Aberdeen

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This article is about the city in Scotland. For other uses, see Aberdeen (disambiguation).

Aberdeen

Aiberdeen

Obar Dheathain

City and council area

From left to right: Marischal College, West Tower of the new Town House on Union Street, River Dee
view from Tollohill Woods, Old Aberdeen High Street, Aberdeen Beach

From left to right: Marischal College, West Tower of the new Town House on Union Street, River Dee
view from Tollohill Woods, Old Aberdeen High Street, Aberdeen Beach

Flag of Aberdeen

Flag

Coat of arms of Aberdeen

Coat of arms

Nicknames: "Granite City", "Grey City", "Silver City", and "Silver City with the Golden Sands"

Location within Scotland

Location within Scotland

Aberdeen is located in the United KingdomAberdeenAberdeen

Location within Scotland

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Coordinates: 57.15°N 2.11°WCoordinates: 57.15°N 2.11°W

Sovereign state United Kingdom United Kingdom

CountryScotland Scotland
Council area Aberdeen City

Lieutenancy area Aberdeen

Earliest Charter 1179

City status 1891

Government

• Governing body Aberdeen City Council

• Lord Provost Barney Crockett

• MSPs

3[show]

• MPs

3[show]

Area

• City and council area 185.7 km2 (71.7 sq mi)

Population (mid-2019 est.) 196,670[3]

• Density 3,505.7/km2 (9,080/sq mi)

• Urban 214,610[2]

• Metro 239,530[1]

• Language(s) Scots (Doric) English

Demonym(s) Aberdonians

Time zone UTC±0 (GMT)

• Summer (DST) UTC+1 (BST)

Postcode areas

AB10-AB13 (part), AB15, AB16, AB21-AB25

Area code(s) 01224

ISO 3166-2 GB-ABE

ONS code S12000033

OS grid reference NJ925065

NUTS 3 UKM50

Primary Airport Aberdeen Airport

Website www.aberdeencity.gov.uk

Aberdeen (/ˌæbərˈdiːn/ (About this soundlisten); Scots: Aiberdeen, About this soundlisten (help·info);
Scottish Gaelic: Obar Dheathain [opəɾ ˈɛ.ɛɲ]; Latin: Aberdonia) is a city in northeast Scotland. It is
Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen
City[4]) and the United Kingdom's 39th most populous built-up area, with an official 2018 population
estimate of 198,880 for the city of Aberdeen[5] and 227,560 for the local council area.[6]

During the mid-18th to mid-20th centuries, Aberdeen's buildings incorporated locally quarried grey
granite, which can sparkle like silver because of its high mica content.[7] Since the discovery of North
Sea oil in the 1970s, Aberdeen has been known as the off-shore oil capital of Europe.[8] The area around
Aberdeen has been settled for at least 8,000 years,[9] when prehistoric villages lay around the mouths
of the rivers Dee and Don. The city has a long, sandy coastline and a marine climate, the latter resulting
in chilly summers and mild winters.

Aberdeen received Royal burgh status from David I of Scotland (1124–1153),[10] transforming the city
economically. The city has two universities, the University of Aberdeen, founded in 1495, and Robert
Gordon University, which was awarded university status in 1992, making Aberdeen the educational
centre of north-east Scotland. The traditional industries of fishing, paper-making, shipbuilding, and
textiles have been overtaken by the oil industry and Aberdeen's seaport. Aberdeen Heliport is one of the
busiest commercial heliports in the world[11] and the seaport is the largest in the north-east of
Scotland.[12]

Aberdeen used to host the Aberdeen International Youth Festival, a major international event which
attracted up to 1000 of the most talented young performing arts companies but the council ended
funding in 2017 and the festival was wound up in 2018. In 2015, Mercer named Aberdeen the 57th most
liveable city in the world, as well as the fourth most liveable city in Britain.[13] In 2012, HSBC named
Aberdeen as a leading business hub and one of eight 'super cities' spearheading the UK's economy,
marking it as the only city in Scotland to receive this accolade.[14] In 2018, Aberdeen was found to be
the best city in the UK to start a business in a study released by card payment firm Paymentsense.[15]