Southampton, on the south coast of England, is the largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire.[6] It is 75 miles (121 km) south-west of London and 19 miles (31 km) north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest. It lies at the northernmost point of Southampton Water at the confluence of the Rivers Test and Itchen,[7] with the River Hamble joining to the south of the urban area. The city, which is a unitary authority, has an estimated population of 253,651.[1] The city's name is sometimes abbreviated in writing to "So'ton" or "Soton", and a resident of Southampton is called a Sotonian.[8]