# Durham

> city and the county town of County Durham in North East England

**Wikidata**: [Q179815](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179815)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham,_England)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/durham

## Summary
Durham is a city and the county town of County Durham located in North East England. It serves as the administrative capital of the county and is recognized as a historic settlement situated on the River Wear. The city is governed locally by the City of Durham Parish Council and the Charter Trustees.

## Key Facts
- **Classification**: City and county town.
- **Location**: County Durham, North East England, United Kingdom.
- **Coordinates**: 54.7833° N, 1.5666° W.
- **Area**: 72.08 square miles.
- **Population**: 48,069 (recorded in 2011).
- **Postal Code**: DH1.
- **Dialing Code**: 0191.
- **UN/LOCODE**: GBDRH.
- **OS Grid Reference**: NZ274424.
- **Local Authority**: City of Durham Parish Council (established April 1, 2018) and Charter Trustees.
- **Twin Towns**: Kostroma (Russia), Tübingen (Germany), and Banská Bystrica (Slovakia, twinned since 1967).
- **Historical Sovereignty**: Formerly part of the Kingdom of England (until 1707), Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800), and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922).

## FAQs
**What is the geographical location of Durham?**
Durham is situated in North East England within the county of County Durham. It lies at coordinates 54.7833° N, 1.5666° W and covers an area of 72.08 square miles.

**How is the city of Durham governed?**
The city's authority is shared between the Charter Trustees and the City of Durham Parish Council, the latter of which was established on April 1, 2018. It serves as the capital of County Durham.

**What are the demographic and infrastructural details of Durham?**
As of the 2011 census, the population was 48,069. The city utilizes the DH1 postal code and the 0191 local dialing code. Its specific UN/LOCODE is GBDRH.

**Which international cities is Durham twinned with?**
Durham maintains twinning relationships with Kostroma, Tübingen, and Banská Bystrica; the partnership with Banská Bystrica has been active since 1967.

## Why It Matters
Durham holds significant administrative and historical weight as the county town of County Durham. Its status as a city is central to the region's identity in North East England. The presence of specific governance bodies, such as the Charter Trustees and the newly formed Parish Council in 2018, highlights its ongoing civic evolution. Furthermore, its international twinning agreements with cities like Banská Bystrica, Tübingen, and Kostroma underscore its cultural connectivity and global engagement. The city's visual identity, defined by its cathedral and castle spanning the River Wear, anchors its historical narrative within the United Kingdom.

## Notable For
- **Administrative Capital**: Serves as the county town for County Durham.
- **Historic Governance**: Features a complex governance history, transitioning through four distinct national sovereignties (Kingdom of England to the modern United Kingdom).
- **Visual Heritage**: Distinguished by the 12th-century Durham Cathedral, Durham Castle, and the Millburngate and Framwellgate Bridges over the River Wear.
- **Global Connectivity**: Maintains active international town twinning relationships dating back to 1967.
- **Extensive Cataloging**: One of the most extensively indexed settlements in academic and library systems, with identifiers ranging from the Library of Congress to the National Library of Israel and the Vatican Library.

## Body

### Geography and Demographics
Durham is located in North East England, serving as the county town of County Durham. The city covers a total area of 72.08 square miles. Its precise geographic location is defined by the coordinates 54.7833° N latitude and -1.5666° W longitude, corresponding to the Ordnance Survey grid reference NZ274424. According to the 2011 census, the city has a population of 48,069.

### Governance and Sovereignty
The city is currently part of the United Kingdom, a status it has held since December 6, 1922. Prior to this, it was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922), the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800), and originally the Kingdom of England (until 1707).
Locally, the city's governance is managed by the **Charter Trustees** and the **City of Durham Parish Council**. The Parish Council was established on April 1, 2018. The official website for the city is https://durham.gov.uk/.

### International Relations
Durham participates in international town twinning programs to foster cultural and economic ties. Its twin cities include:
- **Banská Bystrica** (Slovakia): Twinning established in 1967.
- **Kostroma** (Russia)
- **Tübingen** (Germany)

### Infrastructure and Communications
The city's infrastructure is defined by specific postal and communication standards. The primary postal code is **DH1**, and the local dialing code is **0191**. For international trade and logistics, Durham is assigned the UN/LOCODE **GBDRH**. The city is also active on social platforms, maintaining a subreddit (durhamuk) and a Reddit topic ID (durham_england).

### Heritage and Visual Identity
Durham is visually defined by its historic architecture. Key imagery associated with the city includes:
- **Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle**: Visible from Millburngate Bridge on the River Wear, these structures date back to the 12th century.
- **Bridges**: The Framwellgate Bridge is a noted landmark.
- **Symbols**: The city has a registered flag and a coat of arms (escutcheon).

The city is extensively documented in historical texts, including *The Nuttall Encyclopædia* (referred to simply as "Durham") and *Meyer’s Universum, Zweiter Band* (1835), specifically regarding "Durham und seine Cathedrale."

### Digital and Academic Identifiers
Durham is indexed in a vast array of global knowledge bases, reflecting its historical and academic importance. Key identifiers include:
- **Library Systems**: Library of Congress Authority ID (n79084739), VIAF ID (123144411), GND ID (4085513-2), and the National Library of Israel ID (987007548075405171).
- **Encyclopedias**: Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID (place/Durham-England), Brockhaus Enzyklopädie Online ID (durham-40), and the Great Russian Encyclopedia Online ID (1941276).
- **Geographic Databases**: GeoNames ID (2650628), OpenStreetMap Node ID (21181736), and Google Knowledge Graph Freebase ID (/m/0hx5f).
- **Other**: The city has a MusicBrainz Area ID (bc8323bc-8b9b-4d55-9635-512377d9d338), a BBC Things ID, and an Archinform Location ID (5182).

### Categorization and Aliases
The entity is classified as a **city** and a **county town**. It is categorized under "Maps of Durham, County Durham" for cartographic references and "Views of Durham, County Durham" for visual media. It is distinct from other entities named "Durham" and is sometimes referred to as "Durham City" or "Durham, England." Other aliases include translations such as *Ciudad de Durham*, *ダラム市*, *Дарэм*, and *درهام*.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.banskabystrica.sk/zivot-v-meste/o-meste/partnerske-mesta/)
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. Czech National Authority Database
4. [Source](https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/2767/Charter-trust-and-Mayor-for-Durham-City)
5. Virtual International Authority File
6. MusicBrainz
7. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
8. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/gb.htm)
9. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)