Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove (formed from the previous towns of Brighton, Hove, Portslade and several other villages) in East Sussex on the south coast of Great Britain. For administrative purposes, Brighton and Hove is not part of the Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England of East Sussex, but remains part of the Ceremonial counties of England of East Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex.
The ancient settlement of ''Brighthelmstone'' dates from before Domesday Book (1086), but it emerged as a health resort featuring sea bathing during the 18th century and became a destination for day-trippers from London after the arrival of the railway in 1841. Brighton experienced rapid population growth, reaching a peak of over 160,000 by 1961.Carder, Timothy (1990). ''The Encyclopaedia of Brighton''. S.127 East Sussex County Libraries. ISBN 0-86147-315-9 Modern Brighton forms part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton stretching along the coast, with a population of around 480,000.
Brighton has long been renowned throughout the UK and Europe as gay-friendly, and is home to a large LGBT community of Brighton and Hove. The City of Brighton & Hove acts as a magnet for lesbians and gay men from all over the world attracted to its bohemian atmosphere, open minded attitudes and raffish air. Brighton has now long been known as Britain's number one gay resort." Eight million tourists a year visit Brighton. The city has a substantial business conference industry regularly hosting the Liberal Democrats, Labour Party (UK), Conservative Party (UK) and Trade Union annual conferences. Brighton has two universities and a medical school.
