Birmingham

Birmingham is a big and important city in England. It is the largest city by population in England and is often called the second city of the United Kingdom. Over 1.2 million people live there, making it a busy and lively place. It is located in the West Midlands region, west of the center point of England.

Historically, Birmingham started as a small market town. But during the Industrial Revolution, it grew very fast. Many new inventions and industries began here, making it known as the first manufacturing town in the world. This history helped shape Birmingham into a center for ideas, politics, and progress.

Today, Birmingham is a major center for business, education, and culture. It has many universities, famous music groups, theaters, and art galleries. The city also hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games, showing its importance. With its rich history and modern economy, Birmingham remains a key part of the United Kingdom.

Toponymy

The name Birmingham comes from an old language called Old English. It means "the home of the Beormingas," which was a group of people. The name "Beorma" might have been a leader or an ancestor. Names ending in "-ingahām" usually mean an important early settlement, so Birmingham was probably established by the 7th century. Nearby places with names ending in "-tūn," "-lēah," "-worð," or "-field" were likely smaller farms or clearings that grew up later.

Old English Beormingas Anglo-Saxon Beorma British

History

Main articles: History of Birmingham, Economic history of Birmingham, Science and invention in Birmingham, and Timeline of Birmingham history

Pre-history and medieval

There is evidence of early human activity in the Birmingham area from around 8000 BC. Stone Age artefacts show that people lived there seasonally, hunted, and worked in the woods. Many burnt mounds around the city show that people settled and farmed the area during the Bronze Age between 1700 BC and 1000 BC.

During the 1st-century Roman conquest of Britain, the forested land of the Birmingham Plateau blocked the Roman soldiers. They built Metchley Fort in the area of modern-day Edgbaston in AD 48. Birmingham later became a small settlement in the 6th or 7th century in the forested Arden region in Mercia.

In 1166, Peter de Bermingham, the Lord of the Manor, got permission to hold a market. He created a planned market town and seigneurial borough around the Bull Ring. This made Birmingham an important commercial centre. Within a century, Birmingham grew into a busy town of merchants and craftsmen. By 1327 it was the third-largest town in Warwickshire.

Early modern

The main governing groups of medieval Birmingham collapsed between 1536 and 1547. This gave the town more freedom and started a period of growth.

The making of iron goods became important to Birmingham's economy from 1538 and grew quickly. Birmingham became a centre for iron merchants who organised finance, supplied materials, and traded products. By the 1600s, Birmingham was the commercial centre for forges and furnaces from South Wales to Cheshire. Its merchants sold goods as far as the West Indies.

During the English Civil War, Birmingham's growing economy and population led to new social structures. The town was known for political radicalism and supported Parliament. It was attacked by Royalist forces in the Battle of Birmingham in 1643. By 1700, Birmingham's population had grown greatly and it was the fifth-largest town in England and Wales. The 18th century saw the rise of the Midlands Enlightenment. Birmingham became a centre for literature, music, art, and theatre. Its leading citizens, like the Lunar Society of Birmingham, shared philosophical and scientific ideas with Europe's intellectual elite. This helped connect science with manufacturing and technology.

Industrial Revolution

Birmingham's industrial growth started earlier than that of the textile towns in the North of England. It was driven by a highly paid, skilled workforce practising many trades and producing many different products in small workshops. This led to many inventions. Between 1760 and 1850, Birmingham residents registered more patents than any other British town.

Birmingham also grew as a financial and commercial centre with international connections. Lloyds Bank was founded there in 1765, and Ketley's Building Society, the world's first building society, in 1775. By 1800, the West Midlands had more banking offices per person than any other region in Britain.

Innovations in 18th-century Birmingham included improvements to products and processes, as well as major developments. In 1709, Abraham Darby I built the first blast furnace to smelt iron ore with coke. In 1732, Lewis Paul and John Wyatt invented roller spinning. In 1746, John Roebuck invented the lead chamber process for making sulphuric acid. In 1765, Matthew Boulton opened the Soho Manufactory, combining many manufacturing activities under one roof. Most importantly, in 1776, James Watt and Matthew Boulton developed the industrial steam engine, which changed manufacturing forever.

Regency and Victorian

Birmingham became important in the campaign for political reform in the early 19th century. The Birmingham Political Union brought the country close to civil war before the Reform Act 1832 was passed. Birmingham was also the platform for John Bright’s campaign for the Reform Act 1867.

Birmingham received its original charter of incorporation in 1838. Birmingham Town Police were established in 1839. Birmingham’s tradition of innovation continued. It was the terminus for the world’s first two long-distance railway lines. Rowland Hill invented the postage stamp and created the first modern universal postal system in 1839. Alexander Parkes invented the first human-made plastic in 1855.

By the 1820s, canals gave better access to resources. During the Victorian era, Birmingham’s population grew to over half a million and it became the second-largest city in England. It was granted city status in 1889 by Queen Victoria. Birmingham established its own university in 1900.

20th century and contemporary

The city suffered heavy bomb damage during World War II’s "Birmingham Blitz". Two important scientific discoveries were made there that helped win the war. The city was redeveloped in the 1950s and 1960s with new housing and stations.

Since the 21st century, many parts of Birmingham have been renewed, with new shopping centres, libraries, and regenerated industrial areas. Birmingham hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

In September 2023, Birmingham city council announced it could not meet its financial commitments after an equal pay lawsuit. This meant the council was bankrupt. Factors included large payments for equal pay claims and problems with a new IT system. There is a large deficit for the financial year 2023/2024.

Government

Main article: Government of Birmingham

Birmingham is managed by the Birmingham City Council. The council has 104 councillors who represent 69 different areas of the city. The council is led by John Cotton and has been controlled by the Labour Party since 2012.

Birmingham has ten areas that send representatives to the UK Parliament, called parliamentary constituencies. These representatives are known as MPs. They include one from the Conservative Party, one independent, and eight from the Labour Party.

Originally part of Warwickshire, Birmingham grew in the late 1800s and early 1900s by taking in parts of Worcestershire and Staffordshire. In 1974, it absorbed Sutton Coldfield and became part of the new West Midlands county. In 2016, the West Midlands Combined Authority was formed to handle important decisions about transport, planning, and economic growth. It is led by a directly elected mayor, currently Richard Parker from the Labour Party.

Geography

Further information: List of areas of Birmingham

Birmingham is in the middle of the West Midlands region of England. It sits on high ground called the Birmingham Plateau, which is between 500 and 1,000 feet above sea level. The city is crossed by Britain’s main north–south water divide between the Rivers Severn and Trent. To the southwest are the Lickey Hills, Clent Hills, and Walton Hill, which reach 1,033 feet and offer great views of the city. Birmingham is drained by small rivers and brooks, mainly the River Tame and its tributaries the Cole and the Rea. The city is far from the sea, with its nearest body of water being at Liverpool Bay. It shares the same latitude as Lowestoft, Britain’s easternmost town, making it closer to the western coast of Wales at Cardigan Bay.

The City of Birmingham joins with the borough of Solihull to the southeast and the city of Wolverhampton and the industrial towns of the Black Country to the northwest. Together, they form the West Midlands Built-up Area. Around this is Birmingham’s metropolitan area, linked closely through travel. It includes towns like Tamworth and Cannock to the north; the city of Coventry and towns such as Nuneaton, Warwick and Leamington Spa to the east; and Worcestershire towns like Redditch, Kidderminster and Bromsgrove to the southwest.

From one place to another, Birmingham is about 100 miles northwest of London, 85 miles northeast of Cardiff, 45 miles southwest of Nottingham, 70 miles south of Manchester, and 75 miles north-northeast of Bristol.

Much of the area now covered by the city was once part of the ancient Forest of Arden. The city still has many oak trees in places like Moseley, Saltley, Yardley, Stirchley and Hockley. These places have names ending in “-ley”, which comes from an old English word meaning “woodland clearing”.

Geology

Birmingham is shaped by the Birmingham Fault, which runs diagonally through the city from the Lickey Hills in the southwest, through Edgbaston and the Bull Ring, to Erdington and Sutton Coldfield in the northeast. South and east of the fault, the ground is softer Mercia Mudstone mixed with layers of Bunter pebbles. North and west of the fault, between 150 and 600 feet higher, lies a ridge of harder Keuper Sandstone. The bedrock was mostly formed during the Permian and Triassic periods.

The area shows signs of glacial deposits, with interesting erratic boulders.

Climate

Birmingham has a temperate maritime climate, like much of the British Isles. Summer temperatures (July) average about 21.3 °C (70.3 °F), while winter temperatures (January) average about 6.7 °C (44.1 °F). The warmest day usually reaches 28.8 °C (83.8 °F), and the coldest night drops to about −9.0 °C (15.8 °F). About 11 days each year reach 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above, and around 52 nights have frost. The highest temperature ever recorded was 37.4 °C (99.3 °F) on 19 July 2022.

Like other big cities, Birmingham has an urban heat island effect. During very cold weather, temperatures can differ between the city centre and outskirts. The city gets snow more often than other large UK cities because it is inland and at a higher elevation. Between 1961 and 1990, Birmingham Airport saw snow lying on the ground an average of 13 days each year.

Environment

Further information: Parks and open spaces in Birmingham and West Midlands Green Belt

Birmingham has 571 parks — more than any other European city — covering over 3,500 hectares (14 sq mi) of public open space. The city has over six million trees and 250 miles (400 kilometres) of urban brooks and streams. Sutton Park, covering 2,400 acres (971 ha) in the north, is the largest urban park in Europe and a national nature reserve. Birmingham Botanical Gardens near the city centre keep the style of designs from 1829, while the Winterbourne Botanic Garden in Edgbaston shows tastes from a later time.

Several green spaces are part of the West Midlands Green Belt, a plan to stop cities from spreading out and protect open land. These include Sutton Park, areas along the borough boundary near Sutton Coldfield, Walmley and Minworth, Kingfisher, Sheldon, Woodgate Valley country parks, lands near the Wake Green football club, Bartley and Frankley reservoirs, and Handsworth cemetery with nearby golf courses.

Birmingham has many wildlife areas in parks and informal settings such as the Project Kingfisher and Woodgate Valley Country Park, as well as in parks like Lickey Hills Country Park, Pype Hayes Park & Newhall Valley, Handsworth Park, Kings Heath Park, and Cannon Hill Park, which also has the mini zoo, Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Birmingham

In 2021, about 1.1 million people lived in Birmingham. It is the second largest city in the United Kingdom. Many people in Birmingham come from different places. About 27% were born outside the UK. The city includes nearby towns such as Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, and Walsall.

Ethnic groups

Birmingham’s people come from many different backgrounds. In 2021, about 49% were White, 31% were Asian, 11% were Black, 5% were of mixed backgrounds, 2% were Arab, and 5% were from other groups. Many families in Birmingham have roots in places like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Jamaica.

Age structure and median age

Birmingham has many young people. About 41% of the city’s residents are under 25 years old. This makes it one of the youngest cities in Europe. The average age in Birmingham is 34, which is younger than the national average.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Birmingham

Birmingham has many different religions. In 2021, about 34% of people were Christian, 30% were followers of Islam, and 24% had no religion. Other groups include Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, and Jews. The city has many important religious buildings, such as churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Birmingham

Birmingham is known for making and building things. Today, many jobs in Birmingham are in services like public administration, education, and health. It is also a big place for financial and business services outside of London.

Birmingham used to be famous for making guns, and some parts of the city still make guns for the military and sports. The city has many big companies, and it is a major place for conferences and exhibitions in the UK. Making things is still important, especially cars, chocolate, and jewellery. Birmingham works to grow its economy and make life better for its people.

Culture

Music

See also: Classical music of Birmingham, Jazz of Birmingham, and Popular music of Birmingham

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra plays at Symphony Hall. Other important groups include the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, and Ex Cathedra, a Baroque choir and orchestra. The Orchestra of the Swan performs at Birmingham Town Hall, where the City Organist has given weekly recitals since 1834.

The Birmingham Triennial Music Festivals happened from 1784 to 1912. Famous composers like Mendelssohn, Gounod, Sullivan, Dvořák, Bantock, and Edward Elgar worked in Birmingham. Elgar wrote four famous choral pieces here, and his piece The Dream of Gerontius had its first performance in 1900. Composers born in the city include Albert William Ketèlbey and Andrew Glover.

Jazz became popular in Birmingham in the 1920s, with many festivals.

Birmingham has many music venues, including Arena Birmingham, O2 Academy, the CBSO Centre, HMV Institute, and the Bradshaw Hall at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

In the 1960s, Birmingham had a lively music scene. Groups such as The Move, The Spencer Davis Group, The Moody Blues, Traffic, and the Electric Light Orchestra became famous. The city was important for early heavy metal music, with bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and part of Led Zeppelin coming from here.

Later, bands like Napalm Death, Godflesh, Benediction, and Anaal Nathrakh emerged. Birmingham was where modern bhangra began in the 1960s.

Other famous bands from Birmingham include Duran Duran, Johnny Foreigner, Fine Young Cannibals, Felt, Broadcast, Ocean Colour Scene, The Streets, The Twang, King Adora, Dexys Midnight Runners, and Magnum. Musicians like Jeff Lynne, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, Geezer Butler, GBH, John Lodge, Roy Wood, Joan Armatrading, Toyah Willcox, Denny Laine, Sukshinder Shinda, Apache Indian, Steve Winwood, Jamelia, Oceans Ate Alaska, Fyfe Dangerfield, and Laura Mvula grew up in the city.

Performing arts

Birmingham Repertory Theatre is Britain's oldest producing theatre. Other theatres include the Blue Orange Theatre, the Old Rep, and @ A. E. Harris. Touring theatre companies include the Banner Theatre, the Maverick Theatre Company, and Kindle Theatre. The Alexandra Theatre and the Birmingham Hippodrome host large-scale shows.

The Birmingham Royal Ballet is one of the UK's major ballet companies, based at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Its school, Elmhurst School for Dance in Edgbaston, is the oldest vocational dance school in the country.

The Birmingham Opera Company is known for its modern productions. Traditional seasons by Welsh National Opera and other companies happen regularly at the Birmingham Hippodrome. The first comedy club outside London, The Glee Club, opened in The Arcadian Centre in 1994.

In the 1920s, Oscar Deutsch opened the first Odeon cinema in the UK. The Electric on Station Street, opened in 1909, is the oldest working independent cinema in the UK.

The main film festival is the Birmingham Film Festival.

Screen West Midlands, the regional screen agency, is in the Jewellery Quarter. Film Birmingham handles filming requests.

Literature

Main article: Literature of Birmingham

Writers linked to Birmingham include Samuel Johnson, who was born near Lichfield. Arthur Conan Doyle worked in Aston, and poet Louis MacNeice lived in Birmingham for six years. American author Washington Irving wrote famous works while in Birmingham.

Poet W. H. Auden grew up in Harborne. Other poets include Roi Kwabena, the city's sixth poet laureate, and Benjamin Zephaniah, born in the city.

Author J. R. R. Tolkien grew up in Kings Heath and called Birmingham his home town.

Playwright David Edgar was born in Birmingham.

Birmingham has a lively literary scene today, with authors like David Lodge, Jim Crace, Jonathan Coe, Joel Lane, and Judith Cutler. The main publisher is the Tindal Street Press.

Art and design

Main article: Art of Birmingham

The Birmingham School of landscape artists began in the 1760s. Its most important figure was David Cox. The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and the Birmingham School of Art made Birmingham a key center for Victorian art.

The Birmingham Surrealists were early surrealism supporters in Britain. Abstract artists included David Bomberg and William Gear. Post-war artists from Birmingham include Peter Phillips, a key figure in Pop Art, and John Salt.

Birmingham's manufacturing history supports strong traditions in graphic design and product design. Famous designs include the Baskerville font and the Mini.

Museums and galleries

Birmingham has two major public art collections. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is known for its Pre-Raphaelite works. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Edgbaston is one of the world's finest small galleries.

Birmingham Museums Trust runs museums like Aston Hall, Blakesley Hall, and the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter. The Birmingham Back to Backs are the last surviving back-to-back houses. Cadbury World shows chocolate making. The Ikon Gallery and Eastside Projects show contemporary art.

Thinktank is Birmingham's main science museum. Other science museums include the National Sea Life Centre and the Lapworth Museum of Geology.

Nightlife

Nightlife in Birmingham is mainly around Broad Street and Brindleyplace. Other areas have stylish and underground venues. The Medicine Bar in the Custard Factory, hmv Institute, Rainbow Pub, and Air are large clubs and bars in Digbeth. Around Birmingham Chinatown are areas like the Arcadian and Hurst Street Gay Village, full of bars and clubs. Summer Row, The Mailbox, O2 Academy, Snobs Nightclub, St Philips/Colmore Row, St Paul's Square, and the Jewellery Quarter all have lively nights. There are late-night pubs in the Irish Quarter. Outside the city center is Star City entertainment complex.

Festivals

Birmingham hosts many national, religious, and cultural festivals, including a St. George's Day party. The biggest single-day event is the St. Patrick's Day parade. The Nowka Bais is a Bengali boat racing festival held yearly in Birmingham.

Other events include the Bangla Mela and the Vaisakhi Mela. The Birmingham Heritage Festival is a event in August. Caribbean and African culture are celebrated with parades and street performances.

From 1997 to December 2006, the city had an annual arts festival, ArtsFest.

The UK's largest two-day Gay Pride is Birmingham Pride (LGBT festival), usually in May. The streets of Birmingham's gay district come alive with a carnival parade, live music, a dance area, cabaret, and a community village.

The Birmingham Tattoo is a long-standing military show. The Birmingham Comedy Festival has featured acts like Peter Kay, The Fast Show, Jimmy Carr, Lee Evans, and Lenny Henry. Since 2001, Birmingham has hosted the Frankfurt Christmas Market. Based on the German market, it's grown to be the UK's largest outdoor Christmas market.

The biennial Birmingham International Dance Festival (BIDF) started in 2008.

Cuisine

Main article: Food and drink in Birmingham

Birmingham grew as a commercial town based on its market for farm products. The Birmingham Wholesale Markets are the largest combined wholesale food markets in the country.

Birmingham is the only city outside London with five Michelin-starred restaurants.

Birmingham based breweries included Ansells, Davenport's, and Mitchells & Butlers. Many beautiful Victorian pubs and bars remain across the city.

The Wing Yip food company started in the city. The Balti, a type of curry, was invented in the city. Famous food brands from Birmingham include Typhoo tea, Bird's Custard, Cadbury's chocolate, and HP Sauce. Birmingham also has a strong independent and artisan food scene.

Entertainment and leisure

Birmingham has many entertainment and leisure spots, including Europe's largest leisure and entertainment complex Star City and Europe's first out-of-city-centre entertainment complex Resorts World Birmingham owned by the Genting Group.

Architecture

Further information: Architecture of Birmingham; List of tallest buildings and structures in the Birmingham Metropolitan Area, West Midlands; and Listed buildings in Birmingham

Birmingham mainly grew during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Few older buildings remain, but those that do are protected. There are 1,946 listed buildings in Birmingham.

Traces of old Birmingham can be seen in the oldest churches, like the original parish church, St Martin in the Bull Ring. A few buildings from the medieval and Tudor periods survive.

Many Georgian buildings remain, including St Philip's Cathedral, Soho House, Perrott's Folly, the Town Hall, and much of St Paul's Square. The Victorian era brought many new buildings.

Postwar redevelopment led to the loss of many Victorian buildings. Sir Herbert Manzoni, City Engineer from 1935 to 1963, thought saving old buildings was sentimental.

In response, Birmingham City Council is tearing down some buildings and has a big renovation plan. Recent years have seen much redevelopment in the city center, including the award-winning Future Systems Selfridges building in the Bullring Shopping Centre, the Brindleyplace renewal project, and the refurbished Rotunda building.

Highrise building has slowed since the 1970s.

Demonymy and identity

People from Birmingham are called Brummies, from the city's nickname "Brum", which comes from its old name, Brummagem. The Brummie accent and dialect are very distinctive.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Birmingham

Birmingham is an important place for travel because it is in the middle of England. It has many roads, railways, and canals to help people move around.

Roads

The city has several big roads called motorways, like the M5, M6, M40, and M42. One famous junction is called Spaghetti Junction, known for its many connecting roads. The M6 motorway passes through the city on a long bridge called the Bromford Viaduct. There is also a ring road around the city called The Middleway.

Air

Birmingham Airport is a busy airport just outside the city. Many people use it to fly to places in Europe, Africa, the Americas, and more. Several airlines use this airport as a base.

Public transport

Birmingham has many buses, trains, and trams to help people travel. More than half of the trips into the city are made using public transport! The most popular way to travel is by bus, followed by train.

Railway

The main train station is Birmingham New Street. It is very busy. Trains come here from all over the UK. There are many smaller train stations around the city too.

Tram

Birmingham used to have trams many years ago, but they stopped running in 1953. Trams came back in 1999, and now they run through the city center again. More trams are being built to reach other places.

Bus and coach

There are many bus routes all over the city. One special bus route, the number 11 Outer Circle, is the longest in Europe! It goes around the outside of the city.

Cycling

There are special paths for bikes in Birmingham. A big bike hire scheme started in 2021, with many bikes and places to leave them.

Canals

Birmingham has many old canals from when factories were common. Today, these canals are mostly used for fun and attracting visitors.

Education

Main article: Education in Birmingham

Birmingham is an important place for learning. It has five universities, including Aston University, University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, University College Birmingham and Newman University. Students from around the world study there. The city also has campuses for the University of Law, BPP University, and the Open University.

Birmingham has many colleges. Birmingham Metropolitan College is one of the largest, with many places to learn across the city. There are also special colleges like Queen Alexandra College for students who have difficulty seeing or who have other challenges. Some of the oldest schools in the city, like King Edward's School, Birmingham, have been teaching students for hundreds of years.

The city has many places for students of all ages to learn, from nursery schools to adult education classes.

Public services

Library services

See also: List of libraries in Birmingham, West Midlands

The old Birmingham Central Library opened in 1972 and was the biggest city library in Europe. A new Library of Birmingham opened in Centenary Square in 2013. It is the largest public library in the United Kingdom and welcomes many visitors each year.

Emergency services

Law enforcement is handled by West Midlands Police, and emergency medical care is provided by West Midlands Ambulance Service. Fire services are managed by West Midlands Fire Service.

Healthcare

See also: Healthcare in West Midlands

Birmingham has several important hospitals, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which is one of the largest teaching hospitals in the United Kingdom. There are also many other hospitals, such as Birmingham Children's Hospital and Birmingham Women's Hospital, that provide special care for different needs.

Water supply

The city’s water used to be managed by the Birmingham Corporation Water Department, but now Severn Trent Water takes care of it. Most of the water comes from the Elan aqueduct, which sends water to reservoirs near the city.

Energy from waste

The Tyseley Energy from Waste Plant burns household waste to create electricity for the National Grid.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Birmingham

Birmingham has played a big role in the history of sports. The world’s first league football competition, the Football League, began with a Birmingham resident, William McGregor, in 1888. The modern game of tennis grew in Birmingham between 1859 and 1865. The city also held the first ever Women's Cricket World Cup in 1973 and was named National City of Sport.

Today, Birmingham is home to two well-known football teams: Aston Villa F.C., started in 1874, and Birmingham City F.C., started in 1875. The city has teams for other sports like cricket, rugby, and golf. Two major championship golf courses are near the city.

Birmingham hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games from 28 July to 8 August 2022. This was the first time Birmingham held the Commonwealth Games. The event brought great benefits to the UK economy.

Media

Main article: Media in Birmingham

Birmingham is an important place for media. The city has many news and magazine publishers, radio and television stations, and film studios. It has well-known newspapers like the Birmingham Mail and the Birmingham Post.

The city is also home to many radio stations and television studios. The BBC has important studios in Birmingham, making many television shows and radio programmes. Birmingham is a base for many types of media, including digital news and community radio stations.

Notable people

Main listing: List of people from Birmingham

Birmingham has been home to many famous people. These people have come from many different backgrounds and have done important work in many areas. You can see a full list of notable people from Birmingham using the link above.

International relations

Birmingham has strong connections with many cities around the world. It is officially linked, or "twinned," with several cities including Lyon in France, Frankfurt am Main in Germany, and Chicago in the United States. These partnerships began at different times, starting from 1951.

The city also has friendly ties with places like Changchun in China and Mirpur in Pakistan. These relationships help bring people from different parts of the world together.