What is the name of the province of Oceana that Winston lives in (formerly known as London)?

The story behind the answer

In George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, the province where Winston lives—formerly Great Britain, including London—is called Airstrip One. It is a territory of the superstate Oceania.

Airstrip One is the Party’s name for Britain after political upheaval and global war have reshaped the world. London remains recognizable, but its old identity has been absorbed into Oceania’s authoritarian system. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he alters historical records to match the Party’s current claims.

A common mix-up is confusing Airstrip One with Oceania itself. Oceania is the larger superstate; Airstrip One is one of its provinces. The novel’s deliberately bureaucratic name suggests how the regime replaces history, geography, and national identity with controlled official language. Winston’s memories of “old London” therefore conflict with the Party’s version of reality.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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