Birmingham

Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. It is the second-largest metropolitan area and city in the United Kingdom. 

About 1.1 million people live in Birmingham. Around 4.3 million people live in its metropolitan area. Many people call it the "second city" of the United Kingdom.

History 

Birmingham began as a small town in 1166. 
Queen Victoria gave city status to Birmingham in 1889.

Many industries were developed in Birmingham during the 18th and 19th centuries. These included making weapons and food.

Birmingham manufacturing industry played a big role in the war effort in World War I and World War II. The WWII spitfire aeroplane was made in Birmingham. In 2000, a statue of stylised spitfires was erected next to the old factory site. The factory now makes Jaguar cars.
Birmingham had a large car making industry. It has declined since the 1980s. It remains the home town for Jaguar and Land Rover cars.

In 1974, twenty-one people were killed in the Birmingham pub bombings.

Transport

Grand Union Canal 
Birmingham was an important stagine-post in the Victorian industrial canal system. Today it is the northern terminus of the Grand Union Canal to London. Heavy goods (as coal surely is) are most economically moved on water. No other form of transport is so efficient.

Motorways 
The M40 motorway connects to London via Oxford. The M6 motorway also connects Birmingham to London (via the M1) and to the north-west of England and Scotland. Junction 6 of the M6 is also one of Birmingham's landmarks, and probably the most notable motorway junction in the UK, Spaghetti Junction, officially called the Gravelly Hill Interchange. Other motorways are: 
 The A38(M) which links Spaghetti Junction to the city centre
The M5, connecting Birmingham to the south-west of England
The M42, which connects Birmingham to Tamworth and the East Midlands
The M6 Toll, which enables through traffic on the M6 to bypass Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

Birmingham, unlike London and Manchester, does not have a single orbital motorway. Instead, three motorways form a box which surrounds most of the city. These are:
The M42 to the south and east. In the middle, the M40 ends. It has priority for traffic going from the M40 to the M42 west. The M40 goes off south to Warwick, Oxford, High Wycombe, Uxbridge and London.
The M5 which forms the western section.
The M6 which forms the northern section. The M5 ends on the M6.

Other major roads passing through Birmingham include:
The A34 from Manchester to Winchester
The A38 from Mansfield to Bodmin
The A41 from London to Birkenhead
The A45 from Birmingham to Thrapston (formerly to Felixstowe)
The A47 from Birmingham to Great Yarmouth
The A4540 'Middleway' ring road
The A4040 Outer Ring Road

Famous people from Birmingham 
 Gabriel Agbonlahor, footballer
 Geoff Bunn, artist
 Geezer Butler, musician and Black Sabbath member
 Jasper Carrott, comedian
 Tony Iommi, musician and Black Sabbath member
 Jeff Lynne, musician and record producer, co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra
 Bill Oddie, television personality
 Ozzy Osbourne, singer, and Black Sabbath member
 James and Oliver Phelps, actors, famous for playing Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter film series
 J.R.R. Tolkien, author
 Julie Walters, actor
 Steve Winwood, musician
 Richard Hammond - Motoring journalist, TV presenter

Famous pop and rock groups from Birmingham 
 Black Sabbath, heavy metal rock group
 Dexys Midnight Runners, pop group
 Duran Duran, pop group
 Electric Light Orchestra
 Judas Priest, rock group
 Moody Blues, pop group
 Ocean Colour Scene
 The Move, pop group
 UB40, pop group
 Wizzard, pop group

References

Other websites 
 Birmingham City Council
 Birmingham tourism site