Birmingham (pronounced BIRming'm) is a city in the West Midlands of England. Due to Birmingham being the second largest and second most culturally diverse city in the UK it is generally considered England's "second city", after London.

Introduction
The city of Birmingham has a population of 985,900 (2001 estimate); the Birmingham metropolitan area which includes the cities of Wolverhampton and Coventry, the Black Country and a number of surrounding towns, has a population of 2,575,768. Around four million people live within a 40 mile (65 km) radius of the city. The term 'Birmingham' is sometimes, erroneously, used in reference to the entire built-up area around the city rather than the city proper. 

The city is commonly known as Brum (from the old name Brummagem) and its inhabitants as Brummies. Birmingham residents speak with a distinctive Brummie accent which is often confused with the Black Country accent. The people are generally regarded as hard working, and having a sense of humour that is quite unique. 

Birmingham is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the UK, with a large population from the Caribbean, Indian sub-continent and from Ireland: according to the 2001 census, 29.7% of the population of Birmingham is non-white. The city has one of the largest populations of Rastafarians outside Jamaica and the city hosts the third largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the world, after Dublin and New York. Birmingham's balti restaurants produce some of the finest 'Indian' cuisine in the U.K. 

About 22 million people visit Birmingham every year and the city was voted second best place to shop in England 2004 after the West End of London. Its top attractions include Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Millennium Point, Bull Ring, Selfridges Building, Cadbury World, Tolkien Trail [1], Birmingham Royal Ballet, the National Sea Life Centre and 35 miles (60 km) of canals within the city boundaries, of which most are navigable. 

The city centre has been transformed in recent years, with the construction of new squares, the restoration of old streets, buildings and canals, and the removal of much-derided pedestrian subways. 

Birmingham is located at 52�30" North, 1�50" West. 

Architecture | Economy | Government | Culture | Classical Music | Modern Music | Sport | Transport

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Birmingham"