Coventry (/ˈkɒvəntri/ ⓘ KOV-ən-tree[6] or rarely /ˈkʌv-/ KUV-)[7] is a cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centuries. Founded in the early Middle Ages, its city status was formally recognised in a charter of 1345.[8] The city is governed by Coventry City Council, and the West Midlands Combined Authority.[9] Formerly part of Warwickshire until 1451, and again from 1842 to 1974, Coventry had a population of 345,324 at the 2021 census,[1] making it the tenth largest city in England and the 13th largest in the United Kingdom.[10]