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For alternate uses of "Liverpool" see Liverpool (disambiguation)

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside in north west England, on the north side of the Mersey estuary.

File:Liverpool skyline 750.jpg
Liverpool's skyline, as seen from the River Mersey. (Closeup view)

Liverpool is governed by Liverpool City Council, one of five councils within Merseyside. The population of the city in 2002 was 441,477, the surrounding Merseyside conurbation has a population of 1,362,026. Liverpool is the second largest export port of the United Kingdom.

Though not as pre-eminent as a century ago, Liverpool still possesses some manufacturing base. In the year 2008, Liverpool will become the European Capital of Culture.

Liverpool is internationally famous for being the city where the Beatles originated.

Liverpool runs directly into Bootle in Sefton, and Huyton in Knowsley. It faces Wallasey and Birkenhead across the River Mersey.

Inhabitants of Liverpool are officially known as "Liverpudlians", but more commonly known as "Scousers". They are noted for their distinctive accent, called Scouse. In London and elsewhere Liverpudlians are sometimes known as "Mickey Mousers" (from Cockney rhyming slang Scouse - Mickey Mouse). Sometimes Liverpudlians are called "whackers", as in "watcha whacker!".

City of Liverpool
Liverpool
Geography
Status: Metropolitan Borough, City (1880)
Region: North West England
Ceremonial County: Merseyside
Area:
- Total		 Ranked 232nd
111.84 km²
Admin. HQ: Liverpool
ONS code: 00BY
Map coordinates 53°25' N, 3°0' W
Demographics
Population:
- Total (2002 est.)
- Density		 Ranked 4th
441,477
3,947 / km²
Ethnicity: 94.3% White
1.1% S.Asian
1.2% Afro-Carib.
1.2% Chinese
Politics
Liverpool City Council
http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/
Leadership: Leader & Cabinet
Executive: Liberal Democrats

History

In 1190 it was known as 'liuerpul', meaning a pool or creek with muddy water. Other origins of the name have been suggest including 'elverpool', a reference to the large number of eels in the mersey.

The origins of the city are usually dated from August 1207 when Liverpool was proclaimed a borough and a port. Initially it served as a dispatch point for troops sent to Ireland. For four centuries, Liverpool was relatively unimportant. In the middle of the 16th century the population of Liverpool was only around 500, and the area was regarded as subordinate to Chester until the 1650s. A number of battles for the town were waged during the English Civil War, including an eighteen day siege in 1644.

Liverpool Castle was built in the 13th century and was removed in 1726.

In the 18th century, as trade from the West Indies was added to that of Ireland and Europe, Liverpool began to grow. The first wet dock in Britain was built in Liverpool in 1715. Substantial profits from the slave trade helped the town grow and prosper. Liverpool's Black community dates from this period and grew rapidly, reaching a population of 10,000 within five years. By the beginning of the 19th century, 40% of the world's trade was passing through the docks at Liverpool.

Albert Dock

Liverpool expanded significantly in the nineteenth century and a number of major buildings were constructed (St. George's Hall, Lime Street Station etc.). Liverpool was granted city status in 1880.

During the first part of the twentieth century Liverpool continued to expand, pulling in emmigrants from Europe. Inspired by an old Venetian custom Liverpool was 'married to the sea' in September 1928.

Liverpool was also home to a large Welsh population and was sometimes refered to as the Capital of North Wales. In 1884, 1900 and 1929 Eisteddfod was held in Liverpool.

It has been claimed, that Adolf Hitler stayed in Upper Stanhope street in Liverpool, with his sister, in the 1910's; although there is little evidence to support this [1].

The population of the city exceeded 850,000 in 1930. During World War II there were eighty air-raids on Merseyside, with an especially concentrated series of raids in May 1941 which interrupted operations at the docks for almost a week. Although only 2,500 people were killed, almost half the homes in the metropolitan area sustained some damage and 11,000 were totally destroyed.

Significant rebuilding followed the war, including massive housing estates and the Seaforth Dock, the largest dock project in Britain. However, the city has been suffering since the 1950s with the loss of numerous employers. By 1985 the population had fallen to 460,000. Declines in manufacturing and dock activity struck the city particularly hard.

German 1880 map

Historically Liverpool was part of the traditional county of Lancashire, Liverpool had become independent of Lancashire in 1888 when it became a county borough. In 1974, it became a metropolitan district within the newly created metropolitan county of Merseyside.

In the 1980s several councils in Merseyside including Liverpool City Council were taken over by the far-left wing Militant group, with the high profile Derek Hatton as leader. This was one of the reasons for the abolition of the Merseyside county council in 1986.

In 1989 96 Liverpool fans died or were severely injured in the Hillsborough disaster at a football game in Sheffield. This had a traumatic effect on people in both cities, and resulted in legally imposed changes in the way in which football fans have been accommodated in football stadiums since. A similar outpouring of grief and shock occurred in 1993 when two year-old James Bulger was killed by two ten year-old boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson.

The city has emphasized its cultural attractions, winning the accolade of European City of Culture for 2008. Capitalising on the popularity of the 1960s pop group "the Beatles" and other groups of the Merseybeat era, tourism has also become a significant factor in Liverpool's economy.

Culture

Liverpool has a vibrant artistic life. Several pre-Raphaelites are among the important paintings of the Walker Art Gallery. With more to be found in the Sudley and Lady Lever Galleries. [2] The Tate Liverpool gallery houses the modern art collection of the Tate in the north of England. The Liverpool Biennial is a festival of arts held (as the name implies) every two years. The festival generally runs from mid september to late november and comprises three main sections; the International, The Independants and New Contemporaries although many fringe events are timed to coincide.[3]

A flourishing orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra performs in its own hall, the Philharmonic Hall. The city also became well known for the Liverpool poets, of whom Adrian Henri and Roger McGough are among the best known. The city is also home to several successful theatre companies - The Everyman & Playhouse [4] as well as The Unity Theatre [5].

In 2003, Liverpool became European Capital of Culture for 2008 and started a £750 million regeneration of the city centre. In addition to the money being invested in the city centre, a tram system is being developed, which will hopefully complement the city's train and bus services.

Liverpool has two Premier division football clubs - Liverpool F.C. at Anfield and Everton F.C. at Goodison Park. Over the water at Tranmere are Tranmere Rovers F.C.

Important landmarks and buildings

File:UK.Liverpool.Waterfront.01.jpg
Pier Head area, seen from the Albert Dock

The built environment of Liverpool (over 2,500 listed buildings) is the inheritance of high-minded public spirit since the later 18th century, largely with Dissenter impetus, that has resulted in more public sculpture than in any UK city aside from Westminster, more listed buildings than any city apart from London and, surprisingly, more Georgian houses than the City of Bath.

In 2004 Liverpool was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the justifcation is Liverpool importance in the development of world trading system and dock technology.

Amongst its superlatives: Liverpool has the largest panel of stained glass in the world (in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral), the largest brick building in the world, and the first enclosed integrated dock system in the world. The Anglican Cathedral has the longest nave, largest organ and heaviest and highest peal of bells in the world. Architects well represented in Liverpool: Giles Gilbert Scott, Peter Ellis, Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, and John Foster. Sir Edwin Lutyens is represented by the completed crypt of his projected Metropolitan Cathedral, which was built to a simpler design by Frederick Gibberd.

Theatres

Ritual sites

Education

Liverpool has three universities - the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, and Liverpool Hope University. Liverpool JMU is one of the polytechnics given university status in 1992 and is named after the owner of the Littlewoods retail group. The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts which was set up by Sir Paul McCartney in 1996, to train artistes and technicians, in the building which formerly housed the Liverpool Institute for Boys.

Transport

There are three tunnels under the River Mersey: one railway tunnel, the Mersey Railway Tunnel, and two road tunnels, Queensway Tunnel and Kingsway Tunnel. There is also the Mersey Ferry, made famous by the song Ferry Cross the Mersey by Gerry and the Pacemakers. In fact the song is now played on the ferryboats themselves every time they prepare to dock at Liverpool.

In 2001, Speke Airport was renamed Liverpool John Lennon Airport, in honour of the late Beatle John Lennon. The airport's logo consists of a sketch that Lennon had drawn of himself, and the words "Above us only sky", lyrics from his legendary song "Imagine".

Liverpool has a train system called Merseyrail, the sections in the city centre are mostly underground. The lines terminate at Southport, Ormskirk, Kirkby, Hunts Cross, Ellesmere Port and Chester.

Famous Liverpudlians

Media

The city's daily newspaper is the Liverpool Echo. BBC Radio Merseyside, Juice 107.6 and Radio City as well as Magic 1548, which are both based in St. John's Beacon which dominates the Liverpool skyline, all broadcast to the city.

Films Set In Liverpool

Districts of Liverpool

Aigburth Allerton, England Anfield Childwall
Clubmoor Cressington/Grassendale Crosby Croxteth
Dingle Edge Hill Everton Fairfield
Fazakerley Garston, Merseyside Gateacre Hunts Cross
Kirkdale Knotty Ash Litherland Mossley Hill
Netherley Norris Green Old Swan Seaforth
Sefton Park Speke St Michael's Hamlet Toxteth
Tuebrook Walton Wavertree West Derby
Woolton


See also


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