Westminster

Westminster
The Palace of Westminster
Western facade of Westminster Abbey
Westminster Location within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ295795
• Charing Cross	0.58 mi (0.9 km) NEbE
London borough	Westminster
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	SW1
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
UK Parliament	Cities of London and Westminster
London Assembly	West Central
List of places UK England London 51°29′41″N 00°08′07″W / 51.49472°N 0.13528°W / 51.49472; -0.13528

Westminster is a cathedral city and the main settlement of the London Borough of the City of Westminster in Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, Trafalgar Square and much of the West End cultural centre including the entertainment precinct of West End Theatre.

The name (Old English: Westmynstre)^[1] originated from the informal description of the abbey church and royal peculiar of St Peter's (Westminster Abbey), west of the City of London (until the English Reformation there was also an Eastminster, near the Tower of London, in the East End of London). The abbey's origins date from between the 7th and 10th centuries, but it rose to national prominence when rebuilt by Edward the Confessor in the 11th century. Westminster has been the home of England's government since about 1200, and from 1707 the Government of the United Kingdom. In 1539, it became a city.

Westminster is often used as a metonym to refer to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which sits in the Palace of Westminster.