Guide

Poole (pronunciation (help·info)) is a large English coastal town, Borough, port and tourist destination, situated on the shores of the English Channel, in the ceremonial county of Dorset. The town has a population of 141,128 and is part of the South East Dorset conurbation. Poole is famed for its large natural harbour, claimed to be the second largest in the world.

Maritime trade has a long history within the town, reaching its apex when the town was granted exclusive rights to fish off Newfoundland by Queen Victoria in the 19th century. During the Second World War the town was one of the central departing points for the D-Day landings of the Normandy Invasions.

The town is one of the principal centres of sailing and yachting in the United Kingdom. Poole is home to the headquarters of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the luxury yacht manufacturer Sunseeker. The Special Boat Service (SBS) also operate out of the harbour.

During the summer months the town serves a large number of tourists who visit the waterfront, the town centre and the nearby Sandbanks beach and Brownsea Island. Other prominent employers in Poole include Barclays Bank, the Bank of New York Mellon, Hamworthy Engineering, Poole Packaging, Penske Cars, Ryvita, cosmetics company Lush, and the clothing company, Animal.

Poole is also home to Bournemouth University, The Arts Institute at Bournemouth and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (despite their names).

Licenced under GFDL, derived from Wikipedia.