Brighton and Hove is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages. Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and Hove is England’s most populous seaside resort, as well as the second most populous urban area in South East England. It can be considered both a coastal and a downland city benefiting from both the sea and the chalk hill grasslands that it is nestled in. Brighton has a 5.4 mi (8.7 km) expanse of shingle beach, part of the unbroken 8 mi (13 km) section within the city limits. Neighbouring Hove is known for its hundreds of painted timber beach huts, but brick-walled chalets are also available on Brighton seafront, especially towards Rottingdean and Saltdean. Especially east of the Palace Pier, a flat sandy foreshore is exposed at low tide. The Palace Pier section of the beach has been awarded blue flag status.