Kingston upon Hull, almost invariably referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the East Riding of
Yorkshire, England. It is located 25 miles (40 km) from the North Sea on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber
estuary. Hull has a resident population of 257,000 (2007 est.). Renamed Kings town upon Hull by King Edward I in 1299, the
town and city of Hull has served as market town, military supply port, trading hub, fishing and whaling centre, and
industrial metropolis. Hull was an early theatre of battle in the English Civil Wars, and was the backdrop to events leading
to the abolition of the slave trade in Britain.