AberdeenisScotland's third most populouscity, one of Scotland's 32local governmentcouncil areasand theUnited Kingdom's37th most populous built-up area, with an official population estimate of 196,670 for the city of Aberdeen itselfand 228,990 for the local authority area.
Nicknames include theGranite City, theGrey Cityand theSilver City with the Golden Sands. During the mid-18th to mid-20th centuries, Aberdeen's buildings incorporated locally quarried grey granite, which can sparkle like silver because of its highmicacontent.Since the discovery ofNorth Sea oilin the 1970s, other nicknames have been theOil Capital of Europeor theEnergy Capital of Europe.The area around Aberdeen has been settled since at least 8,000 years ago,when prehistoric villages lay around the mouths of the riversDeeandDon. The city has a long, sandy coastline and a marine climate, the latter resulting in chilly summers and mild winters.