently has just over 2 , 000 staff , most of whom work in Whitehall . Staff working in the Prime Minister ' s Office are part of the Cabinet Office . The ___MASK14___ of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the ___MASK14___ ( UK ) or Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe . Lying off the north - western coast of the European mainland , it includes the island of Great Britain ( the name of which is also loosely applied to the whole country ), the north - eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign statethe Republic of Ireland . Apart from this land border , the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to its east , the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south - south - west , giving it the 12th - longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland . With an area of , the UK is the 78th - largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th - largest in Europe . It is also the 21st - most populous country , with an estimated 65 . 1 million inhabitants . Together , this makes it the fourth most densely populated country in the ___MASK41___ . The ___MASK31___ of Westminster is an Inner London borough which also holds ___MASK31___ status . It occupies much of the central area of Greater London including most of the West End . It is to the west of and adjoining the ancient ___MASK31___ of London , directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea , and its southern boundary is the River Thames . It was created with the 1965 establishment of Greater London . Upon creation , Westminster was awarded ___MASK31___ status , which had been previously held by the smaller Metropolitan Borough of Westminster . The ___MASK91___ ( RN ) is the United Kingdom ' s naval warfare force . Although warships were used by the English kings from the early medieval period , the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years War against the kingdom of France . The modern ___MASK91___ traces its origins to the early 16th century ; the oldest of the UK ' s armed services , it is known as the Senior Service . The ___MASK96___ was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from the 10th century  when it emerged from various Anglo - Saxon kingdoms  until 1707 , when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain . Central ___MASK43___ is the innermost part of ___MASK43___ , England . There is no official definition of its area but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment , high land values , an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally , nationally and internationally significant organisations and facilities . Over time a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of central ___MASK43___ for statistics , urban planning and local government . The ___MASK31___ of London is a ___MASK31___ and county within London . It constituted most of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages , but the agglomeration has since grown far beyond the ___MASK31___ ' s borders . The ___MASK31___ is now only a tiny part of the metropolis of London , though it remains a notable part of central London . Administratively , it forms one of the 33 local authority districts of Greater London ; however , the ___MASK31___ of London is not a London borough , a status reserved for the other 32 districts ( including London ' s only other ___MASK31___ , the ___MASK31___ of Westminster ). Londinium was a settlement established on the current site of the ___MASK31___ of London around 43 . Its bridge over the River Thames turned the ___MASK31___ into a road nexus and major port , serving as a major commercial centre in Roman Britain until its abandonment during the 5th century . Middlesex ( abbreviation : Middx ) was a county in southeast England that is now mostly part of Greater ___MASK43___ , with small sections in neighbouring counties . It was established in the Anglo - Saxon system from the territory of the Middle Saxons , and existed as an official unit until 1965 . The historic county included land stretching north of the River Thames from east to west of the ___MASK31___ of ___MASK43___ with the rivers Colne and Lea and a ridge of hills as the other boundaries . The largely low - lying county , dominated by clay in its north and alluvium on gravel in its south , was the second smallest by area in 1831 . Trafalgar Square is a public square in the ___MASK31___ of Westminster , Central London , built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross . Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar , a British naval victory in the Napoleonic Wars with France and Spain that took place on 21 October 1805 off the coast of Cape Trafalgar , Spain . ___MASK43___ is the capital and most populous ___MASK31___ of England and the United Kingdom , as well as the most populous ___MASK31___ proper in the ___MASK41___ . Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain , ___MASK43___ has been a major settlement for two millennia . It was founded by the Romans , who named it " Londinium ". ___MASK43___ ' s ancient core , the City of ___MASK43___ , largely retains its medieval boundaries . Since at least the 19th century , " ___MASK43___ " has also referred to the metropolis around this core , historically split between Middlesex , Essex , Surrey , ___MASK81___ , and Hertfordshire , which today largely makes up Greater ___MASK43___ , governed by the Mayor of ___MASK43___ and the ___MASK43___ Assembly . An official residence is the residence at which a nation ' s head of state , head of government , governor or other senior figure officially resides . It may or may not be the same location where the individual conducts work - related functions , or actually lives . The British Empire comprised the dominions , colonies , protectorates , mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the ___MASK14___ and its predecessor states . It originated with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries . At its height , it was the largest empire in history and , for over a century , was the foremost global power . By 1913 , the British Empire held sway over 412 million people , % of the world population at the time , and by 1920 , it covered , % of the Earth ' s total land area . As a result , its political , legal , linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread . At the peak of its power , the phrase " the empire on which the sun never sets " was often used to describe the British Empire , because its expanse around the globe meant that the sun was always shining on at least one of its territories . The River Thames is a river that flows through southern England . At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the ___MASK14___ , after the River Severn . It also flows through Oxford ( where it is called Isis ), Reading , Henley - on - Thames and Windsor . The lower reaches of the river are called the Tideway , derived from its long tidal reach up to Teddington Lock . It rises at Thames Head in Gloucestershire , and flows into the North Sea via the Thames Estuary . The Thames drains the whole of Greater London . The Admiralty was the government department responsible for the command of the ___MASK91___ in the ___MASK96___ , and later in Great Britain , and from 1709 and until 1964 in the United Kingdom and former British Empire . Originally exercised by a single person , the Lord High Admiral , the Admiralty was , from the early 18th century onwards , almost invariably put " in commission " and exercised by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty , who sat on the Board of Admiralty . Admiralty House in ___MASK43___ is a Grade I listed building facing Whitehall , currently used for UK government functions and as ministerial flats . It was opened in 1788 and until 1964 was the official residence of the First Lords of the Admiralty . Parliament Square is a square at the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in ___MASK43___ . It features a large open green area in the centre with trees to its west and it contains eleven statues of statesmen and other notable individuals . The Board of Admiralty was established in 1628 when Charles I put the office of ___MASK75___ High Admiral into commission to exercise the office of the ___MASK75___ High Admiral . As that position was not always occupied , the purpose was to enable management of the day to day operational requirements of the ___MASK91___ ; at that point administrative control of the navy was still the responsibility of the Navy Board , established in 1546 . This system remained in place until 1832 , when the Board of Admiralty became the sole authority charged with both administrative and operational control of the navy when the Navy Board was abolished . The term Admiralty has become synonymous with the command and control of the ___MASK91___ , partly personified in the Board of Admiralty and in the Admiralty buildings in London from where operations were in large part directed . It existed until 1964 when the office of First ___MASK75___ of the Admiralty was finally abolished and the functions of the Lords Commissioners were transferred to the new Admiralty Board and the tri - service Defence Council of the United Kingdom .