Cities of Great Britain

Great Britain has a population of about 57 million. About nineteenths of the people live in cities and towns. About 40 per cent of the urban residents live in England's seven metropolitan areas. Greater London, the largest metropolitan area, has about 7 million people, which is over 10 per cent of Great Brit­ ain's total population. The six other metropolitan areas are: Greater Manchester (Manchester is the largest city of the area), Merseyside (Liverpool), South Yorkshire (Sheffield), Tyne and Wear (Sunderland), West Midlands (Birmingham), and West Yorkshire (Leeds).

Manchester is one of Great Britain 's chief centers of trade and finance. Its port handles about 14 million short tons (13 million metric tons) of cargo annually. The city has many banks and insurance companies and a stock exchange. Manchester and its surrounding communities also rank as one of Britain's leading manufacturing areas. Products include chemicals, clothing and textiles, computers, electronic equipment, industrial machinery and machine tools, paper, precision instruments, and processed food. The downtown area of Manchester has many buildings that date from the 1800's, when the city became a major industrial and trade center. A number of the buildings were constructed to serve the needs of industry and trade but are now used for other purposes. The Royal Exchange, for example, formerly a trading center for Britain's cotton industry, is now a theatre. The Free Trade Hall was once a center for free trade and radical political movements. Today, the world's famous Hall Orchestra performs there. Manchester 's magnificent Town Hall also dates from the 1800's. All these buildings are architectural landmarks and reminders of Manchester's former great wealth. Manchester Cathedral, built in the 1400's, is another famous landmark. The city has an international airport. It is also a center of railroad transportation.

Liverpool is a large commercial and manufacturing city. The commercial center of Liverpool is one of the largest shop­ ping districts in Great Britain. It borders the river and has several buildings that are landmarks of the city. They include the Royal Liver Building, which has twin towers. Each tower is topped by a sculpture of the «liver bird», a mythical creature after which the city is said to have been named. Liverpool has a wide variety of cultural activities and sports events. The city's Walker Art Gallery owns one of the nation's finest collections of paintings outside London. Liverpool has an orchestra, several theatres, and two professional soccer teams. Liverpool was founded in 1207 and began to flourish as a trade center in the 1700's. At the same time, it became an important port city. Shipping remains as important economic activity in the Liverpool area today. Major industrial facilities of the city include flour mills, sugar refineries and an automobile manufacturing plant. During World War II, German bombers heavily damaged the city and its docks. Since the war, the decline of the port, plus other factors, have contributed to a high rate of unemployment in the city.

An important manufacturing city, Sheffield has long been a center for the production of high - grade steel, silver plate, and metal products. Its cutting tools and «cutlery» - silver ware, teapots, and other table utensils - are internationally famous. An Anglo-Saxon agricultural settlement probably

stood on the site of what is now Sheffield as early as the A. D. 1000's. Sheffield grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution of the 1700's and 1800's, when it became England's main center for steel production. Today, Sheffield has attractive public housing, modern commercial and industrial areas, and pleasant parks and other landscape sites.

Birmingham is the second largest city in Great Britain. Only London has more people. Many sections of Birmingham were heavily damaged by German bombs during World War II. These sections have been rebuilt since the mid -1900's as part of an urban renewal program. Birmingham's factories manufacture a wide variety of products. The chief items include automobiles, computers, electronic circuits, machine tools, and wire. Anglian settlers founded Birmingham, probably in the A. D. 600's. The city became a trading center during the 1100's, and industries began to develop there in the 1500's. Birmingham grew into an industrial city because of nearby coal and iron ore deposits, and other important natural resources. During the Industrial Revolution Birmingham became a major industrial center of Great Britain. Today, Birmingham and the surrounding communities form Britain's chief manufacturing area.

Leeds is the center of the clothing industry of West York­shire in England. It is also an important producer of wool textiles. The important Yorkshire coal field lies to the south and south east of Leeds. The field provides coal for several power stations in the region. Clothing and wool textiles are the traditional products made in Leeds. In addition, Leeds has developed important computer, defense, electronic, engineering, and vehicle industries. The city is a major cultural and business center and the home of the University of Leeds .

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and a center of industry and commerce. It lies on both sides of the River Clyde which leads into the Atlantic Ocean near Glasgow, and the city serves as a port for oceangoing vessels. Glasgow is a center of engineering activities. Its manufactured goods include computers and other electronic products. Major Scotch whisky firms have their headquarters in the city. Glasgow is a center for Scottish television broadcasting, and some filmmaking takes place there. Glasgow's history can be traced back to the founding of a church in the 500's on the city's present site by Saint Kentigera. The city was founded about 1180. In the 1700's Glasgow became an important port, and it contributed to its prosperity. Glasgow was one of the first cities to become involved in the Industrial Revolution, which began in the 1700's. James Watts developed his steam engine near Glasgow.

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