Birmingham

Birmingham, the most populous British city outside London, is located in the metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Lying equidistant from Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and London, the city is the centre of water, road, and rail transportation in the Midlands. Britain's second largest city, Birmingham is a major international commercial centre, ranked as a gamma- world city by the Globalisation and World Cities Research Network.

The earliest evidence of settlement in the region, which was discovered near Curzon Street in the city centre, dates back 10,400 years. It was an Anglo-Saxon farming village on the banks of the River Rea, during the early 7th century. Recorded by the Domesday Book of 1086 as a small hamlet, the city derives its name from 'Beorma inga ham', meaning farmstead of the descendants of Beorma.

It was transformed from a village to a market town in 1166, when the holder of the manor of Birmingham, Peter de Birmingham, was granted a royal charter to hold a market in his castle. Until the 1530s, the de Birmingham family continued to be Lords of Birmingham, when Edward de Birmingham was cheated out of its Lordship by John Dudley.

Metalworking industries became established in the region during the 16th century. It became home to the Lunar Society, an important gathering of local thinkers and industrialists, in the 18th century. In the campaign for political reform in the early 19th century, Birmingham rose to national political prominence.

By the construction of an extensive canal system in the 1820s, more industries entered the city to get access to its natural resources. With extensive economic diversity and capacity for regeneration, Birmingham emerged as Britain's most prosperous provincial city. Decades following World War II beckoned numerous immigrants to the city, leading to a soar in its population.

Located on the Birmingham Plateau, the city is bordered by basins of the Rivers Severn and Trent, and Lickey Hills, Clent Hills and Walton Hill. The West Midlands Urban Area is formed by the conurbation of the city with the largely residential borough of Solihull, Wolverhampton and the industrial towns of the Black Country.

Apart from over 8,000 acres of parkland open spaces, the city is also composed of numerous public squares, including Centenary Square, Chamberlain Square and Victoria Square.

Primarily developed in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, the destination has 1,946 listed buildings and thirteen scheduled ancient monuments. Within the Pre-Raphaelite, and Arts and Crafts movements, the city became an important centre of Victorian art. Strong local traditions of graphic design and product design have supported its role as a manufacturing and printing centre.

The contemporary literary scene is another highlight of Birmingham that has local authors like Joel Lane and Judith Cutler. In addition to Christianity that is the largest religion within the city, it also contains United Kingdom's largest Muslim, Sikh and Buddhist communities.

Owing to a pleasant weather and mild temperatures, March through June is the best time to visit the city. Tourists also throng the destination for various events that are organised throughout the year, including Moseley Folk Festival and Birmingham International Jazz Festival, among others.