Birmingham

Birmingham (/ˈbɜːrmɪŋəm/ ^ⓘ[5][6][7] BUR-ming-əm) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in Britain[lower-alpha 2][8] – commonly referred to as the second city of the United Kingdom[9][10][11][12][13] – with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper.[14] Birmingham borders the Black Country to its west and together with its city of Wolverhampton and towns including Dudley and Solihull to the south-east, forms the West Midlands conurbation. The wider metropolitan area has a population of 4.3 million, making it the largest outside of London.[15]

Quick facts: Birmingham, Sovereign state, Country, Region,... ▼

Birmingham
City and metropolitan borough
Council House and Victoria Square† Library of Birmingham at Centenary Square Centenary Way towards Paradise and Chamberlain Square Birmingham Cathedral and Cathedral Square Junction of New Street and Corporation Street Selfridges Building in the Bullring Old Joe at the University of Birmingham
Flag Coat of arms Logo of the City Council
Nicknames:  Brum City of a Thousand Trades 0121 Second City The Pen Shop of the World Venice of the North Workshop of the World
Motto:  Forward
Shown within West Midlands county
Birmingham Location within the United Kingdom Show map of the United Kingdom Birmingham Location within England Show map of England Birmingham Location within Europe Show map of Europe
Coordinates: 52°28′48″N 1°54′9″W
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	England
Region	West Midlands
Ceremonial county	West Midlands
Historic county	Warwickshire (historic entirety) Worcestershire and Staffordshire (added during 19th and 20th century expansion)
Settlement	c. 600
Seigneurial borough	1166
Municipal borough	1838
City status	14 January 1889
Metropolitan borough	1 April 1974
Administrative HQ	The Council House, Victoria Square
Government
• Type	Metropolitan borough
• Body	Birmingham City Council
• Leadership	Leader and cabinet
• Executive	Labour
• Leader	John Cotton (Lab)[1]
• Lord Mayor	Chaman Lal[2]
• Chief Executive	Deborah Cadman[3]
Area
• City	103.4 sq mi (267.8 km2)
• Urban	231.2 sq mi (598.9 km2)
• Rank	131st
Elevation	460 ft (140 m)
Population  (2021)
• City	1,142,494
• Rank	1st 2nd in England and UK[lower-alpha 1]
• Density	11,050/sq mi (4,266/km2)
• Urban	2,919,600 (3rd)
• Metro	4,300,000 (2nd)
Demonym	Brummie
Time zone	UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
Postcode	B
Area code	0121
ISO 3166 code	GB-BIR
Police	West Midlands Police
Fire and Rescue	West Midlands Fire Service
Ambulance	West Midlands Ambulance Service
OS grid reference	SP066868
Motorways	A38(M) M5 M6 M6 Toll M40 M42
International airports	Birmingham (BHX)
Major railway stations	Birmingham New Street (A) Birmingham Moor Street (B) Birmingham Snow Hill (C1) Birmingham International (C1)
GDP	US$ 121.1 billion[4] (2nd)
– Per capita	US$ 31,572[4]
Councillors	120
MPs	List Gary Sambrook (C) Liam Byrne (L) Paulette Hamilton (L) Tahir Ali (L) Khalid Mahmood (L) Shabana Mahmood (L) Steve McCabe (L) Andrew Mitchell (C) Jess Phillips (L) Preet Gill (L)
Website	www.birmingham.gov.uk
† used as the approximate 'zero mark' (km0) of the city

Located in the West Midlands region of England, approximately 100 miles (160 km) from London, Birmingham is considered to be the social, cultural, financial and commercial centre of the Midlands. It is just west of the traditional centre point of England at Meriden,[16] and is the most inland major city in the country,[17] and lying north of the Cotswolds and east of the Shropshire Hills. Distinctively, Birmingham only has small rivers flowing through it, mainly the River Tame and its tributaries River Rea and River Cole – one of the closest main rivers is the Severn, approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of the city centre. The city does however have numerous canals, collectively named the Birmingham Canal Navigations.[18]

Historically a market town in Warwickshire in the medieval period, Birmingham grew during the 18th century during the Midlands Enlightenment and during the Industrial Revolution, which saw advances in science, technology and economic development, producing a series of innovations that laid many of the foundations of modern industrial society.[19] By 1791, it was being hailed as "the first manufacturing town in the world".[20] Birmingham's distinctive economic profile, with thousands of small workshops practising a wide variety of specialised and highly skilled trades, encouraged exceptional levels of creativity and innovation; this provided an economic base for prosperity that was to last into the final quarter of the 20th century. The Watt steam engine was invented in Birmingham.[21]

The resulting high level of social mobility also fostered a culture of political radicalism which, under leaders from Thomas Attwood to Joseph Chamberlain, was to give it a political influence unparalleled in Britain outside London and a pivotal role in the development of British democracy.[22] From the summer of 1940 to the spring of 1943, Birmingham was bombed heavily by the German Luftwaffe in what is known as the Birmingham Blitz. The damage done to the city's infrastructure, in addition to a deliberate policy of demolition and new building by planners, led to extensive urban regeneration in subsequent decades.

Birmingham's economy is now dominated by the service sector.[23] The city is a major international commercial centre and an important transport, retail, events and conference hub. Its metropolitan economy is the second-largest in the United Kingdom with a GDP of $121.1bn (2014^[update]).[4] Its five universities,[24] including the University of Birmingham, make it the largest centre of higher education in the country outside London.[25] Birmingham's major cultural institutions – the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Library of Birmingham and Barber Institute of Fine Arts – enjoy international reputations,[26] and the city has vibrant and influential grassroots art, music, literary and culinary scenes.[27] The city also successfully hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games.[28][29] In 2021, Birmingham was the third most visited city in the UK by people from foreign nations.[30]