The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. Covering a total area of roughly 7.63 square miles, it is within the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. The London Borough of Hackney lies towards the north of the borough whilst the River Lea forms the boundary with the London Borough of Newham towards the east. Around the other side of the Thames is the London Borough of Southwark towards the southwest, The London Borough of Lewisham to the South, and also the Royal Borough of Greenwich towards the southeast. The River Lea also forms the boundary between those parts of London historically in Middlesex, with these formerly in Essex.
According to population estimates made in the middle of 2014, the borough includes a permanent population of about 284015 inhabitants. In addition, it contains a great deal of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks and Canary Wharf.
The borough is also fairly well-known for being home to the Women's Library in Aldgate, which is Great Britain's main library and museum resource on women and the women's movement, specifically concentrating on Britain within the 19th and 20th centuries. Furthermore, a part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is in Tower Hamlets.