City of Birmingham
Birmingham's skyline viewed from the east
Coat of Arms of the City Council
Nickname: "Brum", "Brummagem", "Second City", "Workshop of the World", "City of a Thousand Trades"
Motto: Forward
Birmingham shown within England and the West Midlands
Coordinates: 52°28′59″N 1°53′37″W / 52.48306, -1.89361
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	West Midlands
Ceremonial county	West Midlands
Admin HQ	Birmingham City Centre
Founded	6th century
Municipal borough	1838
City	1889
Government
- Type	Metropolitan borough
- Governing body	Birmingham City Council
- Lord Mayor	Randal Brew
- Council Leader	Mike Whitby (C)
- Council Control	Conservative / Liberal Democrat
- MPs	Richard Burden (L) Liam Byrne (L) John Hemming (LD) Dr Lynne Jones (L) Khalid Mahmood (L) Steve McCabe (L) Andrew Mitchell (C) Clare Short (IL) Siôn Simon (L) Gisela Stuart (L)
Area
- Total	103. Birmingham shown within A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies The West Midlands is a Metropolitan county in western central England with a population of 2591300 Municipal boroughs were a type of Local government which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974 in Northern Ireland from 1840 to A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England covering urban areas within metropolitan counties. Birmingham shown within Mike Whitby is a Conservative Party politician and current leader of Birmingham City Council, a post he has held since June 2004 The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the Composition Graphical representation of the House of Commons This is a comparison of the party strengths in the British House of Commons Richard Haines Burden (born 1 September 1954) is a UK Labour Party Politician. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Liam Dominic Byrne (born 2 October 1970 is a British Labour Party politician The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the John Alexander Melvin Hemming (born 16 March 1960) is a British Politician, the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the For the US baseball player see Lynn Jones. Lynne Mary Jones (born 26 April 1951) is a British Labour The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Khalid Mahmood (born 13 July 1961 in Kashmir, Pakistan) is a Labour Party Politician in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Stephen James McCabe (born 4 August 1955, Johnstone Renfrewshire) known as Steve McCabe, is a British Labour Party politician The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Andrew John Bower Mitchell (born 23 March 1956 is a British Conservative politician and Member of Parliament for Sutton Coldfield. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Clare Short, PC, MP, (born 15 February 1946 is a British politician and a member of the British Labour Party. Clare Short, PC, MP, (born 15 February 1946 is a British politician and a member of the British Labour Party. Siôn Llewelyn Simon (born 23 December 1968) is a politician in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Gisela Gschaider Stuart (born 26 November 1955 as Gisela Gschaider) is the Labour Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 4 sq mi (267. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 77 km²)
Elevation	459 ft (140 m)
Population (2005 est. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International )
- Total	1,006,500 (Ranked 1st)
- Density	9,684/sq mi (3,739/km²)
- Conurbation	2,284,093
- Ethnicity (2005 estimates[1])	67. The figures are mid-year estimates for 2007 from the Office for National Statistics. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large Conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of 8% White 3. White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye 1% Mixed 20. The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from different races. 4% S.Asian 6. British Asians are British citizens who are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka 6% Black 1. The British African Caribbean community are residents of the United Kingdom who are of West Indian background and whose ancestors were indigenous to Africa 1% Chinese 1. British Chinese, including British-born Chinese (often informally referred to as BBC) are people of Chinese ancestry who were born in or have migrated 1% Other
Time zone	Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0)
- Summer (DST)	British Summer Time (UTC+1)
Postcode	B
Area code(s)	0121
ISO 3166-2	GB-BIR
ONS code	00CN
OS grid reference	SP066868
NUTS 3	UKG31
Website: www.birmingham.gov.uk

Birmingham (pronunciation (help·info); IPA /ˈbɜːmɪŋˌəm/; Burr-ming-um) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT) is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London Coordinated Universal Time, the basis for the world's civil time frequently referred to by the name of its predecessor Greenwich Mean Time Western Daylight saving time ( DST Western European Summer Time ( WEST) is a summer Daylight saving time scheme 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time The B postcode area, also known as the Birmingham postcode area, provides postcodes for the boroughs of Birmingham, Solihull and Sandwell A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks ISO 3166-2GB is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United Kingdom. The Office for National Statistics coding system is a hierarchical code used in the United Kingdom for tabulating Census and other statistical data The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, ( NUTS) for the French nomenclature d'unités territoriales statistiques, is a Geocode A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England covering urban areas within metropolitan counties. The West Midlands is a Metropolitan county in western central England with a population of 2591300 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Birmingham is the largest of England's core cities, and is often considered to be the second city of the United Kingdom. The English Core Cities Group is an association of eight large regional cities in England: Birmingham (region of West Midlands) ^[2] The City of Birmingham has a population of 1,006,500 (2006 estimate). In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology ^[3] It forms part of the larger West Midlands conurbation, which has a population of 2,284,093 (2001 census)^[4] and includes several neighbouring towns and cities, such as Solihull, Wolverhampton and the towns of the Black Country. The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large Conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Solihull (ˈsɒlɪhʌl or /ˈsəʊlihʌl/ is a large town in the West Midlands of England, with a population of 94753 The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton

The city's reputation was forged as a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, a fact which led to Birmingham being known as "the workshop of the world" or the "city of a thousand trades". The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[5] Although Birmingham's industrial importance has declined, it has developed into a national commercial centre, being named as the third best place in the United Kingdom to locate a business, and the 21st best in Europe by Cushman & Wakefield in 2007. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Cushman & Wakefield is a privately held commercial real estate services firm ^[6] It is also the fourth most visited city by foreign visitors in the UK. ^[7] In 1998, Birmingham hosted the G8 summit at the International Convention Centre, the birthplace of exhibitions in 1850 and remains a popular location for conventions today. The International Convention Centre (abbreviated to ICC) is a major conference venue in central Birmingham, England. The Bingley Hall in Birmingham was the first purpose-built exhibition hall in Great Britain. ^[8]

People from Birmingham are known as 'Brummies', a term derived from the city's nickname of Brum. Brummie (sometimes Brummy) is a colloquial term for the inhabitants accent and Dialect of Birmingham, England, as well as being a This comes in turn from the city's dialect name, Brummagem,^[9] which is derived from one of the city's earlier names, 'Bromwicham'. Brummagem, (and historically also Bromichan Bremicham and many similar variants all essentially Bromwich·ham is the local name for the city of Birmingham, England There is a distinctive Brummie dialect (distinct vocabulary and syntax) and accent, both of which differ from the adjacent Black Country. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of In Linguistics, an accent is a manner of Pronunciation of a language The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Geology 2.2 Climate 2.3 Nearby places 3 Demographics 4 Places of interest 5 Economy 6 Politics 7 Transport 8 Education 9 Crime and policing 10 Sport 11 Food & drink 12 Culture and arts 12.1 Arts 12.2 Festivals and shows 12.3 Media 12.4 Leisure 12.5 Architecture 12.6 Second City 13 Notable residents 14 Science and invention 15 Twin cities 16 See also 17 References 18 External links

History

Main articles: History of Birmingham, Economic history of Birmingham, and Timeline of Birmingham history

In the 6th century, Birmingham was an Anglo-Saxon farming hamlet on the banks of the River Rea. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south A hamlet is (usually&mdashsee below a Rural community — that is a small settlement — which is too small to be considered a Village. The River Rea (pronounced "ray" is a small River which passes through Birmingham, England. ^[10] The name 'Birmingham' comes from "Beorma ingas ham", meaning "home of the people of Beorma. "^[11] Birmingham was first recorded in written documents by the Domesday Book of 1086 as a small village, worth only 20 shillings. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a Town or City. The shilling is a unit of Currency used in current and former Commonwealth countries and was continued to be used in countries that left the commonwealth ^[11] There were many variations on this name. Bermingeham is another version.

In the 12th century, Birmingham was granted a royal charter to hold a market,^[10] which in time became known as the Bull Ring, transforming Birmingham from a village to a market town. Sao Paulo Stock Exchangejpg|thumb| Virtual market arena where buyer and seller are not present and trade via intemediates and electronical information The Bull Ring is a commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first As early as the 16th century, Birmingham's access to supplies of iron ore and coal meant that metalworking industries became established. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 The M acro E xpansion T emplate A ttribute L anguage complements TAL, providing macros which allow the reuse of code across ^[12]

By the time of the English Civil War in the 17th century, Birmingham had become an important manufacturing town with a reputation for producing small arms. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Small arms is a term used by the Armed forces to refer to Infantry Weapons such as the Firearms that an individual soldier can carry Arms manufacture in Birmingham became a staple trade and was concentrated in the area known as the Gun Quarter. The Gun Quarter is the name given to an area of the city of Birmingham, in England, traditionally (and still associated with the manufacture of firearms and sporting ^[13] During the Industrial Revolution (from the mid-18th century onwards), Birmingham grew rapidly into a major industrial centre and the town prospered. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the During the 18th century, Birmingham was home to the Lunar Society, an important gathering of local thinkers and industrialists. The Lunar Society was a dinner club and informal Learned society of prominent Industrialists natural philosophers and intellectuals who met regularly between ^[14]

By the 1820s, an extensive canal system had been constructed, giving greater access to natural resources to fuel to industries. Railways arrived in Birmingham in 1837 with the arrival of the Grand Junction Railway, and a year later, the London and Birmingham Railway. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. The Grand Junction Railway (GJR was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 This is about the 19th century railway company For the 21st century train operating company see London Midland The London and Birmingham Railway During the Victorian era, the population of Birmingham grew rapidly to well over half a million^[15] and Birmingham became the second largest population centre in England. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities Birmingham was granted city status in 1889 by Queen Victoria. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ^[16] The city established its own university in 1900. The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a British red brick University located in the city of Birmingham ^[17]

Birmingham was originally part of Warwickshire, but expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, absorbing parts of Worcestershire to the south and Staffordshire to the north and west. Birmingham New Street is a major railway station located in the centre of the city of Birmingham, England. Geography Warwickshire is bounded to the northwest by the West Midlands Metropolitan county and Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to Worcestershire (ˈwʊstəʃə abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. The city absorbed Sutton Coldfield in 1974. Sutton Coldfield ( is a town within the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England The people of Sutton Coldfield still consider themselves separate from Birmingham. At the same time Birmingham became a metropolitan borough in the new West Midlands county. The West Midlands is a Metropolitan county in western central England with a population of 2591300 Up until 1986, the West Midlands County Council was based in Birmingham City Centre. The West Midlands County Council (WMCC was from 1974 to 1986 the upper-tier administrative body for the West Midlands county, a Metropolitan county in England Birmingham City Centre is the business hub of the city of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Birmingham suffered heavy bomb damage during World War II's "Birmingham Blitz", and the city was extensively redeveloped during the 1950s and 1960s. A bomb is any of a range of devices that typically rely on the Exothermic Chemical reaction of an Explosive material to produce an extremely World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Birmingham Blitz was the heavy bombing by the Nazi German Luftwaffe of the city of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, beginning on August ^[18] This included the construction of large tower block estates, such as Castle Vale in Erdington. Castle Vale is an area of the City of Birmingham, in England, originally created as an Overspill estate in the 1960s Erdington is an area five miles (8 km northeast of Birmingham city centre England. The Bull Ring reconstructed and New Street station was redeveloped. The Bull Ring is a commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first Birmingham New Street is a major railway station located in the centre of the city of Birmingham, England. In recent years, Birmingham has been transformed, with the construction of new squares like Centenary Square and Millennium Place. Old streets, buildings and canals have been restored, the pedestrian subways have been removed, and the Bull Ring shopping centre^[19] has been redeveloped further. The Bull Ring is a commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first

In the decades following The Second World War, the population of Birmingham changed dramatically, with immigration from the Commonwealth of Nations and beyond. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[20] The population peaked in 1951 at 1,113,000 residents. ^[15]

Geography

Birmingham is situated just to the west of the geographical centre of England on the Birmingham Plateau - an area of relatively high ground, ranging around 500 to 1,000 feet (150-300 m) above sea level and crossed by Britain's main north-south watershed between the basins of the Rivers Severn and Trent. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A drainage divide, water divide, divide or (outside North America) watershed is the line separating neighbouring Drainage basins For other rivers named "Severn" see Severn River. The River Severn ( Welsh: Afon Hafren, Latin The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire between Biddulph and Biddulph Moor. To the south and west of the city lie the Lickey Hills,^[21] Clent Hills and Walton Hill, which reach 1,033 feet (315 m) and have extensive views over the city. Lickey Hills (known locally as simply The Lickeys) are a range of hills in Worcestershire, England, eleven miles to the south-west of the centre of The Clent Hills lie 15  km southwest of Birmingham City centre in Worcestershire, England. At 316 metres above Sea level, Walton Hill is the highest point in the range of Hills in northern Worcestershire known as the Clent Hills Birmingham is located in the centre of the West Midlands region of England. The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands.

Geology

Geologically, Birmingham is dominated by the Birmingham Fault which runs diagonally through the city from the Lickey Hills in the south west, passing through Edgbaston, the Bull Ring and Erdington, to Sutton Coldfield in the north east. Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own District committee. The Bull Ring is a commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first Erdington is an area five miles (8 km northeast of Birmingham city centre England. Sutton Coldfield ( is a town within the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England ^[22] To the south and east of the fault the ground is largely softer Keuper Marl, interspersed with beds of Bunter pebbles and crossed by the valleys of the Rivers Tame, Rea and Cole along with their tributaries. The Late Triassic (also known as Upper Triassic, or Keuper) is the third and final of three epochs of the Triassic period. Marl or Marlstone is a Calcium carbonate or lime -rich mud or Mudstone which contains variable amounts of Clays and Aragonite Bunter beds are Sandstone deposits containing rounded pebbles such as can notably be found in Warwickshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The River Rea (pronounced "ray" is a small River which passes through Birmingham, England. This article is about the River Cole in the West Midlands go to River Cole Wiltshire for the other river ^[23] Much of this would have been laid down during the Permian and Triassic eras. The Permian is a geologic period and system that extends from 299 The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 251 to 199 Ma (million years ago ^[22] To the north and west of the fault, varying from 150 to 600 feet (45-180 m) higher than the surrounding area and underlying much of the city centre, lies a long ridge of harder Keuper Sandstone. The Late Triassic (also known as Upper Triassic, or Keuper) is the third and final of three epochs of the Triassic period. Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock composed mainly of Sand -size Mineral or rock grains. ^[24][25]

Much of the area now occupied by the city was originally a northern reach of the ancient Forest of Arden, whose former presence can still be felt in the city's dense oak tree-cover and in the large number of districts such as Moseley, Saltley and Hockley with names ending in "-ley": an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "woodland clearing". Arden is an area mainly located in Warwickshire, England, traditionally regarded as stretching from the River Avon to the River Tame. The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin For the British politician and other people with the same surname see Moseley or Mosley. Saltley is an inner-city area of Birmingham, east of the city centre For the other place near Birmingham see Hockley Heath. Hockley is a central district in the city of Birmingham, England. ^[26]

Climate

The climate in Birmingham is classified as a temperate maritime climate, like much of the British Isles, with average maximum temperatures in summer (July) being around 20°C (68°F); and in winter (January) is around 4. An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes The British Isles (Irish variously Na hOileáin Bhriotanacha, Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa, Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór; Ellanyn Goaldagh Eileanan Temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold something that is hotter generally has the greater temperature 5°C (40°F). Extreme weather is rare but the city has been known to experience tornados - the most recent being in July 2005 in the south of the city, damaging homes and businesses in the area. This article refers to a tornado in Birmingham UK For other tornadoes known as the "Birmingham Tornado" see Birmingham Tornado. ^[27]

Occasional summer heatwaves, such as the one experienced in July 2006 have become more common in recent years, and winters have become milder since the 1990s with snow becoming much less frequent. Similar to most other large cities, Birmingham has a considerable 'urban heat island' effect. An urban heat island ( UHI) is a metropolitan area which is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas ^[28] During the coldest night recorded in Birmingham (14 January, 1982), for example, the temperature fell to -20. 8°C (-5. 4°F) at Birmingham International Airport on the city's eastern edge, but just -12. Birmingham International Airport is an international airport located 5 9°C (8. 8°F) at Edgbaston, near the city centre. ^[29] Relative to other large UK conurbations, Birmingham is a snowy city, due to its inland location and comparatively high elevation. ^[29] Snow showers often pass through the city via the Cheshire gap on North Westerly airstreams, but can also come off the North sea from North Easterly airstreams. ^[29]

Weather averages for Birmingham
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average high °C (°F)	6. 0 (43)	6. 2 (43)	8. 9 (48)	11. 9 (53)	15. 3 (60)	18. 8 (66)	20. 6 (69)	20. 1 (68)	17. 6 (64)	13. 8 (57)	9. 2 (49)	7. 1 (45)
Average low °C (°F)	0. 3 (33)	0. 1 (32)	1. 5 (35)	3. 3 (38)	6. 0 (43)	9. 2 (49)	11. 1 (52)	10. 8 (51)	8. 8 (48)	6. 2 (43)	2. 9 (37)	1. 3 (34)
Precipitation mm (inches)	56 (2. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric 2)	48 (1. 9)	52 (2)	48 (1. 9)	55 (2. 2)	57 (2. 2)	47 (1. 9)	67 (2. 6)	54 (2. 1)	53 (2. 1)	59 (2. 3)	66 (2. 6)
Source: United Nations World Meteorological Organization[30] 2007-08-26

Weather averages for Birmingham
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average high °C (°F)	7 (45)	8 (46)	10 (50)	13 (55)	17 (63)	19 (66)	21 (70)	22 (72)	19 (66)	14 (57)	10 (50)	7 (45)
Average low °C (°F)	3 (37)	3 (37)	4 (39)	5 (41)	8 (46)	10 (50)	12 (54)	12 (54)	11 (52)	8 (46)	5 (41)	3 (37)
Precipitation mm (inches)	67. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric 8 (2. 7)	46. 8 (1. 8)	43. 9 (1. 7)	64. 6 (2. 5)	40. 6 (1. 6)	62. 0 (2. 4)	44. 8 (1. 8)	65. 3 (2. 6)	64. 6 (2. 5)	121. 0 (4. 8)	70. 2 (2. 8)	70. 6 (2. 8)
Source: Msn weather 2008-06-08

Nearby places

Cities

Towns

Villages

See also: The Black Country. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. Lichfield is a city and Civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Worcester (ˈwʊstə is a city and County town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. Baldridge is a Town in the Metropolitan Borough of Ballsall in the West Midlands, UK, although historically it was part of the county of Atherstone is a town in Warwickshire, England. The town is located near the northernmost tip of Warwickshire close to the border with Staffordshire Bedworth is a market town in the Nuneaton and Bedworth district of Warwickshire, England. Bromsgrove is a Town in Worcestershire, West Midlands, England. Cannock is a town in Staffordshire, England, just north of the West Midlands conurbation. Coleshill is a market town in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England, taking its name from the River Cole. Droitwich Spa is a Town in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe and has a population of 22585 (2001 Dudley ( is a large town in the West Midlands, England, with a population of 194919. Halesowen is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands, England. Hinckley is a town in south-west Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43246 (2001 census Kenilworth is a town in central Warwickshire, England. In 2001 the town had a population of 22582 (24000 est Kidderminster is a town in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. Nuneaton is the largest town in the English county of Warwickshire, and the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth. Redditch is a Town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England. Leamington Spa, properly Royal Leamington Spa, commonly Leamington (ˈlɛmɪŋtən and "Leam" to locals is a Spa town in central Rugby is a Market town in Warwickshire, in the West Midlands of England, on the River Avon. Solihull (ˈsɒlɪhʌl or /ˈsəʊlihʌl/ is a large town in the West Midlands of England, with a population of 94753 This article is about the town of Stafford England For the larger local government district see Borough of Stafford. Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Stratford-upon-Avon (ˌstrætfɚd əpɒn ˈɛɪvən is a Market town and Civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. Tamworth is a Town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located 14 miles (22 km north-east of Birmingham Telford ( ˈtɛlfɚd is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, Warwick (ˈwɒrɪk worrick (silent w in middle is the County town of Warwickshire, England. Walsall ( is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. West Bromwich ( is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England Little Aston is an affluent area of the district of Lichfield, in Staffordshire, England. Streetly is an area in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, England. The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton

Demographics

Religion	Percentage of population
Buddhist	0. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices 3%
Christian	59. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings 1%
Hindu	2%
Jewish	0. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut 2%
Muslim	14. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. 3%
Sikh	2. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century 9%
No religion	12. Irreligion is a lack of religion indifference to religion or hostility to religion 4%
No answer	8. 4%

Main article: Demographics of Birmingham

Birmingham is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. Population Population total Birmingham city's total population according to the 2001 UK census, was 977099 In 2005 the ONS estimated that 67. The Office for National Statistics (ONS is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly 8% of the population was White (including 2. " White British " was a racially -based classification used by the 2001 census. 7% Irish & 2. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate 1% Other White), 20. " White Other " is a term used in the UK census to describe white persons of non- British and non- Irish descent in 4% Asian or Asian British, 6. British Asians are British citizens who are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka 6% Black or Black British, 1. The British African Caribbean community are residents of the United Kingdom who are of West Indian background and whose ancestors were indigenous to Africa See also British African-Caribbean community, Caribbean British Black British is a term which has had different meanings and uses as a racial and political 1% Chinese, 3. Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. 1% of mixed race and 1. The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from different races. 1% of other ethnic heritage. ^[31] 57% of primary and 52% of secondary pupils are from non-white British families. ^[32] 16. 5% of the population was born outside the United Kingdom.

The population density is 9,451 inhabitants per square mile (3,649/km²) compared to the 976. 9 inhabitants per square mile (377. 2/km²) for England. Females represented 51. 6% of the population whilst men represented 48. 4%. More women were 70 or over. ^[33] 60. 4% of the population was aged between 16 and 74, compared to 66. 7% in England as a whole. ^[34]

60. 4% of households were found to be owner occupied and 27. 7% were rented from either the city council, housing association or other registered social landlord. The remaining 11. 8% of households were rented privately or lived rent free. The Department of Social Security (DSS is the name of similar defunct governmental agencies in the United Kingdom and Australia In the United Kingdom the DSS ^[34]

Places of interest

See also: Places of interest in Birmingham^[35]

The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is the main art gallery and museum in Birmingham. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is an Art gallery and Concert hall in Birmingham, England. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BM&AG ( is an art gallery in Birmingham, England. It has renowned displays of artwork that include a leading collection of work by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the world's largest collection of works by Edward Burne-Jones. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (also known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters Poets, and critics founded in 1848 by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones 1st Baronet (28 August 1833 &ndash 17 June 1898 was an English Artist and Designer closely associated with the later The group also owns other museums in the city such as Aston Hall, Blakesley Hall, the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter and Sarehole Mill, a popular attraction for fans of J. R. R. Tolkien. Aston Hall is a Jacobean -style mansion in Aston, Birmingham, England. Blakesley Hall ( (a Grade II* Listed building) is a Tudor hall on Blakesley Road in Yardley, Birmingham, England. The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is a Museum in Hockley, Birmingham, England. Sarehole Mill ( is a Grade II listed water mill (in an area once called Sarehole) on the River Cole in Hall Green, Birmingham Thinktank in the Eastside is one of the newest museums in the city. Thinktank is a Science museum in Birmingham, England. Opened in 2001 it has some exhibits from the now-closed Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery The Birmingham Back to Backs are the last surviving court of back-to-back houses in the city. The Birmingham Back to Backs (also known as Court 15) at 50–54 Inge Street and 55–63 Hurst Street are the last surviving court of Back-to-back houses ^[36]

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is both an art gallery and concert hall. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is an Art gallery and Concert hall in Birmingham, England. It also has one of the world's most detailed and largest coin collections. ^[37] Cadbury World is a museum showing visitors the stages and steps of chocolate production and the history of chocolate and the company. Cadbury World is a visitor attraction created and run by the Cadbury Chocolate company at Bournville, Birmingham, England. Cadbury plc () is a Confectionery and Beverage

There are over 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) of parkland open spaces in Birmingham. Victoria Square is a Pedestrianised public square in Birmingham, England. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, ^[38] The largest of the parks is Sutton Park covering 2,400 acres (970 ha) making it the largest urban nature reserve in Europe. Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England, is one of the largest urban Parks in Europe and the largest outside a capital ^[39] Birmingham Botanical Gardens are a Victorian creation, with a conservatory and bandstand, close to the city centre. The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are botanical gardens situated in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England. The Winterbourne Botanic Garden, maintained by the University of Birmingham, is also located close to the city centre. Winterbourne Botanic Garden is the Botanical garden of the University of Birmingham, located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a British red brick University located in the city of Birmingham Woodgate Valley Country Park is in Bartley Green and Quinton. Woodgate Valley Country Park is a Country Park within the Bartley Green and Quinton districts of Birmingham.

The city centre consists of numerous public squares including Centenary Square, Chamberlain Square and Victoria Square. Public square and city square redirect here For Public Square Cleveland see Public Square and for City Square in Leeds see Leeds City Square. Centenary Square is a public square on Broad Street in central Birmingham, England, named in 1989 in celebration of the centenary of Birmingham Chamberlain Square or Chamberlain Place is a public square in central Birmingham, England ( named after Joseph Chamberlain. Victoria Square is a Pedestrianised public square in Birmingham, England. The historic Old Square is located on Corporation Street. Old Square is a Public square and road junction in the Core area of Birmingham City Centre, England. Corporation Street is a main shopping street in central Birmingham, England. Rotunda Square and St Martin's Square are two of the newest squares in Birmingham, being located within the Bullring Shopping Centre. Brindleyplace also consists of three squares. Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use Canalside development in the centre of Birmingham, England (

Due to Birmingham's diverse population, there is a diverse variety of religious buildings in the city. St Philip's was upgraded from church to cathedral status in 1905. St Philip's Cathedral is a Church of England Cathedral, in Colmore Row, Birmingham, England, dedicated to St Philip Another cathedral in the city is St Chad's, which is the seat of the Roman Catholic Province of Birmingham. The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Chad is the seat of the Roman Catholic Province of Birmingham, England, a province of the Catholic Church in Great St Martin in the Bull Ring is a Grade II* listed church. The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring ( in Birmingham, England is a Parish church in the Church of England. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance There is also a variety of non-Christian religions in the city. In the 1960s, Birmingham Central Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Europe, was constructed for the Muslim community of the city. Birmingham Central Mosque, is a Mosque in the Highgate area of Birmingham, England, run by the Birmingham Mosque Trust and is one of the A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. ^[40] However, during the late 1990s a mosque in the Sparkhill area close to the city centre was re-developed in partnership with the Birmingham City Council to supersede the Birmingham Central Mosque as the largest Mosque in the city. It holds a larger capacity and a fully functional segregated women's section. As its centrepiece is a dome. The new mosque is generally home to the Kashmiri-Pakistani population which made Birmingham its home during the late 1960s.

See also: Religion in Birmingham. This article is about Religion in Birmingham, England. Modern-day Birmingham's cultural diversity is reflected

Economy

Main article: Economy of Birmingham

Although Birmingham grew to prominence as a manufacturing and engineering centre, its economy today is dominated by the service sector, which in 2003 accounted for 78% of the city's economic output and 97% of its economic growth. The City of Birmingham, in England, is an important Manufacturing and Engineering centre employing over 100000 people in the industry Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and ^[41]

Two of Britain's "big four" banks were founded in Birmingham - Lloyds Bank (now Lloyds TSB) in 1765^[42] and the Midland Bank (now HSBC Bank plc) in 1836^[43] - and today the city employs 108,000 in banking, finance and insurance. Lloyds Bank Plc was a British Commercial bank which operated in England and Wales (and to a much lesser extent Scotland) from 1833 until its Lloyds TSB Group plc () is a leading British Financial institution with its Group Head office in London and its registered office Midland Bank was one of the Big Four banking groups in the United Kingdom for most of the 20th century HSBC Bank plc is one of the major Clearing banks in the United Kingdom having more assets than any other bank. ^[44] In 2007, Cushman & Wakefield stated that Birmingham was the third best place in the United Kingdom to locate a business, and the 21st best in Europe. Cushman & Wakefield is a privately held commercial real estate services firm ^[6]

Tourism is also an increasingly important part of the local economy. With major facilities such as the International Convention Centre and National Exhibition Centre the Birmingham area accounts for 42% of the UK conference and exhibition trade. The International Convention Centre (abbreviated to ICC) is a major conference venue in central Birmingham, England. The National Exhibition Centre ( NEC) is an Exhibition centre in Solihull, near Birmingham, England. ^[8] The city's sporting and cultural venues attract large numbers of visitors.

With an annual turnover of £2. 2bn, Birmingham city centre is the UK's second largest retail centre,^[45] with the country's busiest shopping centre - the Bullring^[46] - and the largest department store outside London - House of Fraser on Corporation Street. A shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings that contain Retail units with interconnecting Walkways enabling visitors The Bull Ring is a commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first A department store is a Retail establishment which specializes in selling a wide range of products without a single predominant merchandise line. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. House of Fraser is a British Department store group with 63 stores (April 2008 across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Corporation Street is a main shopping street in central Birmingham, England. ^[47] The City also has one of only four Selfridges department stores, and the second largest branch of Debenhams in the country. Selfridges is a chain of Department stores in the United Kingdom. Debenhams plc ( is a British -based retailer operating under a Department Store format in the UK and franchise stores in other countries ^[46]

Despite the decline of manufacturing in the city several significant industrial plants remain, including Jaguar Cars in Castle Bromwich and Cadbury Trebor Bassett in Bournville. Jaguar Cars Limited is a luxury car manufacturer based in Coventry, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business Castle Bromwich is a suburb situated within the northern part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the English county of West Midlands. Cadbury Trebor Bassett is a British Confectionery company based at Bournville in Birmingham. Bournville is a Model village on the south side of Birmingham, England, best known for its connections with the Cadbury family and Chocolate

Although the city has seen economic growth greater than the national average in the 21st century^[48] the benefits have been uneven, with commuters from the surrounding area obtaining many of the more skilled jobs. Commuting is the process of Travelling between one's place of residence and regular place of work The two parliamentary constituencies with the highest unemployment rates in the UK - Ladywood and Sparkbrook and Small Heath - are both in inner-city Birmingham. Birmingham Ladywood is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ^[49] Growth has also added to stresses on the city's transport. Many major roads and the central New Street railway station operate over capacity at peak times. Birmingham New Street is a major railway station located in the centre of the city of Birmingham, England.

Politics

Main article: Government of Birmingham

Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in the UK and the largest council in Europe. Birmingham shown within Birmingham City Council House in Birmingham, England is the home of Birmingham City Council. Birmingham shown within The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[50] It has 120 councillors representing 40 wards. A councillor or councilor ( Cllr, Coun, Clr or Cr for short is a member of a Local government council such as a In Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a ward is an Electoral district ^[51] No single party is in overall control and the council is run by a Conservative/ Liberal Democrat coalition. Birmingham's eleven parliamentary constituencies are represented in the House of Commons by one Conservative, one Liberal Democrat, one Independent Labour and eight Labour MPs. A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures goals or loyalty The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the Clare Short, PC, MP, (born 15 February 1946 is a British politician and a member of the British Labour Party. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. ^[52] Birmingham City Council operates all aspects of the city's workings through it planning and leisure services. The council deals with all planning applications as well as adding designations for locally listed buildings. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance ^[53]

Law enforcement in Birmingham is carried out by West Midlands Police, fire and rescue by West Midlands Fire Service and emergency medical care by West Midlands Ambulance Service. West Midlands Police is the Home Office Police force responsible for policing the Metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. The West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS is the Statutory fire and rescue service responsible for fire protection prevention intervention and emergency rescue The West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WMAS is the second-largest ambulance service in the UK Birmingham is also the seat of the Government Office for the West Midlands region. The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. ^[54]

Transport

Main article: Transport in Birmingham

Due in part to its inland central location, Birmingham is a major transport hub on the motorway, rail, and canal networks. Birmingham is a major transport hub due in part to its location in central England. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways ^[55] The city is served by a number of major motorways and probably the best known motorway junction in the UK: Spaghetti Junction. Gravelly Hill Interchange, better known as Spaghetti Junction, is junction 6 of the M6 motorway where it meets the A38(M Aston Expressway in ^[56]

Over the coming months, National Express will be moving their UK headquarters to the city, alongside the newly developed Digbeth Coach Station, which forms the national hub of the company's coach network. National Express Group plc ( is a UK -based Transport group with headquarters in London that operates Bus, coach, rail Digbeth coach Station in Birmingham, West Midlands, England is owned and operated by National Express.

Birmingham International Airport, located in the Borough of Solihull to the east of Birmingham, is the UK's sixth largest airport, third largest for charter traffic and has the second highest proportion of business traffic, behind London Heathrow. Birmingham International Airport is an international airport located 5 The Metropolitan Borough of Solihull is a Metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. ^[57]

Local public transport is by bus, local train and tram. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train The number 11A and 11C outer circle bus routes are the longest urban bus routes in Europe, being 26 miles long^[58] with 272 bus stops. Route (Clockwise from the A34, in the North of the city Perry Barr Witton (for Aston Villa) ^[59] Bus routes are mainly operated by National Express West Midlands, which accounts for over 80% of all bus journeys in Birmingham, however, there are around 50 other, smaller registered bus companies. National Express West Midlands is the current trading and brand name of West Midlands Travel Ltd (part of the National Express Group) a company which operates ^[60] The extensive bus network allows passengers to travel to and from various districts of the city, while there are longer bus routes which take passengers to areas further afield such as Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Halesowen, Stourbridge and the Merry Hill Shopping Centre. Dudley ( is a large town in the West Midlands, England, with a population of 194919. Walsall ( is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. West Bromwich ( is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England Halesowen is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands, England. Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. The Merry Hill Shopping Centre is a Shopping centre in Brierley Hill, West Midlands, England. The only towns in the West Midlands conurbation that currently lack a direct public transport link with Birmingham are Tipton, Sedgley, Kingswinford, Wednesfield and Willenhall. The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large Conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47000 Sedgley is a town in the West Midlands of England, but historically in Staffordshire. Kingswinford is a suburban area (formerly a large village in the West Midlands county but previously in Staffordshire. Wednesfield (population about 35000 is a town in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. Willenhall is a small town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40000

The city's main railway station, Birmingham New Street, is at the centre of the national railway network. Birmingham New Street is a major railway station located in the centre of the city of Birmingham, England. Birmingham Snow Hill station, another major railway station in the city centre, is also a terminus for the Midland Metro which operates between the station and Wolverhampton, also serving the nearby towns of Bilston, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. Birmingham Snow Hill is a railway station and tram stop in the centre of Birmingham, England on the site of a much larger station which was built by Jewellry Quarter railway station train and tram - Birmingham - 2005-10-14 Bilston is a town in England 's West Midlands region ( Wolverhampton) Wednesbury is a Market town in England 's Black Country, part of the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands, near the West Bromwich ( is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England ^[61] There are plans to extend the Midland Metro route further into Birmingham city centre. ^[62] Birmingham has a large rail-based park and ride network that feeds the city centre.

Birmingham is also notable for its expansive canal system which fed the industry in the city during the Industrial Revolution. Birmingham is a major transport hub due in part to its location in central England. Canalside regeneration schemes such as Brindleyplace have turned the canals into tourist attractions. Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use Canalside development in the centre of Birmingham, England (

Education

Main article: Education in Birmingham

The city council is England's largest local education authority, directly or indirectly responsible for 25 nursery schools, 328 primary schools, 77 secondary schools^[63] and 29 special schools. The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a British red brick University located in the city of Birmingham This article is about Education in Birmingham, England. Schools State schools in the rest of England and A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of three and five staffed by qualified teachers and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than See also Primary education A primary school (from French école primaire) is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational Institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling known as Secondary education, takes A special school is a school catering to students who have Special educational needs e ^[64] It also runs the library service, with 4 million visitors annually,^[65] and provides around 3,500 adult education courses throughout the year. A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults ^[66] The main library is Central Library and there are 41 local libraries in Birmingham, plus a regular mobile library service. Birmingham Central Library is the main public library in Birmingham, England. ^[67]

Most of Birmingham's state schools are community schools run directly by Birmingham City Council in its role as local education authority (LEA). State school is an expression used in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to distinguish schools provided by the government from privately For the article on The Community School in Sun Valley Idaho, see Community School (Idaho. Birmingham shown within However, there are a large number of voluntary aided schools within the state system. A voluntary aided school is a school in England where the governing body, as opposed to the Local Education Authority, employs the staff and decides the King Edward's School is perhaps the most prestigious independent school in the city. King Edward's School (KES ( is an independent Secondary school in Birmingham, England, founded by King Edward VI An independent school is a school which is not dependent upon national or local Government for financing its operation and is instead operated by tuition charges gifts and The seven schools of The King Edward VI Foundation are known nationally for setting very high academic standards and all the schools consistently achieve top positions in national league tables. Furthermore, Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls is also a well known and high-achieving grammar school. Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls is a state-funded selective Grammar school and Sixth form college for girls in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham A grammar school is one of several different types of School in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries ^[68]

Sutton Coldfield College merged with North Birmingham College in 2003 and Josiah Mason College in 2006 to form one of the largest further education colleges in the country. Sutton Coldfield College is Further education college and specialist Sixth form centre ^[69] Matthew Boulton College is also located in the city and in 2005, the Eastside branch of the college was completed and opened. Matthew Boulton College is a Further and Higher Education college situated in the Eastside of Birmingham, West Midlands. Eastside is an area in the east of Birmingham city centre core in England currently under going a major redevelopment project Joseph Chamberlain College is the only sixth form college in Birmingham and Solihull to have been awarded both Beacon Status and an overall OFSTED grade 1 (Outstanding). A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 ^[70]

Birmingham is home to three universities and two university colleges: Aston University, the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, Newman University College^[71] and University College Birmingham. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects The term " university college " is used in a number of countries to denote institutions that provide Tertiary education but do not have full or independent Aston University is a "plate glass" Campus university situated on a 40- Acre (0 The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a British red brick University located in the city of Birmingham Birmingham City University (formerly Birmingham Polytechnic and the University of Central England in Birmingham) is a University in the city Newman University College is a University college offering Academic degrees and teacher training in Birmingham, England. University College Birmingham, formerly known as Birmingham College of Food Tourism and Creative Studies, is a University college in Birmingham, England ^[72] The Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham School of Acting, both now part of Birmingham City University, offer higher education in specific arts subjects. Birmingham Conservatoire is an international conservatoire. Prior to 1989 it was known as the Birmingham School of Music Birmingham School of Acting is a Drama school located in Birmingham, England, founded in 1936 and formerly known as Birmingham School of Speech & Drama BCU opened the New Technology Institute facility in the Eastside area in 2006. For the article about the Manchester NTI see Manchester New Technology institute. Eastside is an area in the east of Birmingham city centre core in England currently under going a major redevelopment project ^[73]

Crime and policing

West Midlands Police serves Birmingham and the West Midlands county. West Midlands Police is the Home Office Police force responsible for policing the Metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. The headquarters are located at Lloyd House in the city centre of Birmingham. Birmingham has been the location for many high profile incidents such as the 31 January 2007 Birmingham raid, New Year Murders and more historically, the Birmingham pub bombings. The 2007 Plot to behead a British Muslim soldier was a plot by a group of British Muslims of Pakistani origin in Birmingham to kidnap and behead The Birmingham pub bombings were bombings by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA in Birmingham, England on November 21, 1974

Crime figures for 2006/ 2007 showed that Birmingham was above the English average in all fields. ^[74] Of the eight major cities in the country (Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Birmingham and Bristol), Birmingham has the lowest crime rate. ^[75]

In an attempt to reduce crime in the city, a Crime and Disorder Partnership has been established in the city, the largest of its kind in the country. ^[76] The partnerships work in developing five neighbourhood based community safety projects in Birmingham was recognised when it was awarded first prize at the European Community Safety Awards in December 2004. ^[76] Crime rates are particularly high in areas such as Aston, Handsworth, Small Heath and Bordesley Green. Aston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Handsworth ( is an inner city suburb of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. Small Heath is an inner-city area within the city of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. Bordesley Green is an inner-city area of Birmingham, England about two miles south-east from the city centre ^[76]

Crime figures for 2006/ 2007 in Birmingham^[74]

Crime	Birmingham average (per 1,000 of the population)	Manchester average (per 1,000 of the population)	Bristol average (per 1,000 of the population)	English average (per 1,000 of the population)
Violence against a person	26. 3	32. 7	32. 0	16. 7
Robbery offences	5. 0	8. 3	3. 8	1. 2
Theft of vehicle offences	5. 3	8. 9	8. 1	2. 9
Theft from vehicles	11. 1	25. 5	21. 4	7. 6
Sexual offences	1. 5	1. 9	1. 8	0. 9
Burglary	7. 9	16. 5	10. 4	4. 3

Sport

Main article: Sport in Birmingham

The city has played an important part in the history of sport. It was the first city to be named National City of Sport by the Sports Council. UK Sport is the United Kingdom 's organisation for directing the development of Sport within the home countries. ^[77] It is home to two of the country's oldest professional football teams: Aston Villa (1874) and Birmingham City (1875). Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Birmingham City Football Club is an English Professional football club based in the city of Birmingham. Aston Villa won club football's most coveted prize, the European Cup, in 1982. The Birmingham derby is an event in which the two football clubs play against each other. In English football, the Birmingham derby (also known as the Second City derby) is the Local derby between the two major clubs in the city of Birmingham Aston Villa have won 50 matches as opposed to Birmingham City's 38 match wins.

Birmingham was the host for the first ever Cricket World Cup of either gender, a Women's Cricket World Cup in 1973. England beat Australia in the finals.

Birmingham is home to Warwickshire County Cricket Club, whose Edgbaston ground also hosts test matches. Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic Cricket structure representing the historic county Edgbaston Cricket Ground (also known as Edgbaston Stadium) is a Cricket venue in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England. Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations The venue was the scene of the highest ever score by a batsman, when Brian Lara scored 501 not out for Warwickshire. Brian Charles Lara (born 2 May 1969 ( nicknamed, "The Prince of Port-of-Spain" "The Prince of Trinidad" or simply "The Prince" is a ^[78] International track and field meetings take place at Alexander Stadium, the home of Birchfield Harriers which has many international athletes amongst its members. The Alexander Stadium is the main athletics stadium located within Perry Park in Perry Barr, Birmingham, England, at. Birchfield Harriers is an athletics club founded in 1877. Its home is at Birmingham 's Alexander Stadium, England. The National Indoor Arena (NIA), opened in 1991,^[79] is a major indoor athletics venue, hosting the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships and 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships as well as many WWE wrestling events. The National Indoor Arena or The NIA is a large Indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. The 29th European Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the National Indoor Arena (NIA in Birmingham, England, from Friday 2 The 9th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, UK from 14 March to 16 March World Wrestling Entertainment Inc ( WWE) is a publicly traded privately controlled integrated media (focusing in Television, Internet,

The first ever game of lawn tennis was played by Major Harry Gem and his friend Augurio Perera in Edgbaston between 1859 and 1865^[80] and ATP international tennis is still played at Edgbaston's Priory Club. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Major Thomas Henry Gem ( 21 May 1819 – 4 November 1881) known as Harry Gem, was an English Lawyer, Soldier Juan Bautista Augurio Perera was a Spanish -born English -based merchant and sportsman credited alongside his friend Major Harry Gem as the earliest inventor The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP was formed in 1972 to protect the interests of male professional Tennis players ^[81] Birmingham also has a professional Rugby Union side, Moseley RFC, who play at Billesley Common, and there is professional basketball team, Birmingham Panthers, as well as professional boxing, hockey, skateboarding, stock-car racing, greyhound racing and speedway in the city. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Moseley Rugby Football Club are an English Rugby union club based at Billesley Common in Birmingham, that compete in National Division Billesley Common is a recreational area of public open space in South Birmingham, England. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m The Birmingham Panthers (official name Team Birmingham Panthers) is a professional Basketball club in the British Basketball League. Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Field hockey is a Team sport in which players attempt to score goals by hitting the Ball across the pitch with a stick Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing tricks using a Skateboard. Stock car racing is a form of Automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Great Britain Greyhound racing is the Sport of Racing Greyhounds The Dogs chase a lure (traditionally an artificial Hare or Rabbit Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a Motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise

Food & drink

Main article: Food & drink in Birmingham

Birmingham based breweries included Ansells, Davenports and Mitchells & Butlers. As with any large town or city food and drink has played an important role in the commerce and culture of Birmingham, England. A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of Beer, though beer can be made in the home and has been for much of beer's history Ansells was a brewery located in the Aston area of Birmingham, England. Mitchells & Butlers plc ( (also referred to as " M&B " runs over 2000 managed pubs, bars and Restaurants throughout the United ^[82] Aston Manor Brewery is currently the only brewery of any significant size. Aston Manor Brewery is a Brewery and beer bottling company in Aston, Birmingham, England. Many fine Victorian pubs and bars can still be found across the city. The oldest inn in Birmingham is the Old Crown in Deritend (circa 1450). The Old Crown at 188 High Street Deritend, an inn, is the oldest extant secular building in Birmingham, England. Deritend is an historic area of Birmingham, England. Deritend was a rare crossing point of the River Rea before Birmingham was of any significance The city has a plethora of nightclubs and bars, notably along Broad Street. ^[83]

The Wing Yip food empire first began in the city and now has its headquarters in the Chinese Quarter. Wing Yip ( Traditional Chinese: 榮業行 Simplified Chinese: 荣业行 Pinyin: Róngyè Háng is a Chinese supermarket chain in the The Chinese Quarter is an area with a predominantly Chinese influence as a result of a concentration of Chinese owned businesses organisations and social clubs ^[84] The Balti was invented in the city, which has received much acclaim for the 'Balti Belt' or 'Balti Triangle'. Balti is the name for a style of Food very popular in England. The Balti Triangle is an area of Balti houses clustered along Ladypool Road Stoney Lane and Stratford Road to the south of Birmingham city centre ^[85] The city boasts two Michelin starred restaurants: Simpson's and Jessica's, both in Edgbaston. The Michelin Guide ( Le Guide Michelin) is a series of annual Guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own District committee. ^[86]

Culture and arts

Main article: Arts in Birmingham

Arts

Birmingham has had a vibrant and varied musical history over the last century. The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring ( in Birmingham, England is a Parish church in the Church of England. In the 1960s, the "Brum Beat" era featured blues and early progressive rock bands. Brum Beat is the name of a magazine about the music within Birmingham, England. The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved And in the 1980s the reggae boy band Musical youth lived in the Nechells part of Birmingham. The city is often described as the birthplace of heavy metal music,^[87] with Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and two members of Led Zeppelin being local. Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in 1970 in Birmingham. Black Sabbath are an Led Zeppelin were Then later on during the 80's bands such as Napalm Death, joined the Birmingham heavy metal scene. Napalm Death are In the 1970s, members of The Move and The Idle Race formed the Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard. The Move were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s from Birmingham, England, and were among the most popular British bands to not find any success The Idle Race were an English cult Rock group from Birmingham in the late 1960s and early '70s Wizzard were a Birmingham -based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra The 1970s also saw the rise of reggae and ska in the city with such bands as UB40. Reggae is a Music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor UB40 are a British Reggae band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. Featuring the same line-up of 8 musicians from 1978-2008 the band placed more than 50 Seminal 1980s pop band Duran Duran are also from Birmingham. Duran Duran are an English Pop rock band famous for a long series of popular singles, albums and vivid Music videos for which they've won two Birmingham was also home to the music family Woodroffe. Most bands in Birmingham shopped at Woodroffe's Musical Instruments, and Jezz Woodroffe played keyboards for Black Sabbath. Jon Woodroffe then started in 1997 Fat Man Studios, which soon became the No1 recording studio in Birmingham.

Jazz is popular in the city, and the annual Birmingham International Jazz Festival is the largest of its kind in the UK. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States ^[88] Venues for the festival are also located out of Birmingham in Solihull. Solihull (ˈsɒlɪhʌl or /ˈsəʊlihʌl/ is a large town in the West Midlands of England, with a population of 94753 It was first held in 1984. ^[89]

The internationally-renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's home venue is Symphony Hall. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. Symphony Hall is a 2262 seat concert venue located inside the International Convention Centre (ICC in Birmingham, England. There is a City Organist; since 1834 only seven men have held this position. The current holder, Thomas Trotter, has been in post since 1983. Thomas Trotter is a British virtuoso Organist. As of 2006 he is the Birmingham City Organist and organist at St ^[90] Weekly recitals have been given since the organ in Birmingham Town Hall was opened^[91] but are now held in St. Birmingham Town Hall is a Grade I listed concert and meeting venue in Victoria Square, Birmingham, England. Philip's Cathedral, until the Town Hall organ opens in October 2007, following restoration. The Birmingham Royal Ballet^[92] resides in the city as does the world's oldest vocational dance school, Elmhurst School for Dance. The Birmingham Royal Ballet ( BRB) is one of the UK's foremost Ballet companies based at the Birmingham Hippodrome in Birmingham, Elmhurst School for Dance is the oldest Vocational Dance school in the United Kingdom. ^[93]

The Birmingham Triennial Music Festivals took place from 1784 to 1912. The Birmingham Triennial Musical Festival, in Birmingham, England, founded in 1784 was the longest-running classical music Festival of its kind Music was specially composed, conducted or performed by Mendelssohn, Gounod, Sullivan, Dvořák, Bantock and Edward Elgar, who wrote four of his most famous choral pieces for Birmingham. Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and generally known as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3 1809 &ndash November 4 1847 was a German Composer Biography Gounod was born in Paris, the son of a pianist mother and a draftsman father Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO (13 May 1842 &ndash 22 November 1900 was an English composer of Irish and Italian descent best known for his operatic Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( (often pronounced in English as; DVOR-zhahk; September 8 1841 – May 1 1904 was a Czech composer of Romantic music, who employed Sir Granville Bantock (7 August 1868 &ndash 16 October 1946 was a British Composer of classical music. Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius had its début performance there in 1900. The Dream of Gerontius, popularly called just Gerontius, is an Oratorio (Opus 38 in two parts composed by Edward Elgar in 1900 to text from Composers born in the city include Albert William Ketèlbey and Andrew Glover. Albert William Ketèlbey ( 9 August, 1875 &ndash 26 November, 1959) was an English Composer, conductor and pianist For the football player of the same name see Andrew Glover (football player.

Birmingham's other city-centre music venues include The National Indoor Arena, which was opened in 1991, the CBSO Centre, opened in 1997, and the Adrian Boult Hall, which was built along with Paradise Forum and Birmingham Central Library, at Birmingham Conservatoire. The National Indoor Arena or The NIA is a large Indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. The CBSO Centre is the administrative home and rehearsal centre of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Choruses ( City of Birmingham The Adrian Boult Hall is the main concert hall of the Birmingham Conservatoire in central Birmingham, England. Paradise Forum in central Birmingham, England is an arena under the Central Library containing bars restaurants small shops and stalls and forming the main pedestrian Birmingham Central Library is the main public library in Birmingham, England. Birmingham Conservatoire is an international conservatoire. Prior to 1989 it was known as the Birmingham School of Music

Among the many theatres in Birmingham, the largest are the Alexandra ("the Alex"), The Rep, the Hippodrome and the Old Rep. The Alexandra Theatre, commonly known as The Alex, is a Theatre on Station Street in Birmingham, England. Birmingham Repertory Theatre (commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep) is a Theatre and theatre company based on Centenary Square in The Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England. The Old Rep is a Theatre located in Station Street in Birmingham, England, managed by Birmingham City Council. The Crescent Theatre and Old Joint Stock Theatre are other city centre theatres. The Crescent Theatre is a small amateur Theatre run mostly by volunteers based in Sheepcote Street Brindleyplace in Birmingham, England. The Old Joint Stock Theatre is a pub theatre located at 4 Temple Row West in the centre of Birmingham, England. Outside of the city centre are the Drum Arts Centre (on the site of the former Aston Hippodrome) and mac. The Drum ( is an Arts centre in the Newtown area of Aston, in Birmingham, England, established as the United Kingdom's national centre for The Aston Hippodrome ( also known as The Hipp, was a popular Theatre in the Aston area of Birmingham, England. mac (formerly Midlands Arts Centre) is a non-profit Arts centre situated in Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England ^[94] The Fierce! festival collaborates with The Rep to present an annual series of performances from local and national companies. Fierce! is an international performance festival produced by Fierce Earth that has taken place annually in and around Birmingham, England since 1997

Literary figures associated with Birmingham include Samuel Johnson who stayed in Birmingham for a short period with Birmingham Central Library holding two thousand volumes of his work. This article is about Culture and the Arts in the city of Birmingham, England. Samuel Johnson (often referred to as Dr Johnson) (18 September Author Arthur Conan Doyle worked in the Aston area of Birmingham whilst poet Louis MacNeice lived in Birmingham for six years. Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930 was an Anglo-Scottish Author most noted for his stories about the Frederick Louis MacNeice ( September 12 Washington Irving produced several of his most famous literary works whilst staying in Birmingham such as Bracebridge Hall and The Humorists, A Medley which are based on Aston Hall. Washington Irving (April 3 1783 – November 28 1859 was an American Author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th Other authors who were born in or have resided in Birmingham include David Lodge, Jonathan Coe and J. R. R. Tolkien, who is said to have been inspired by areas and buildings in the city. David John Lodge CBE, (born January 28, 1935 at Brockley London, England) is a British author Jonathan Coe, born 19 August 1961 in Birmingham, is a British novelist and writer Influential poets associated with Birmingham include Roi Kwabena, who was the city's sixth poet laureate,^[95] and Benjamin Zephaniah, who was born in the city. Dr Roi Ankhkara Kwabena ( July 23, 1956, Trinidad — January 9, 2008, England was a cultural Anthropologist, who has Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah (born 15 April 1958, Coleshill Birmingham, England is a British Rastafarian writer and dub poet

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has one of the largest collections of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BM&AG ( is an art gallery in Birmingham, England. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BM&AG ( is an art gallery in Birmingham, England. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (also known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters Poets, and critics founded in 1848 by Edward Burne-Jones was born in Birmingham, spent his first twenty years in the city, later becoming president of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones 1st Baronet (28 August 1833 &ndash 17 June 1898 was an English Artist and Designer closely associated with the later The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists or RBSA is a Learned society of Artists and an Art gallery based in the Jewellery Quarter The Barber Institute of Fine Arts was declared 'Gallery of the Year' by the 2004 Good Britain Guide. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is an Art gallery and Concert hall in Birmingham, England. ^[96] The Ikon Gallery hosts displays of contemporary art. The Ikon Gallery ( is an English gallery of Contemporary art, located in Brindleyplace, Birmingham. Notable local artists include David Cox, David Bomberg, Martin John Callanan, Pogus Caesar, Keith Piper and Donald Rodney. David Cox ( April 29, 1783 - June 7, 1859) was an English landscape painter. David Garshen Bomberg ( December 5, 1890 – August 19, 1957) was an English painter, and one of the Whitechapel Boys Pogus Caesar is a British artist television producer and director Keith Piper born 18 December 1969 in Leicester is a former professional cricketer Donald Gladstone Rodney ( May 18, 1961 – March 4, 1998) was a British artist

Birmingham's role as a manufacturing and printing centre has supported strong local traditions of graphic design and product design. The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation Product design can be defined as the Idea generation Concept development testing and Manufacturing or implementation of a product Iconic works by Birmingham designers include the Baskerville font,^[97] Ruskin Pottery,^[98] the Acme Thunderer whistle,^[99] the Art Deco branding of the Odeon Cinemas^[100] and the Mini. Baskerville is a transitional Serif Typeface designed in 1757 by John Baskerville (1706-1775 in Birmingham, England. The Ruskin Pottery studio was founded in 1898 by Edward R Taylor, the Principal of Birmingham School of Art, to be run by his son William Howson Acme Whistles is the one and only trademark product of the J Hudson Co Odeon Cinemas is the largest chain of cinemas in Europe It is owned by Terra Firma Capital Partners. The Mini is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC and its successors from 1959 until 2000 ^[101]

Festivals and shows

Birmingham is home to many national, religious and spiritual festivals including a St. George's Day party. In Christian hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox The Birmingham Tattoo is a long-standing military show. The Birmingham Tattoo is held annually at The NIA ( National Indoor Arena) in the centre of Birmingham, England. The Caribbean-style Birmingham International Carnival takes place in odd numbered years. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Birmingham International Carnival takes place biennially in Birmingham, England. Birmingham Pride takes place in the gay village and attracts up to 100,000 visitors each year. Birmingham Pride is a weekend-long Gay and Lesbian festival held annually in the Gay Village, Hurst Street, Birmingham, England Since 1997, the city has hosted an annual arts festival ArtsFest, the largest free arts festival in the UK. ArtsFest is an annual arts festival held in September in Birmingham, England. In December 2006, the City Council announced that it would no longer hold Artsfest. ^[102] The city's largest single-day event is its St. Patrick's Day parade (Europe's second largest, after the one in Dublin). Saint Patrick's Day (Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig) colloquially St Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. ^[103] Other multicultural events include the Bangla Mela and the Vaisakhi Mela. The Birmingham Heritage Festival is a Mardi Gras style event in August. " Mardi Gras " ( French for Fat Tuesday) is the day before Ash Wednesday. Caribbean and African culture are celebrated with parades and street performances by buskers. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The Culture of Africa encompasses and includes all cultures which were ever in the continent of Africa. A parade (also called march or marchpast) is a procession of people usually organized along a street often in Costume, and often accompanied by Fire Busking is the practice of performing in Public places for Tips and Gratuities. Other festivals in the city include Moseley Folk Festival (since 2006), which takes place in Moseley private park and mixes new with established folk acts, the Birmingham Jazz Festival, and the Birmingham Comedy Festival (since 2001), which has been headlined by such acts as Peter Kay, The Fast Show, Jimmy Carr, Lee Evans and Lenny Henry.

Media

Birmingham has two local daily newspapers - the Birmingham Post and the Birmingham Mail - as well as the Sunday Mercury, all owned by the Trinity Mirror who also own What's On magazine, a fortnightly listings title which has been running for 30 years. The Birmingham Post Newspaper was originally published under the name Daily Post in Birmingham, England in 1857 by John The Birmingham Mail is a Tabloid Newspaper based in Birmingham, UK but distributed around Birmingham The Black Country Sunday Mercury is a Sunday newspaper published in Birmingham, UK Trinity Mirror plc is a large United Kingdom Newspaper and Magazine publisher Forward (formerly Birmingham Voice) is a freesheet produced by Birmingham City Council, which is distributed to homes in the city. Free daily newspapers trace their history back to the 1940s when Walnut Creek California publisher Dean Lesher began what is widely believed to be the first Birmingham shown within Birmingham is also the hub for various national ethnic media and the base for two regional Metro editions (east Midlands and West Midlands). Birmingham has a long cinematic history. The Electric Cinema on Station Street is the oldest working cinema in the UK,^[104] and Oscar Deutsch opened his first Odeon cinema in Perry Barr during the 1920s. Electric Cinema is a cinema in Birmingham, England. It opened in Station Street on 30 December 1909 and is now the oldest working Cinemaaustraliajpg|thumb|A movie theater in Australia ]]A movie theater, movie theatre, picture theatre or cinema is a venue Oscar Deutsch (1893-1941 was the founder of the Odeon Cinemas chain in the United Kingdom. Odeon Cinemas is the largest chain of cinemas in Europe It is owned by Terra Firma Capital Partners. Perry Barr is an area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own District committee. Birmingham-born architect Harry Weedon collaborated with Oscar Deutsch to design over 300 cinemas across the country, most in the distinctive Art Deco style. Harold William "Harry" Weedon (1887 – 17 June 1970) was an English Architect. Art Deco was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939 affecting the decorative arts such as Architecture, Interior design, and Industrial ^[105] Star City is said to be Europe's largest leisure and cinema complex and is not far from the Britain's only permanent drive-in cinema; both are in Nechells. Star City is a vast entertainment complex in the UK, with a great emphasis on family leisure Nechells is an area in inner-city Birmingham, England, with a population of 27969 (as of 2001 An IMAX cinema is located at Millennium Point in the Eastside. IMAX (short for Image MAXimum is a Film format created by Canada 's IMAX Corporation that has the capacity to display images of far greater size and Millennium Point is a complex in Birmingham, situated in the developing Eastside of the city centre Eastside is an area in the east of Birmingham city centre core in England currently under going a major redevelopment project ^[106] Birmingham has also been the location for films including Felicia's Journey of 1999, which used locations in Birmingham that were used in Take Me High of 1973 to contrast the changes in the city. Felicia's Journey is a 1999 Film starring Elaine Cassidy and Bob Hoskins, based on a prize winning 1994 novel by William Trevor Take Me High is a 1973 English Feature film, directed by David Askey, written by Christopher Penfold and starring ^[107]

As well as being the location for television dramas, Birmingham is also a national hub for television broadcasting. The BBC has two facilities in the city. The Mailbox, in the city centre, is the location for the national headquarters of BBC English Regions,^[108] the headquarters of BBC West Midlands and the BBC Birmingham network production centre, which were previously located at the Pebble Mill Studios in Edgbaston. The Mailbox is an upmarket development of offices exclusive designer shops restaurants bars and luxury city-centre apartments in Birmingham, England. For the talk show see Pebble Mill at One. The BBC Birmingham network production centre Pebble Mill was located in Edgbaston, a suburb of Birmingham Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own District committee. The BBC Drama Village, based in Selly Oak, is a production facility specialising in television drama. For the Selly Oak Parliamentary constituency see Birmingham Selly Oak (UK Parliament constituency. ^[109] It was announced in October 2007 that BBC Birmingham was to lose 43 out of 2,500 jobs nationwide. It is also to receive the long-running emergency medical drama Casualty, which is currently produced in Bristol. Casualty is the longest running emergency medical Drama series in the world and the second-longest-running medical drama in the world behind America's General Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London ^[110]

Birmingham was also the main hub for many programmes on ITV. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Central/ATV studios in Birmingham filmed many programmes including Tiswas and Crossroads until the studio was closed. Tiswas was a Saturday morning children's British TV show which ran from 5 January 1974 to 3 April 1982 Crossroads is a British Television Soap opera set in a Motel near Birmingham, England. ^[111] When Central TV moved to its current Gas Street studios, it was also the main hub for CITV when Stephen Mulhern and Danielle Nicholas were filming until CITV was moved to Manchester. CITV (short for Children's ITV or Children's Independent Television) is the brand name used for the Majority of Children's television output Stephen David Mulhern (born 4 April 1977 is a British children's TV presenter and entertainer All ITV Central film now is its regional news programme Central Tonight and its regional football programme Central Soccer Night. Central Tonight is the main news programme on ITV Central, the ITV franchise for the Midlands.

The city is served by numerous national and regional radio stations, as well as local radio stations. These include 96.4 BRMB, Galaxy, Heart FM, Kerrang! 105.2, New Style Radio 98.7FM, Smooth Radio 105.7FM and BBC WM. Galaxy Birmingham is a regional Radio station owned by Global Radio UK as part of its Galaxy Network of stations specialising in Dance music Kerrang! Radio is a specialist Rock music radio station broadcasting to the West Midlands in England. New Style Radio 987FM is a community radio station based in Birmingham, England and broadcasting to the city's Afro-Caribbean community BBC WM is the BBC Local Radio service for the West Midlands and South Staffordshire, operated by BBC Birmingham. ^[112] The Archers, the world's longest running radio soap, is recorded in Birmingham for BBC Radio 4. The Archers is a British radio Soap opera broadcast on the BBC 's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. ^[113]

Leisure

Two major developments have regenerated two parts of the city in recent years. The VerTiPlex 200, or VTP200 as it's more commonly known is a proposed 200 metre Leisure and Observation tower that has been designed by architects Brindleyplace is a major canalside development with restaurants and office buildings along with the National Sea Life Centre. Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use Canalside development in the centre of Birmingham, England ( The National Sea Life Centre ( is an Aquarium with over 60 displays of freshwater and marine life in Brindleyplace, Birmingham, England. The other development was the Bullring Shopping Centre, which replaced a previous shopping centre. The Bull Ring is a commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first The Mailbox, a canalside development, features designer stores as well as offices and apartments. The Mailbox is an upmarket development of offices exclusive designer shops restaurants bars and luxury city-centre apartments in Birmingham, England. The Cube, designed by MAKE Architects is a 17 storey mixed-use development which is under construction as part of the Mailbox masterplan. The Cube is a 17  Storey tower under construction in Birmingham, England MAKE Architects is an Architects practice based in the United Kingdom. The National Indoor Arena is one of the busiest large scale sporting and entertainment venues in Europe. The National Indoor Arena or The NIA is a large Indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. Outside of the city centre is Star City entertainment complex on the former site of Nechells Power Station. Star City is a vast entertainment complex in the UK, with a great emphasis on family leisure Nechells is an area in inner-city Birmingham, England, with a population of 27969 (as of 2001 ^[114]

The nightlife in Birmingham is concentrated mainly along Broad Street and into Brindleyplace. Broad Street is a major Thoroughfare in Birmingham City Centre, United Kingdom. Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use Canalside development in the centre of Birmingham, England ( However, in recent years, stylish clubs and bars have started to establish themselves outside the Broad Street area. The Medicine Bar in the Custard Factory, The Sanctuary, Rainbow Pub and Air are large clubs and bars in Digbeth. The Medicine Bar in Birmingham, England started as a collaboration in the 1990s between the London Medicine bar and local hip hop DJ The Custard Factory is an arts and media production centre in Birmingham, England ( The Digbeth Institute is a 2000 capacity music venue in Digbeth, Birmingham, England, which has been synonymous in the development of the British Digbeth is an area of Birmingham, England. It is also the name of the main road through the area Near Digbeth, there are bars and club nights in areas such as the Arcadian and Hurst Street Gay Village by the Chinese Quarter. Hurst Street is a street located in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England. The Chinese Quarter is an area with a predominantly Chinese influence as a result of a concentration of Chinese owned businesses organisations and social clubs Summer Row, The Mailbox, and St Philips/Colmore Row - where once a month there is a party night held for Polish residents in Birmingham - and Jewellery Quarter also feature clubs. The Mailbox is an upmarket development of offices exclusive designer shops restaurants bars and luxury city-centre apartments in Birmingham, England. The Jewellery Quarter is an area of Birmingham City Centre, situated in the south of the Hockley area of Birmingham, England. There are number of late night pubs in the Irish Quarter. The Irish Quarter is an area which covers much of Digbeth and Deritend south of Birmingham city centre England. ^[115]

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Birmingham

The central portion of the skyline of Birmingham. Although Birmingham in England has existed as a settlement for over 1000 years today's city is overwhelmingly a product of the 18th 19th and 20th centuries with little surviving

Statue of Lord Nelson on the Portland plinth and railings surrounding it.

Today's Birmingham is chiefly a product of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, as its real growth began with the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Consequently, relatively few buildings survive from its earlier history, and those that do are protected. There are 1,946 listed buildings in Birmingham and thirteen scheduled ancient monuments. There are 1946 Listed buildings in Birmingham, England. This list by district includes those of Grade I and Grade II* importance plus a selection of those In the United Kingdom, a Scheduled Monument is a 'nationally important' Archaeological site or historic building given protection against unauthorised change ^[116] Birmingham City Council also operate a locally listing scheme for buildings that do not fully meet the criteria for statutorily listed status.

Traces of medieval Birmingham can be seen in the oldest churches, notably the original parish church, St Martin in the Bull Ring. A parish church, in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a Parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring ( in Birmingham, England is a Parish church in the Church of England. A few other buildings from the medieval and Tudor periods survive, among them The Lad In The Lane^[117] and The Old Crown, the 15th century Saracen's Head public house and Old Grammar School in Kings Norton^[118] and Blakesley Hall. The Tudor style in architecture is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period (1485&ndash1603 and even beyond for conservative college The Old Crown at 188 High Street Deritend, an inn, is the oldest extant secular building in Birmingham, England. The Saracen's Head is the name usually given to a group of late medieval buildings in Kings Norton, Birmingham. Kings Norton is an area of Birmingham, England. It is also a Birmingham City Council ward within the formal district of Northfield Blakesley Hall ( (a Grade II* Listed building) is a Tudor hall on Blakesley Road in Yardley, Birmingham, England.

A number of Georgian buildings survive, including St Philip's Cathedral, Soho House, Perrott's Folly, the Town Hall and much of St Paul's Square. The arts Especially during the mid-18th century the period was marked by cultural vibrancy with the establishment of the British Museum in 1753 and the contributions St Philip's Cathedral is a Church of England Cathedral, in Colmore Row, Birmingham, England, dedicated to St Philip Soho House, Matthew Boulton 's home (from 1766 until he died in 1809 in Handsworth, Birmingham, England, is now a Museum (opened Perrott's Folly,, also known as The Monument or The Observatory is a 29-metre (96-foot tall tower built in 1758. Birmingham Town Hall is a Grade I listed concert and meeting venue in Victoria Square, Birmingham, England. St Paul's,, is a church and a Georgian square in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, England. The Victorian era saw extensive building across the city. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities Major civic buildings such as the Victoria Law Courts (in characteristic red brick and terracotta), the Council House and the Museum & Art Gallery were constructed. The Victoria Law Courts on Corporation Street, Birmingham, England is a Grade I listed, Red brick and terracotta building that Terracotta, in its unglazed form became fashionable as an architectural ceramic construction material in England in the 1860s and in the United States in the 1870s Birmingham City Council House in Birmingham, England is the home of Birmingham City Council. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BM&AG ( is an art gallery in Birmingham, England. ^[119] St Chad's Cathedral was the first Roman Catholic cathedral to be built in the UK since the Reformation. The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Chad is the seat of the Roman Catholic Province of Birmingham, England, a province of the Catholic Church in Great The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time ^[120] Across the city, the need to house the industrial workers gave rise to miles of redbrick streets and terraces, many of back-to-back houses, some of which were later to become inner-city slums. Back-to-back houses are a form of Terraced house in which two houses share a rear wall (or in which the rear wall of a house directly abuts a factory or other building A slum, as defined by the United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security ^[121]

Postwar redevelopment and anti-Victorianism resulted in the loss of dozens Victorian buildings like Birmingham New Street Station, and the old Central Library. Birmingham New Street is a major railway station located in the centre of the city of Birmingham, England. ^[122] In inner-city areas too, much Victorian housing was redeveloped. Urban Renewal (similar to Urban Regeneration in British English) is a controversial U Existing communities were relocated to tower block estates like Castle Vale. A tower block, block of flats, or apartment block, is a multi-unit High-rise Apartment building. A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development Castle Vale is an area of the City of Birmingham, in England, originally created as an Overspill estate in the 1960s ^[123]

Birmingham City Council now has an extensive tower block demolition and renovation programme. There has been a lot of construction in the city centre in recent years, including the award-winning^[124] Future Systems' Selfridges building in the Bullring Shopping Centre, the Brindleyplace regeneration project and the Millennium Point science and technology centre. Future Systems is a London -based architectural and design practice headed by Directors Jan Kaplický and Amanda Levete. Selfridges is a chain of Department stores in the United Kingdom. The Bull Ring is a commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first Brindleyplace is a large mixed-use Canalside development in the centre of Birmingham, England ( Millennium Point is a complex in Birmingham, situated in the developing Eastside of the city centre The regeneration of Birmingham has been prompted by the Birmingham Redevelopment Scheme. The Birmingham Redevelopment Scheme is a large redevelopment plan for Birmingham, England with the aim of regenerating the city

Highrise development has slowed since the 1970s and mainly in recent years due to enforcements imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority on the heights of buildings as they could affect aircraft from the International Airport, (e. g. Beetham Tower). ^[125]

Second City

Main article: Second city of the United Kingdom

Birmingham has traditionally been regarded by many as the Second city of the United Kingdom. It is the most populous English city and has an important cultural and industrial impact on British life for centuries. A 2007 poll by the BBC placed Manchester ahead of Birmingham in the category of second city of England,^[126] but also ahead in the category of third city. Neither categories are officially sanctioned, and criteria for determining what 'second city' means are ill-defined.

Notable residents

Main article: List of famous residents of Birmingham, England

Birmingham has a number of notable residents from various walks of life. Joseph Chamberlain ( 8 July 1836 &ndash 2 July 1914) was an influential British businessman politician and statesman This is a list of famous or notable people born in or associated with Birmingham in England. Joseph Chamberlain, who was once mayor of Birmingham and later became an MP, and his son Neville Chamberlain, who was lord mayor Birmingham and later the British Prime Minister, are two of the most well-known political figures who have lived in Birmingham. Joseph Chamberlain ( 8 July 1836 &ndash 2 July 1914) was an influential British businessman politician and statesman Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 &ndash 9 November 1940 was a British Conservative Politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Author J. R. R. Tolkien was brought up in Birmingham with many locations in the city such as Moseley bog, Sarehole Mill and Perrott's Folly supposedly being the inspiration for various scenes in The Lord of the Rings. Perrott's Folly,, also known as The Monument or The Observatory is a 29-metre (96-foot tall tower built in 1758. The Lord of the Rings is an epic Writer W. H. Auden grew up in the Harborne area of the city. Wystan Hugh Auden (21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973 ˈwɪstən ˈhjuː ˈɔːdən who signed his works W Entertainers who were born or who have lived in Birmingham include comedians Tony Hancock and Jasper Carrott and the actors Trevor Eve and Martin Shaw. Anthony John "Tony" Hancock (born 12 May 1924 &ndash 24 June 1968) was a popular British Actor and Jasper Carrott OBE (born Robert Norman Davis, March 14 1945) is an English comedian (declaring himself "world famous in Trevor John Eve (born 1 July 1951 is a British Film and Television Actor. You may be looking for Martin Shaw (composer, or Martin Shaw (professor Martin Shaw (born 21 January 1945 in Birmingham In more recent times, Cat Deeley became a popular television presenter in the UK and USA. Catherine Elizabeth "Cat" Deeley (born 23 October 1976) is an English Disc jockey, Television presenter and former fashion Birmingham has also produced a number of popular bands and musicians. The Streets, UB40, Editors, The Twang, Ocean Colour Scene, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Wizzard and Duran Duran were all popular bands, whilst musicians Jeff Lynne, Ozzy Osbourne, John Lodge, Nick Mason, Christine McVie, Roy Wood, Jamelia, and Steve Winwood all were very successful. Mike Skinner (born 27 November 1978) more commonly known by his stage name The Streets, is a Rapper from Birmingham, England UB40 are a British Reggae band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. Featuring the same line-up of 8 musicians from 1978-2008 the band placed more than 50 Ocean Colour Scene (often abbreviated to OCS) are an English Britpop band from Birmingham. Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in 1970 in Birmingham. Black Sabbath are an Led Zeppelin were Wizzard were a Birmingham -based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra Duran Duran are an English Pop rock band famous for a long series of popular singles, albums and vivid Music videos for which they've won two Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947 in Shard End, Birmingham) is a Grammy Award -winning English rock Songwriter John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born December 3 1948) is a British singer John Charles Lodge (born 20 July, 1945, in Erdington, Birmingham, England) is best known as Bass guitar player Singer Nicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason (born 27 January 1944 in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England) is the Drummer for Pink Floyd. Roy Wood (born Roy Adrian Wood 8 November 1946, Kitts Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, England) is a Songwriter Jamelia Niela Davis (born on 11 January 1981) known simply as Jamelia, is a Mercury Music Prize nominated English R&B Stephen Lawrence "Steve" or "Stevie" Winwood (born 12 May 1948 in Handsworth, Birmingham) is an English Singer-songwriter Other famous residents include Birmingham-historian Carl Chinn famous for his passionate love for the city; Tony award winning political playwright David Edgar; and Booker Prize winning novelist David Lodge. Professor Carl Stephen Alfred Chinn MBE (born 6 September, 1956) is an English historian writer radio presenter magazine editor newspaper columnist David Edgar may refer to David Edgar (footballer, Canadian footballer David Edgar (playwright, English playwright David Lodge is the name of David Lodge (actor (1921–2003 a British character actor David Lodge (voice actor

The 'Walk of Stars', similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was unveiled in July 2007 to honour the famous residents of Birmingham. The Birmingham Walk of Stars is an installation on the pedestrian pavement on Broad Street, Birmingham, England. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that The first star to be placed on the walk, which is located on Broad Street, was by Ozzy Osbourne. Broad Street is a major Thoroughfare in Birmingham City Centre, United Kingdom. John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born December 3 1948) is a British singer ^[127] The second star, honouring Jasper Carrott, was placed in the walk in September 2007 during ArtsFest. Jasper Carrott OBE (born Robert Norman Davis, March 14 1945) is an English comedian (declaring himself "world famous in ArtsFest is an annual arts festival held in September in Birmingham, England. ^[128]

See also: Blue Plaques erected by the Birmingham Civic Society.

Science and invention

Main article: Science and invention in Birmingham

Birmingham has been the location for some of the most important inventions and scientific breakthroughs. Birmingham is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom. It is one of the country's principal industrial centres and has an impressive history of industrial and scientific Local inventions and notable firsts include: gas lighting, custard powder, the magnetron, the first ever use of radiography in an operation, Lewis Paul and John Wyatt's first cotton Roller Spinning machine and the UK's first ever hole-in-the-heart operation, at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Gas lighting refers to a technology used to produce light from gas usually methane but also including hydrogen and ethylene Alfred Bird (1811 – 15 December 1878) was a British food manufacturer and chemist A cavity magnetron is a high-powered Vacuum tube that generates coherent Microwaves They are commonly found in Microwave ovens as well as various For medical radiography see Radiology Radiography is the use of X-rays to view unseen or hard-to-image objects Surgery (from the χειρουργική cheirourgikē, via chirurgiae meaning "hand work" is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental Lewis Paul (d 1759 was the original inventor of roller spinning the basis of the Water frame for spinning Cotton in a Cotton mill. John Wyatt (April 1700 &ndash 29 November 1766) an English Inventor, was born near Lichfield and was related to Sarah Ford Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp Atrial septal defect ( ASD) is a form of congenital heart defect that enables blood flow between the left and right atria via the Interatrial septum. The Birmingham Children's Hospital, previously known as The Diana Princess of Wales Children's Hospital, is a Children's hospital located in Birmingham ^[129]

Among the city's notable scientists and inventors are Matthew Boulton, proprietor of the Soho engineering works, Sir Francis Galton, originator of eugenics and important techniques in statistics, Joseph Priestley, chemist and radical and James Watt, engineer and inventor who is associated with the steam engine. Matthew Boulton ( September 3, 1728 &ndash 18 August 1809) was an English Manufacturer and Engineer. Soho Foundry (not to be confused with the Soho Manufactory) was a Factory created in 1795 by Matthew Boulton and James Watt at Smethwick Sir Francis Galton FRS ( 16 February 1822 &ndash 17 January 1911) half-cousin of Charles Darwin, was an Eugenics is a social Philosophy which advocates the improvement of Human Hereditary traits through various forms of intervention Statistics is a mathematical science pertaining to the collection analysis interpretation or explanation and presentation of Data. Joseph Priestley (13 March 1733 ( Old James Watt ( 19 January 1736 &ndash 25 August 1819 Boulton proved to be an excellent businessman and both men eventually made fortunes A steam engine is a Heat engine that performs Mechanical work using Steam as its Working fluid. Many of these scientists were members of the Lunar Society, which was based in the city. The Lunar Society was a dinner club and informal Learned society of prominent Industrialists natural philosophers and intellectuals who met regularly between ^[130]

Twin cities

Birmingham's town twins^[131] are:

Chicago, Illinois, United States Frankfurt, Germany Guangzhou, China Johannesburg, South Africa Leipzig, Germany Nanjing, China Lyon, France Milan, Italy Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan - Friendship agreement

Birmingham, Alabama, USA is named after the city and shares an industrial kinship. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Guangzhou ( Jyutping: Gwong²zau¹; Yale: Gwóngjàu) is the Capital and a Sub-provincial city China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Johannesburg ( Pronounced /jō-hān'ĭs-bûrg'/ is the largest city in South Africa. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa This sort of fix restores section edit linkpoints to where they belong Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Mirpur may refer to Mirpur District, a district of Azad Kashmir Mirpur Khas, a city in Sindh Pakistan Mirpur NWFP The Azad State of Jammu and Kashmir, usually shortened to Azad Jammu and Kashmir ( AJK) or simply Azad Kashmir (literally "free Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Birmingham (ˈbɝmɪŋhæm is the largest City in the US state of Alabama and is the County seat of Jefferson County. Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. ^[132]

See also

• Constituent areas of Birmingham
• Eurovision Song Contest 1998
• Gallery of Birmingham images
• Birmingham military history
• List of songs about Birmingham
• Birmingham Redevelopment Scheme

References

External links

• Birmingham City Council
• Local Strategic Partnership for Birmingham
• The Birmingham Civic Society
• Birmingham's Industrial History Website
• Images of Birmingham Photo Library - A photo library of Birmingham
• Birmigham Theatre Guide - Comprehensive guide to Birmingham theatres
• Virtualbrum.co.uk - photographs and information
• Views of Birmingham in Old Postcards
• Talk Like A Brummie - A wiki-based Birmingham dialect dictionary.
• Birmingham Stories - Birmingham's past and the inventions from the city
• Made in Birmingham - Birmingham's Industrial History Website
• Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham, a circa 1885 "history and guide, containing thousands of dates and references to matters of interest connected with the past and present history of the town", from Project Gutenberg. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works
• Birmingham timeline
• Birmingham Conservation Trust
• Birmingham travel guide from Wikitravel
• Birmingham facts and photography
• Westmidlands connurbation GDP
• Birmingham International Airport Guide
• Birmingham Central Backpackers - hostel and tourist guide

Coordinates: 52°29′1″N 1°54′23″W / 52.48361, -1.90639

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