Warwick

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in North West England, with an estimated population of 491,500. Its metropolitan area is the fifth-largest in the UK, with a population of 2.24 million in 2011. The local authority is Liverpool City Council, the most populous local government district in the metropolitan county of Merseyside and the largest in the Liverpool City Region. Liverpool is on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, and historically lay within the ancient hundred of West Derby in the southwest of the county of Lancashire. It became a borough in 1207 and a city in 1880. In 1889, it became a county borough independent of Lancashire. Its growth as a major port was paralleled by the expansion of the city throughout the Industrial Revolution. Along with handling general cargo, freight, and raw materials such as coal and cotton, the city merchants were involved in the Atlantic slave trade. In the 19th century, it was a major port of departure for Irish and English emigrants to North America. Liverpool was home to both the Cunard and White Star Line, and was the port of registry of the ocean liner RMS Titanic, the RMS Lusitania, RMS Queen Mary, and RMS Olympic. Liverpool is noted for its culture, architecture, and transport links. It is closely associated with the arts, particularly music; the popularity of the Beatles, who are regarded as the most influential band in history, contributed to the city's status as a tourist destination. Since then, the city has continued to produce hundreds of notable musical acts—musicians from Liverpool have produced 56 No. 1 singles, more than any other city in the world. Liverpool also has a long-standing reputation as the origin of countless actors and actresses, artists, comedians, journalists, novelists, poets, and sportspeople. The city has the second-highest number of art galleries, national museums, and listed buildings in the United Kingdom, with only London having more. In sports, it is best known for being the home of Premier League football clubs Liverpool and Everton; matches between the two are known as the Merseyside derby. The Grand National horse race takes place annually at Aintree Racecourse. Several areas of the city centre were granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 2004. The city celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2007, and was named the 2008 European Capital of Culture together with the Norwegian city of Stavanger. The Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City includes the Pier Head, Albert Dock, and William Brown Street. Liverpool's status as a port city has attracted a diverse population, which was historically drawn from a wide range of cultures and religions, particularly from Ireland and Wales. The city is also home to the oldest black community in the UK and the oldest Chinese community in Europe. Natives and residents of the city of Liverpool are referred to formally as Liverpudlians, but most often as Scousers, a reference to "scouse", a form of stew. The word "Scouse" has also become synonymous with the Liverpool accent and dialect.