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| ''This article is about Birmingham, England; see also ] and ]'' | |||
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| '''Birmingham,''' which in 1993 had a population of 1,017,000, is the second-largest city in the ], after ]. Situated in the ], it forms part of a large conurbation of over four million. This conurbation is an industrial centre, home to the ] and ] car companies. Coins are manufactured at the Birmingham Mint, the oldest independent mint in the world. | |||
| While manufacturing is still important to the city, and to its future, the local economy is rapidly diversifying; in particular, professional and financial services and tourism are growing quickly. More details about the Birmingham economy can be found at http://www.birminghameconomy.org.uk | |||
| Birmingham is home to two ] (soccer) teams, ] and ]. The National Indoor Arena, The Symphony Hall and the International Convention Centre are located in central Birmingham. The National Exhibtion Centre is 10 miles southeast of the centre, close to Birmingham International Airport. | |||
| Birmingham has three universities: ], The ] and The ]. | |||
| Once considered the ugliest city in Britain, Birmingham has in recent years been renovated, with the city centre now a more attractive and pleasant place to walk around. There are 35 miles of ]s within the Birmingham city boundaries. By comparison there are 26 miles of canals within the centre of ] (that is, within the six ]). The area around ] was extensively renovated at the turn of the ], making it possible to walk beside the canals. As of 2003 further redevelopment is taking place on the site of the ]. The city is bidding to become the ] in 2008, under the banner "]". | |||
| Birmingham is governed by ], the largest local authority in the UK. | |||
| The city is commonly known to its inhabitants as ''Brum''. | |||
| :''See also:'' ], ], ] | |||
| ==History== | |||
| Birmingham came into existence in the year ] when a local landowner called ] obtained a charter to hold a ], a settlement grew up around this market named Birmingham after its founder. | |||
| The market was called the Bull Ring and was the centre of all activity in what was then a village. Birmingham became a ] in the early ]. | |||
| From the ] onwards Birmingham became a centre of many metalworking industries, with a skilled population of ]. Birmingham also became a centre of ] manufacturing, with ] and ] being produced in the then town. | |||
| Birmingham's skilled workforce, and the fact that Birmingham was located near the coalfields of ]. Meant that the town grew rapidly during the ].In the late 18th and early 19th century Birmingham became a centre of the canal system, which greatly aided its industrial growth. | |||
| In the ] the ] and the ] were built and Birmingham soon became a centre of the railway system, and one of Britains leading industrial cities. | |||
| '''Population Growth in Birmingham by year''' | |||
| *] pop 1,500 | |||
| *] pop 5,000 | |||
| *] pop 24,000 | |||
| *] pop 75,000 | |||
| *] pop 650,000 | |||
| *] pop 1,020,000 | |||
| During the ] Birmingham's population mushroomed and by the middle of the 19th century Birmingham had become the second largest population centre in Britain. It was also during the 19th century that Birmingham gained its reputation (which lasted until quite recently) as a grim industrial city. Birmingham became a city in ]. | |||
| During the ] Birmingham's population continued to rise. In the postwar years a massive program of ] clearances took place, and vast areas of the city were re-built, with overcrowded "back to back" housing being replaced by high rise blocks of ]. The city centre was also extensively re-built. Birmingham also became a centre of the national ] network. | |||
| Also in the postwar years a major influx if immigrants from the ] changed the face of Birmingham, with large communities from the ] and the ] settling in the city, turning Birmingham into a leading multicultural city. | |||
| ==External Links== | |||
| *http://www.birmingham.org.uk/ | |||