Query: Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough.

Relevant passages:
Birmingham <=SEP=> Birmingham ( -LSB- ˈbɜːmɪŋəm -RSB- ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands , England . It is the largest and most populous British city outside London , with a population of 1,101,360 in 2014 .   A medium-sized market town in the medieval period , Birmingham grew to international prominence in the 18th century at the heart of the Midlands Enlightenment and subsequent Industrial Revolution , which saw the town at the forefront of worldwide advances in science , technology , and economic development , producing a series of innovations that laid many of the foundations of modern industrial society . By 1791 it was being hailed as `` the first manufacturing town in the world '' . Birmingham 's distinctive economic profile , with thousands of small workshops practising a wide variety of specialised and highly skilled trades , encouraged exceptional levels of creativity and innovation and provided a diverse and resilient economic base for industrial prosperity that was to last into the final quarter of the 20th century . Perhaps the most important invention in British history , the industrial steam engine , was invented in Birmingham . Its resulting high level of social mobility also fostered a culture of broad-based political radicalism , that under leaders from Thomas Attwood to Joseph Chamberlain was to give it a political influence unparalleled in Britain outside London , and a pivotal role in the development of British democracy . From the summer of 1940 to the spring of 1943 , Birmingham was bombed heavily by the German Luftwaffe in what is known as the Birmingham Blitz . The damage done to the city 's infrastructure , in addition to a deliberate policy of demolition and new building by planners , led to extensive demolition and redevelopment in subsequent decades .   Today Birmingham 's economy is dominated by the service sector . The city is a major international commercial centre , ranked as a gamma + world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network ; and an important transport , retail , events and conference hub . Its metropolitan economy is the second largest in the United Kingdom with a GDP of $ 121.1 bn ( 2014 ) , and its six universities make it the largest centre of higher education in the country outside London . Birmingham 's major cultural institutions -- including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra , the Birmingham Royal Ballet , the Birmingham Repertory Theatre , the Library of Birmingham and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts -- enjoy international reputations , and the city has vibrant and influential grassroots art , music , literary and culinary scenes . Birmingham is the fourth-most visited city in the UK by foreign visitors .   Birmingham 's sporting heritage can be felt worldwide , with the concept of the Football League and lawn tennis both originating from the city . Its most successful football club Aston Villa has won seven league titles and one European Cup with the other professional club being Birmingham City .   People from Birmingham are called Brummies , a term derived from the city 's nickname of Brum . This originates from the city 's dialect name , Brummagem , which may in turn have been derived from one of the city 's earlier names , Bromwicham . There is a distinctive Brummie accent and dialect .