Birmingham (England) is a city, seat of the metropolitan county of West Midlands, central England. In 1974 the former municipal borough of Sutton Coldfield was incorporated into the city. A main industrial center, Birmingham is definitely the second largest city in Great Britain. It is the hub of the British metal goods industry and it is served by a network of railroads and highways. One of the main metal products created are motor-vehicle parts, machine tools, brassware, household utensils, sporting guns, and jewelry. Various other important manufactures consist of electrical equipment, glass, rubber products, along with chemicals. The city can be found in an important coal-mining region.
Birmingham is the seat of the University of Birmingham (1900), the University of Aston in Birmingham (1895), the University of Central England in Birmingham (1992, formerly a polytechnic college), and many technical schools. Cultural facilities include the large Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery (1867), the Museum of Science and Industry, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and also the Birmingham Repertory Theatre (1913). The city's Municipal Bank (started 1916) is the only one of its kind in Great Britain. Birmingham churches include Saint Philip's Cathedral (1715), Saint Martin's Parish Church in the Bull Ring (13th century), and the Roman Catholic Saint Chad's Cathedral (1841). Various noteworthy buildings are the neoclassical Town Hall (1834), the Renaissance-style Council House (1881), and also the modern Bull Ring Shopping Centre.
In 1166 the town of Birmingham was granted a market charter. By the 16th century, it became a flourishing manufacturing center specializing in metal goods. Before the English Revolution (1640s), Birmingham produced several 16,000 sword blades for the Parliamentary forces, as a result of which the town was besieged and taken by the Royalists. Because of its production total capacity, Birmingham assumed a position of great importance during the late 18th century, in the Industrial Revolution. Active in the town at that time were various influential inventors along with scientists, along with the inventor of the steam engine, James Watt, and also the chemist Joseph Priestly. In 1838 railroad lines were built from Birmingham to London and Liverpool. In the late 19th century, the city became famous for its excellent municipal advancement programs, which includes those devoted to the establishment of public utilities and the clearing of slums. Seriously bombed during World War II, the city has been subject to extensive reconstructing.
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