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Plymouth

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Great
Britain

                                 City of Plymouth
                            Image:EnglandPlymouth.png
                                                               Geography
                       Status:                       Unitary, City (1928)
                       Region:                         South West England
            Ceremonial County:                                      Devon
                         Area:
                       - Total                               Ranked 266th
                                                                79.78 km²
                    Admin. HQ:                                   Plymouth
                     ONS code:                                       00HG
               Grid reference:                                   SX475538
                                                            Demographics
                   Population:
           - Total (2005 est.)
                     - Density                      Ranked 43rd
                                                                  246,100
                                                              3,085 / km²
                    Ethnicity:                                98.4% White
                                                                Politics
                               Plymouth Coat of Arms
                                                   Plymouth City Council
                                             http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/
                   Leadership:                           Leader & Cabinet
                    Executive:                                     Labour
                          MPs: Linda Gilroy, Alison Seabeck, Gary Streeter
                   Lord Mayor:                           Michael Fletcher

   Plymouth is a city of 246,000 inhabitants (est. 2005) in the southwest
   of England, or alternatively the Westcountry, and is situated within
   the traditional county of Devon. It is located at the mouths of the
   rivers Plym and Tamar and at the head of one of the world's largest and
   most spectacular natural harbours, the Plymouth Sound. The city has a
   rich maritime past and was once one of the two most important Royal
   Navy bases in the United Kingdom, a factor that made the city a prime
   target of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. After the
   destruction of the dockyards and city centre in the blitz of 1941,
   Plymouth was rebuilt under the guidance of architect Patrick
   Abercrombie and is now one of the few remaining naval dockyards in the
   United Kingdom and the largest naval base in Western Europe. Important
   locations in the city include The Royal Citadel, Devonport Dockyard and
   The Barbican from where the Pilgrims left for the New World in 1620.

   People born in Plymouth are known as Plymothians or less formally as
   Janners. In the Royal Navy, "Guzz" is a nickname for Devonport, from
   its original radio callsign.

History

   The earliest known settlement in Plymouth dates back to 1000 BC with a
   small iron age trading port located at Mount Batten in Plymstock. It is
   thought that tin was brought here from Dartmoor via the Plym and traded
   with the ancient Phoenicians. As part of the Roman Empire this same
   port continued to trade tin along with cattle and hides. The small port
   was later overshadowed by the rise of the fishing village of Sutton,
   whose name means 'south town'.

   At the time of the Domesday Book (1086) the manor of Sutton was held by
   the King, but Henry I granted it to the Valletort family whose local
   powerbase was at nearby Trematon Castle. The Valletorts in turn granted
   parts to the Augustinian priory at Plympton, a larger and older
   settlement than Plymouth at the head of the tidal estuary of the river
   Plym.

   That part of the town owned by Plympton Priory was granted a market
   charter in 1254, and the whole town and its surrounding area achieved
   municipal independence in 1439, becoming the first town to be
   incorporated by Act of Parliament English Parliament. As the higher
   parts of the Plym estuary silted up, ships used the port at the Plym's
   mouth instead of Plympton. And so, the name of the town of Sutton
   slowly became Plymouth instead, but the name 'Sutton' still resonates
   in the area, for example in the naming of its old harbour.

   In 1403, the town was briefly occupied and burnt by the French,
   especially the Bretons. Indeed, the town was often the target of
   enemies across the channel, especially during the Hundred Years' War.
   Plymouth had a castle at the mouth of Sutton Pool, as well as
   barricades across the seafront on the Hoe, but all of these have either
   been demolished or built upon by later fortifications dating to the
   Tudor and Stuart eras.

   During the sixteenth century, Plymouth was the home port for many
   successful maritime traders, including Sir William Hawkins (or Hawkyns)
   and his son Sir John Hawkins, who defied the Treaty of Tordesillas. It
   was Sir William Hawkins who led the first English participation in the
   triangle trade. In 1562 Sir John Hawkins, with the full support of
   Queen Elizabeth I, led England's first foray into the slave trade,
   kidnapping hundreds of women and men from Sierra Leone and elsewhere in
   West Africa to trade in the Spanish colonies in the Americas.

   As an Atlantic port Plymouth has seen the arrival and departure of many
   historical figures in English history. Catherine of Aragon and
   Pocahontas both arrived in England via the port in 1501 and 1616
   respectively. It was also from Plymouth that the Pilgrims sailed to the
   New World in 1620 aboard the Mayflower before landing at and founding
   the " Plymouth Colony". Napolean Bonaparte was brought to Plymouth
   aboard the HMS Bellerophon which remained on the Plymouth Sound for two
   weeks before his exile to Saint Helena in 1815 and the surviving crew
   of the RMS Titanic disaster disembarked at Millbay docks on their
   return to England in 1912.

   On 14 December 1810, Plymouth was struck by the strongest tornado yet
   reported in the UK (as of August 2005), with a T8 rating on the TORRO
   scale, and a wind speed of 213 to 240 mph.

   Most visitors to Plymouth are drawn to the spectacular Plymouth Hoe, a
   stretch of greensward on Plymouth Limestone (Devonian) low cliffs,
   overlooking Plymouth Sound; it is believed that this is the place where
   Sir Francis Drake completed his game of bowls before setting sail to
   defeat the Spanish Armada.

Plymouth during the Civil War

   Plymouth sided with the Parliamentarians against Charles I in the
   English Civil War. The town held out for almost four years until the
   defeat of the Royalists. There are a number of Forts and Keeps from
   that era, the remains of which can still be seen. After the restoration
   of the monarchy, construction of The Royal Citadel began in 1665. It is
   interesting to note that cannons were placed on the walls both facing
   out to sea and towards the town. A reminder to the people of Plymouth
   what consequences a repeated stance against the monarchy could have in
   future.

Plymouth during the Second World War

   Plymouth was one of the United Kingdom's principal naval dockyards, a
   naval tradition that continues to this day. The city was extensively
   blitzed during the Second World War, to the extent that approximately
   twice the amount of housing stock that existed prior to the war was
   destroyed during it (as a consequence of rebuilt houses being
   successively hit). Although the dockyards were the principal targets,
   civilian casualties were inevitably very high.

   The first bomb fell on the city on Saturday 6 July, 1940 at Swilly,
   killing 3 people. The last attack came on 30 April, 1944. Altogether
   1,172 people were killed and 3,269 people were injured - these figures
   do not include the many service casualties. At one point the population
   fell from 220,000, at the start of the conflict, to 127,000.

   The two main shopping centres and nearly every civic building were
   destroyed, along with 20 schools and 40 churches. 3,754 houses were
   destroyed with a further 18,398 seriously damaged. In the midst of that
   devastation a famous wooden sign was anonymously posted over the door
   of St Andrew's Church saying simply "Resurgam" (a Latin word meaning "I
   shall rise again"), indicating the wartime spirit. To this day the
   entrance of the church has been referred to as Resurgam door and a
   granite plaque with the word engraved is now permanently placed there.

   Plymouth was also one of the principal staging posts for the Normandy
   landings in June 1944, with Normandy Way (near the Tamar bridges)
   leading down to one of a series of embarcation points for US troops.

Arts

   Many highly acclaimed events and festivals are held in Plymouth
   including the British Fireworks Championships, World Championship Class
   1 Powerboat Racing and Music of the Night, a massive outdoor production
   held every two years in The Royal Citadel involving the efforts of the
   29th Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery, The Royal Artillery Band, the
   band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines and hundreds of local amateur
   performers.

Theatres

   The premier theatre not only for Plymouth but of the entire Westcountry
   is the Theatre Royal and its Drum Theatre where many current and widely
   acclaimed productions are shown. The Theatre Royal recently opened its
   Production and Education Centre on the waterfront at Cattedown,
   otherwise known as TR2. This architecturally praised building ensures
   that drama and acting continue to succeed in the city. On The Barbican
   is the Barbican Theatre providing the opportunity for the people of
   Plymouth to access and participate in high quality drama and acting, it
   also hosts a monthly comedy night. Many amateur dramatic societies and
   schools of dance function in Plymouth and regularly perform at the
   Athenaeum Theatre, Devonport Playhouse and Globe Theatre.

   The Plymouth Pavilions opened in 1991, and stages regular music
   concerts to suit all tastes from rock and pop to ballet, and other live
   events.

   The Plymouth Music Accord is an organisation of classical music
   consisting of many amateur and professional orchestras and choirs such
   as the South West Sinfonietta, Plymouth Symphony Orchestra, the
   Philharmonic Choir, Opera South West, the City of Plymouth Concert
   Band, the University of Plymouth Choir and Orchestra and Plymouth Jazz
   Club.

Museums, Art Galleries and Historic Buildings

   Smeaton's Tower
   Enlarge
   Smeaton's Tower
   Sutton Harbour Lock Gates
   Enlarge
   Sutton Harbour Lock Gates

   The Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery is home to vast collections of
   fine and decorative arts, natural history and human history. The
   museum's natural history collection consists of over 150,000 specimens
   of insects, birds, mammals, skeletons, plants, fossils and rocks along
   with an historic natural history library and archive. Many prehistoric
   artefacts from Dartmoor, important Bronze Age and Iron Age material
   from Mount Batten and medieval and post-medieval finds from Plymouth
   are found in the human history collection alongside artefacts from
   ancient Egypt and other ancient cultures of Europe and the Middle East.
   The Art Gallery boasts ever-changing art displays and exhibitions
   showcasing local and international art ranging from the 16th to the
   20th centuries. The collections include 750 easel paintings, over 3000
   watercolours and drawings, at least 5000 prints and a sizeable
   collection of sculptures. Work by local artists include that of Sir
   Joshua Reynolds and Robert Lenkiewicz along with work by artists of the
   19th century Newlyn School, the influential 20th century St. Ives group
   of painters and works by the Camden Town Group.

   The Plymouth Arts Centre is located in the historic Barbican and offers
   displays of work by a wide range of local, British and international
   artists such as Beryl Cook, Richard Deacon, Andy Goldsworthy and Sir
   Terry Frost. As well as promoting art, many independent art house and
   foreign films are also shown here. In a spectacularly converted church
   on North Hill is the Sherwell Centre that plays host to regular
   exhibitions, concerts, recitals, lectures and other public events. Many
   more small and privately owned galleries can be found on The Barbican.

   Other museums in Plymouth include the Plymouth Dome, the Plymouth &
   West Devon Record Office, Smeatons Tower, the Elizabethan House and
   Merchants House in addition to thousands of historic documents at
   various other locations.

   Plymouth is also home to the National Marine Aquarium. It is the United
   Kingdom's foremost aquarium.

   The synagogue, in Catherine Street, was built in 1762. It is the oldest
   Ashkenazi synagogue still standing in the English-speaking world.

Nightlife

   The centre of Plymouth's nightlife for over a century has been the
   infamous Union Street. Once lined with numerous music halls and
   cinemas, the street is now home to a wide number of bars, clubs and
   casinos such as Club Jesters, Kularoos Sports Bar, Walkabout Bar and
   The Stanley Grand Casino. The Millennium Complex was the major club on
   this thoroughfare incorporating three clubs in one, but was shut down
   due to allegations that drug dealers were operating within the
   premises. Union Street still maintains a reputation for unruly drunken
   behaviour but also as a place for a guaranteed wild night out. Although
   most clubs play commercial dance and R&B, there are some such as C103s
   which plays a variety of rock, spanning from classic to new age.
   Another location of clubs and bars is at the Barbican Leisure Park and
   the gay friendly Zero's on Lockyer Street.

   There are a number of bars with live music such as the Barbican Jazz
   Cafe, The Cider Press, The Cooperage and The Three Crowns on The
   Barbican and Yates's Wine Lodge on Royal Parade. The Plymouth Gin
   Distillery on the Barbican serves award winning cocktails. Major
   cinemas include the ABC Cinema on Derry's Cross and the Vue multiscreen
   complex at the Barbican Leisure Park.

   Mutley Plain, a road in the area of Mutley, is a pleasant residential
   shopping area and also now has many bars like Cafe Sol and The
   Underground; due to the increase of student population in the city. The
   Fortescue Hotel is a good natured & busy pub that has a wide range of
   beers, customers and a downstairs bar that boasts The Acoustic Cafe
   every Thursday night and Bizarre, Mutley (stand up comedy) on the 1st
   Saturday of each month.
   Looking towards the sea, from Cliff Road near the Hoe
   Enlarge
   Looking towards the sea, from Cliff Road near the Hoe

Government

   In 1914 the county boroughs of Plymouth and Devonport, and the urban
   district of East Stonehouse merged to form a single county borough of
   Plymouth. This was supported by the War Office, who were concerned that
   having three different local councils would complicate matters in time
   of war. Collectively they were referred to as " The Three Towns". A
   provisional order was made on May 2, 1914, to come into effect in
   November.

   In 1928, Plymouth was granted city status. The city's boundaries were
   extended in the mid-1930s and further expanded in 1967 to include the
   town of Plympton and the parish of Plymstock.

   Plymouth lobbied for further boundary extensions throughout the
   post-war period, proposing to annex Saltash and Torpoint on the other
   side of the Tamar to the Local Government Boundary Commission. The 1971
   Local Government White Paper proposed abolishing county boroughs, which
   would have left Plymouth, a town of 250,000 people, being administered
   from a council based at the much smaller Exeter, on the other side of
   the county. This led to Plymouth lobbying for the creation of a
   Tamarside county, to include Plymouth, Torpoint, Saltash, and their
   rural hinterlands.

   The campaign was not successful, and Plymouth ceased to be a county
   borough on April 1, 1974 with responsibility for education, social
   services, highways and libraries transferred to Devon County Council.
   It would become again a unitary authority under recommendations of the
   Banham Commission, on April 1, 1998.

   The City of Plymouth is divided into 20 wards, 17 of which elect three
   councillors and the other three electing two councillors, making up a
   total council of 57. Councillors are also known as Members of the
   Council and usually stand for election as members of national political
   parties. The local elections are held every four years with elections
   for one third of Council seats being held each year, the total
   electorate for Plymouth is 184,956 as of December 2003. The local
   election of May 2006 resulted in a current political composition of 28
   Labour, 25 Conservative and three Liberal Democrat councillors. One
   seat is still vacant due to the death of its occupier and will be
   filled after a by-election later in the year. Having lost seven seats
   since the last election, the Labour Party have now lost their majority
   control in the council (a position held since 2003) leaving no overall
   control in the city.

   The Council is headed by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, who are the
   Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor respectively. There is also a Leader
   of the Council (the Chairman of the Cabinet) and a leader of each
   political group. The current Lord Mayor is Michael Fletcher who is the
   539th holder of the office since its establishment in 1439. It was in
   1935 that the grant of dignity of Lord Mayor was announced; before that
   the office was Mayor. The Lord Mayor of Plymouth's official residence
   is 3 Elliot Terrace, located on the Hoe. Once the private residence of
   Waldorf and Nancy Astor, it was presented by Lady Astor to the City of
   Plymouth as a residence for future Lord Mayors and is used today for
   civic hospitality by visiting dignatories and circuit judges.

   In Westminster, Plymouth is represented by the three constituencies of
   Plymouth Devonport, Plymouth Sutton and Southwest Devon. As of the 2005
   General Election the two former constituencies are held by Labour MPs
   Alison Seabeck and Linda Gilroy respectively with the latter held by
   Conservative MP Gary Streeter.

Transport

   Map sources for Plymouth at grid reference SX475538
   Map sources for Plymouth at grid reference SX475538
   Lorries unloading from the Pont-Aven at Plymouth Docks
   Enlarge
   Lorries unloading from the Pont-Aven at Plymouth Docks

   The city is one of the primary gateways to Cornwall providing access by
   way of the Torpoint Ferry across the Hamoaze, and the Tamar Bridge
   linking the St Budeaux area of Plymouth on the Devon bank of the Tamar
   to Saltash on the Cornish bank. The major rail link to Cornwall, the
   Royal Albert Bridge runs side-by-side with the road bridge. A small
   foot-passenger ferry also runs between Stonehouse and the Cornish
   village of Cremyll; adjacent to the Mount Edgcumbe estate.

   A regular ferry service provided by Brittany Ferries operates from
   Millbay taking cars and foot passengers directly to Roscoff, Brittany
   and Santander, Spain. The berth in Millbay has recently been expanded
   to accommodate Brittany Ferries flag ship vessel, Pont-Aven and future
   redevelopment are planned to transform the harbour into a major port
   that will also accommodate incoming cruise liners. Currently Millbay is
   only the point where passengers are transported in tenders to and from
   cruise liners that occasionally stop off in the Plymouth Sound. These
   actions will see Plymouth revert from a predominantly naval port, where
   British and other foreign warships and submarines regularly dock, and
   return to a major destination of international cruise liners, as was
   common before the Second World War.

   Air travel to Plymouth is directly to Plymouth City Airport, or
   'Roborough', a small airport located four miles north of the city
   centre, just off the A386 road to Tavistock. Air Southwest exclusively
   operate short flights from the airport to destinations within the
   United Kingdom and the Channel Islands, the airport currently only
   handles passengers to destinations where a passport isn't required. The
   expansion of this airport to provide flights to continental Europe is
   currently a controversial issue in the city. Due to the airport's
   central location expansion is limited and public opinion towards
   building a new airport to the east of the city remain divided between
   the economic benefits to the local economy and the environmental
   concerns over building in the countryside.

   Plymouth railway station offers direct travel by First Great Western
   and Virgin Trains to Penzance in Cornwall and Paddington in London and
   links to the North of England by Virgin Trains.

   Other railway stations served by local trians are: Devonport, Dockyard,
   Keyham, St Budeax Victoria Road, and St Budeaux Ferry Road.

Economy

   This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Plymouth at
   current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National
   Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.
   Year Regional Gross Value Added Agriculture Industry Services
   1995 2,561                      6           1,027    1,528
   2000 2,676                      1           795      1,880
   2003 3,098                      1           899      2,198
    1. ^ Three Towns Amalgamation. The Times February 9, 1914.
    2. ^ Union of Plymouth and Devonport. The Times. May 4, 1914.
    3. ^ The City of Plymouth. The Times. October 18, 1928.
    4. ^ Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
    5. ^ includes hunting and forestry
    6. ^ includes energy and construction
    7. ^ includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured

   The economy of Plymouth has traditionally been linked to its coastal
   location focusing around fishing and the military, in particular
   Devonport Dockyard. The recent decline of these industries has seen a
   greater diversification towards a service based economy based on
   healthcare, food and drink and call centres with electronics, advanced
   engineering and boat building still maintaining a prime role. The
   decline of heavy industries has had a negative effect on the city's
   employment figures. In the past eight years employment has risen 11%,
   however, employment and wages still remain significantly below the
   national average.

   In terms of retail Plymouth is ranked second in the South West and 29th
   nationally. As the chief regional city of Devon and Cornwall, Plymouth
   has a catchment area of over 720,000 people with an annual high street
   expenditure of over £600 million being spent in the city. An annual
   influx of 11.8 million tourists is another major contributor to the
   local economy. The city is also one of a handful of British cities to
   trial the new Business Improvement District initiative.

Education

   The University of Plymouth is the largest university in southwestern
   England (and the fourth largest in the UK) with over 30,000 students,
   almost 3,000 staff and an annual income of around £110 million.

Colleges

   Plymouth has one of the largest Further Education Colleges in the
   country providing courses from the most basic to Foundation Degrees, it
   enrols more than 20,000 students a year. Plymouth College of Further
   Education is a highly successful college with many national awards for
   teaching and is to be found on the old site of Devonport Station which
   was Plymouth's largest and most important station until the cuts of
   Beeching.

   The Plymouth College of Art and Design (referred to as PCAD) is located
   at Charles Cross. The College offers a wide selection of innovative and
   traditional courses relating to the world of art and design.

   The teacher training College of St Mark and St John (Marjons) is part
   of the University of Exeter, situated almost at the end of the now
   disused runway 01/19 at Plymouth City Airport. The construction of this
   establishment in the 1970s led to the Royal Marine helicopter support
   units moving to Coypool (and eventually to RNAS Yeovilton).

Schools

   Plymouth College, one of England's public schools, is situated in Ford
   Park, to the north of the city centre.

   Other consistently high performing schools in Plymouth are Devonport
   High School for Boys, Devonport High School for Girls and Plymouth High
   School for Girls, three selective Grammar Schools with a reputation for
   academic excellence. There are also the comprehensive schools that
   specialise in selected subjects; Plymstock School is a Specialist
   Sports College, Hele's School a Specialist Language College, Ridgeway
   School specialises in Science and Coombe Dean School specialising in
   Mathematics and Computing.

   Notre Dame RC School, situated near to Derriford Hospital, is an all
   girls school. It is twinned with the nearby boys school, St. Boniface.

Green Space

   Plymouth has a number of public parks, the most significant of which is
   the massive Central Park. Other significant green spaces include
   Victoria Park, Freedom Fields Park, Alexandra Park, Keyham, Beaumont
   Park, St Judes, Greenbank Park, Blockhouse Park, Devonport Park and
   Westwell Gardens.

Sport

   The city is home to Plymouth Argyle Football Club, which plays in the
   English Football League's Championship division. The club is based at
   the Home Park stadium in Central Park.

   The Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club play their home games at the
   Brickfields. They are currently one of the top teams in the National
   League Division One

   The Plymouth Rugby League Football Club play in the Rugby League
   Conference South West Division. Kularoos Plymouth Raiders play their
   home games at the Plymouth Pavilions. They are currently one of the top
   teams in the British Basketball League.

   The Plymouth Devils speedway team races at St Boniface arena, Marsh
   Mills. Currently in the Conference League the newly formed team are
   headed by Chairman Mike Bowden.

   Plymouth is also home to two American Football teams, the Plymouth
   Blitz and the Plymouth Admirals who compete in the British American
   Football League.

Plymouth 2020

   The old Drake Circus centre was demolished in 2004
   Enlarge
   The old Drake Circus centre was demolished in 2004

   Plymouth is currently undertaking a massive project of urban
   redevelopment, the largest since the city was rebuilt after the Second
   World War. The 'Vision for Plymouth' launched by the internationally
   renowned architect David MacKay, and fully backed by Plymouth City
   Council is set to see areas of the city centre demolished, redesigned
   and rebuilt by the year 2020. Two of Plymouth's greatest eyesores, the
   old Drake Circus shopping centre and Charles Cross car park, have
   already been demolished and been replaced by the new £200 million Drake
   Circus shopping centre, which opened on 5 October 2006, with an
   estimated 60,000 visitors during the opening morning . Former public
   leisure centre, the Ballard Centre is currently being replaced with
   high quality urban living and office space along with a project
   involving the future demolition of the Bretonside bus station. A new
   £20 million nine-storey Jury's Inn hotel is being developed near the
   landmark ruined church and war memorial, Charles Church, along with the
   new Arts Faculty building, part of the ongoing redevelopment of the
   University campus. Other future plans include the demolition of the
   Plymouth Pavilions entertainment arena to create a boulevard linking
   Millbay to the city centre. Millbay itself, currently by day a
   wasteland and by night a red light district, is also to be regenerated
   with mixed residential, retail and office space alongside extensive new
   harbour facilities.

   The current appearance of the Drake Circus shopping centre is subject
   to much criticism from some residents of the city, claiming that it
   spoils the city with its garish colours. The main approach to the city,
   Exeter Street, is the focal point of these arguments, as the centre is
   situated behind the ruined Charles Church war memorial, and is said to
   do injustice to those killed, wounded and otherwise affected by World
   War II. Others, however, say the centre forms a backdrop to the church
   and creates a striking juxtaposition of traditional and modern
   architecture.

   Since development of the new shopping centre began, shop rents in the
   city centre have been significantly increased, inadvertently pushing
   smaller retail outlets out of the marketplace. Examples include Some
   Bizarre, which also lost customers as a result of the demolition of a
   pedestrian subway and more recently Kathie's Comics, an esoteric comic
   and game enthusiast store. The shopping centre itself contains the city
   centre's second Virgin Megastore, a fourth Costa Coffee outlet, a
   second Waterstones and a third Burger King.

Twinning

   The twin cities of Plymouth are:
     * Brest, Brittany, France (twinned 1963)
     * Gdynia, Poland (twinned 1976)
     * Novorossiysk, Russia (twinned 1990)
     * San Sebastián, Spain (twinned 1990)
     * Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States (twinned 2001)

   Plymouth also maintains a link with:
     * Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana

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