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.

### 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
- Jude Bellingham - Professional football player formerly playing for Birmingham City F.C., Borussia Dortmund, and now playing for Real Madrid C.F.

## 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

## Other websites

- Birmingham City Council
- Birmingham tourism site

## Infobox (settlement)

- **official name**: Birmingham
- **etymology**: Old English _Beormingahām_ (home or settlement of the _Beormingas_)
- **settlement type**: City status in the United Kingdom, City and metropolitan borough
- **motto**: Forward
- **population demonym**: Brummie
- **image caption**: Clockwise, from top: the Birmingham city centre, city centre from the south, Birmingham Town Hall, St Martin in the Bull Ring, St Martin's church and the Selfridges Building, Birmingham, Selfridges Building in the Bull Ring, Birmingham, Bull Ring, the University of Birmingham, St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham, St Philip's Cathedral, and the Library of Birmingham
- **image flag**: Flag of Birmingham, United Kingdom.svg
- **flag link**: Flag of Birmingham (England)
- **flag size**: 150px
- **image shield**: Coat of arms of Birmingham.svg
- **image map**: Birmingham UK locator map.svg
- **map caption**: Birmingham shown in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county
- **pushpin map caption**: Location in England##Location in the United Kingdom##Location in Europe
- **pushpin map**: England#United Kingdom#Europe
- **pushpin label position**: right
- **pushpin relief**: 1
- **subdivision type**: List of sovereign states, Sovereign state
- **subdivision type2**: Regions of England, Region
- **subdivision name2**: West Midlands (region), West Midlands
- **subdivision type3**: Ceremonial counties of England, Ceremonial county
- **subdivision type4**: historic counties of England, Historic county
- **government type**: Metropolitan borough
- **governing body**: Birmingham City Council
- **leader title**: Executive arrangements#Leader and cabinet, Leadership
- **leader name**: Local Government Act 2000#Options for council executive forms, Leader and cabinet
- **leader title1**: Political make-up of local councils in the United Kingdom#Unitary authorities, Executive
- **leader title2**: Leader
- **leader name2**: Vacant (Deputy Leader Ian Ward, acting)
- **leader title3**: Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Lord Mayor
- **leader name3**: Anne Underwood
- **leader title4**: Chief Executive (Interim)
- **leader name4**: Stella Manzie Companion of the Order of the British Empire, CBE
- **established title**: Settlement
- **established date**: c. 600
- **established date1**: 1166
- **established title2**: Municipal borough
- **established date2**: 1838
- **established title3**: City status in the United Kingdom, City status
- **established date3**: List of cities in the United Kingdom, 14 January 1889
- **established title4**: Metropolitan borough
- **established date4**: Local Government Act 1972, 1 April 1974
- **seat type**: Administrative HQ
- **seat**: Council House, Birmingham, The Council House,
Victoria Square, Birmingham, Victoria Square
- **unit pref**: UK
- **total type**: City
- **area rank**: List of English districts by area|
- **area urban km2**: 598.9
- **population rank**: List of English districts by population|
- **population urban**: 2,440,986 (List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 3rd)
- **population metro**: 4,332,629 (List of metropolitan areas in Europe)
- **timezone**: Greenwich Mean Time
- **utc offset**: +0
- **timezone dst**: British Summer Time
- **utc offset dst**: +1
- **elevation m**: 140
- **postal code type**: Postcode
- **postal code**: B postcode area, B
- **area code**: 0121
- **iso code**: ISO 3166-2:GB, GB-BIR
- **blank name sec1**: Government Statistical Service, GSS code
- **blank info sec1**: E08000025
- **blank1 name sec1**: NUTS of the United Kingdom, NUTS 3 code
- **blank1 info sec1**: UKG31
- **blank2 name sec1**: ONS coding system, ONS code
- **blank2 info sec1**: 00CN
- **blank3 name sec1**: Ordnance Survey National Grid, OS grid reference
- **blank4 name sec1**: List of motorways in the United Kingdom, Motorways
- **blank4 info sec1**: M6 motorway, M6
M6 Toll
M5 motorway, M5
M42 motorway, M42
A38(M) motorway, A38(M)
- **blank5 name**: Ethnicity
<small>(2011 Census)  </small>
- **blank6 name sec1**: List of airports in the United Kingdom and the British Crown Dependencies, International airports
- **blank6 info sec1**: Birmingham Airport, Birmingham (International Air Transport Association airport code, BHX)
- **blank7 name sec1**: UK railway stations, Major railway stations
- **blank7 info sec1**: Birmingham New Street railway station, Birmingham New Street (United Kingdom railway station categories, A)
Birmingham Moor Street railway station, Birmingham Moor Street (United Kingdom railway station categories, B)
Birmingham Snow Hill railway station, Birmingham Snow Hill (United Kingdom railway station categories, C1)
- **blank name sec2**: Gross domestic product, GDP
- **blank info sec2**: United States dollar, US$ 121.1 billion (List of metropolitan economies in the United Kingdom, 2nd)
- **blank1 name sec2**: – Per capita
- **blank1 info sec2**: American dollar, US$ 31,572
- **blank2 name sec2**: Councillors
- **blank2 info sec2**: 120
- **blank3 name sec2**: List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2015, MPs
- **website**: [http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/ www.birmingham.gov.uk]