Bristol is a city unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England with an estimated population of 433 100 for the unitary authority in 2009 and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone (LUZ) with an estimated 1 070 000 residents in 2007 it is England's sixth and the United Kingdom's eighth most populous city one of the group of English Core Cities and the most populous city in South West England. Bristol received a Royal Charter in 1155 and was granted County status in 1373.