# Lancaster

> county town of Lancashire, England

**Wikidata**: [Q205905](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205905)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancaster,_Lancashire)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/lancaster

## Summary
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England, and is classified as a city and unparished area. Located in the United Kingdom with a population of 52,660 as of the 2021 census, it covers an area of 10.85 square kilometres. The settlement serves as a significant administrative and historic hub, twinned with multiple international cities including Aalborg, Lublin, and Perpignan.

## Key Facts
- **Classification**: City, county town, and unparished area.
- **Location**: Lancashire, England, United Kingdom.
- **Population**: 52,660 (2021 census); 52,234 (2011 census).
- **Area**: 10.85 square kilometres.
- **Coordinates**: 54.04888888888889, -2.801388888888889.
- **Elevation**: 9 metres above sea level.
- **Timezone**: UTC±00:00.
- **Demonym**: Lancastrian.
- **Official Language**: English.
- **Postal Code**: LA1.
- **Local Dialing Code**: 01524.
- **Historic County**: Lancashire.
- **Twin Towns**: Perpignan (since 1962), Rendsburg (since 1968), Aalborg (since 1977), Lublin (since 1994), Växjö Municipality (since 1996), Viana do Castelo, and Almere.

## FAQs
**What is the geographical location of Lancaster?**
Lancaster is situated in North West England within the historic county of Lancashire. It lies at coordinates 54.04888888888889 latitude and -2.801388888888889 longitude, with an elevation of 9 metres above sea level and an Ordnance Survey grid reference of SD475615.

**What are the demographic details of Lancaster?**
According to the 2021 census, Lancaster has a population of 52,660, an increase from 52,234 recorded in the 2011 census. The city covers an area of 10.85 square kilometres.

**What international relationships does Lancaster maintain?**
Lancaster maintains twinning agreements with eight international administrative bodies, including Perpignan (France) since 1962, Aalborg (Denmark) since 1977, Lublin (Poland) since 1994, and Växjö Municipality (Sweden) since 1996, as well as Rendsburg, Viana do Castelo, and Almere.

**How is Lancaster identified in global databases?**
Lancaster holds numerous identifiers including the UN/LOCODE GBLAN, the GEOnet Names Database Unique Feature ID -2600656, and the GeoNames ID 2644972.

## Why It Matters
Lancaster holds significant historical and administrative importance as the county town of Lancashire. Its status as a county town was historically noted, with records indicating a transition of this status to Preston by 1882. The city's administrative relevance is further underscored by its classification as a local government district and unparished area. Lancaster's cultural footprint is documented in major encyclopedic works, including the *Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition*, the *Great Soviet Encyclopedia*, and the *Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary*, highlighting its enduring recognition in global knowledge bases. The presence of a distinct coat of arms and a city council suggests a structured local governance that manages its civic affairs and international relationships.

## Notable For
- Serving as the county town of Lancashire.
- Maintaining extensive international civic partnerships, including one of the oldest with Perpignan dating back to 1962.
- Being the subject of diverse linguistic representation, with Wikipedia articles in over 60 languages including ang, ar, arz, azb, ba, be, bg, br, ca, ceb, commons, cs, cy, da, de, diq, el, en, eo, es, et, eu, fa, fi, fr, frr, ga, gd, ha, he, hu, hy, id, is, it, ja, kk, ko, la, lld, lmo, lt, lv, nl, nn, no, os, pl, pnb, pt, qu, ro, ru, sh, simple, sk, sr, sv, szl, th, tr, ug, uk, ur, vi, vo, war, wuu, zh, and zh_yue.
- Possessing a specific heraldic symbol, the Coat of arms of Lancaster City Council.
- Being described by five distinct historical encyclopedic sources.

## Body

### Geography and Administration
Lancaster is geographically positioned in North West England. It shares a border with Quernmore. The city's specific location is defined by the Ordnance Survey grid reference SD475615. Administratively, it is identified as a local government district and an unparished area. The city operates within the UTC±00:00 timezone. Its official website is listed as https://www.visitlancashire.com/explore/lancaster.

### Demographics
The population of Lancaster has shown growth over the decade between censuses. The 2011 census recorded a population of 52,234. By the 2021 census, conducted on March 21, the population had risen to 52,660. These figures are supported by references to UK Census Data and City Population statistics.

### International Identifiers and Codes
Lancaster possesses a vast array of identifiers across global systems:
- **Transport/Trade**: UN/LOCODE GBLAN.
- **Geographical**: GeoNames ID 2644972, GNS Unique Feature ID -2600656, OpenStreetMap Node ID 26700976.
- **Libraries/Archives**: Library of Congress Authority ID n79065290, GND ID 4134126-0, VIAF ID 243037582, National Library of Israel J9U ID 987007564236605171, National Library of Wales Authority ID lancaster-3.
- **Digital/Web**: Freebase ID /m/0m0bj, Facebook Location ID 112116145467159, Reddit Subreddit Lancaster_uk, Quora Topic Lancaster-Lancashire.
- **Media**: MusicBrainz Area ID c520414c-778b-4f4c-b2d8-5d1d0310582c, BBC Things ID d8b1265e-0c57-406a-8ecc-0d9f141b6127.

### Historical and Encyclopedic References
Lancaster is extensively documented in historical encyclopedias. It is described by *The Nuttall Encyclopædia*, the *Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition* (subject of "1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Lancaster"), the *Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1926–1947)*, the *Small Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary*, and the *Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary*. Additional references include the *Treccani Dizionario di Storia* (2010) and the *Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana*.

### Civic Symbols and Categories
The city utilizes a specific coat of arms, image located at `Coat_of_arms_of_Lancaster_City_Council.png`. Wikimedia Commons hosts a gallery titled "Lancaster" and a category "Lancaster, Lancashire". Wikipedia categories associated with the entity include "Category:Lancaster, Lancashire" (main topic), "Category:Births in Lancaster, Lancashire", "Category:Deaths in Lancaster", and "Category:People from Lancaster, Lancashire".

### Twin Towns and Relationships
Lancaster's twinning agreements span several decades and countries:
- **Perpignan** (France): Established 1962. Also twinned with Perpignan Méditerranée Métropole.
- **Rendsburg** (Germany): Established 1968.
- **Aalborg** (Denmark): Established 1977. Also twinned with Aalborg Municipality.
- **Lublin** (Poland): Established May 11, 1994.
- **Växjö Municipality** (Sweden): Established 1996.
- **Viana do Castelo** (Portugal) and **Almere** (Netherlands) are also listed as twin towns.

### Miscellaneous Data
Additional technical and cataloging data includes:
- **TOID**: 400000007456238.
- **WOEID**: 25701.
- **KEPN ID**: Lancashire/Lancaster.
- **SNARC ID**: Zanzibar Islands.
- **Yale LUX ID**: place/8b0395ef-6c77-4f3e-9ce3-f8e44d40797d.
- **FactGrid Item ID**: Friedrich Kriehuber.
- **ArchInform Location ID**: 8913.
- **OpenDomesday Settlement ID**: SD4861/lancaster.
- **WordNet 3.1 Synset ID**: 08893496-n.
The city is distinct from other entities named Lancaster, specifically noted as different from the Lancaster referenced in Polish Wikipedia.

## References

1. [Source](https://lublin.eu/lublin/wspolpraca-miedzynarodowa/miasta-partnerskie-i-zaprzyjaznione/lancaster-wielka-brytania,9116,w.html)
2. [Source](https://lublin.eu/lublin/wspolpraca-miedzynarodowa/miasta-partnerskie-i-zaprzyjaznione/2,strona.html)
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
5. Czech National Authority Database
6. MusicBrainz
7. [Source](http://www.ukcensusdata.com/lancaster-e07000121#sthash.sGUu3f28.LVIHxslk.dpbs)
8. [Source](https://citypopulation.de/en/uk/northwestengland/lancashire/E63000560__lancaster/)
9. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
10. GeoNames
11. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/gb.htm)
12. [Source](http://www.fallingrain.com/world/UK/H2/Lancaster.html)
13. Quora
14. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)