Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, North West England. It had a population of 486,100 at the 2021 census. The city is located on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, adjacent to the Irish Sea, and is approximately 178 miles (286 km) from London. The wider Liverpool built-up area is the third largest in England and Wales outside London. Liverpool itself is the largest settlement in the Liverpool City Region, which is the fourth largest combined authority in the UK with a population of 1,551,722 in 2021. The city also forms part of a larger urban region of over 2 million people which extends in to the neighbouring counties of northeast Wales, Cheshire and Lancashire. The region shares political boundaries and significant economic connections.

Liverpool was established as a borough in 1207 in the county of Lancashire and became a significant town in the late seventeenth century, when the port at nearby Chester began to silt up. The Port of Liverpool became heavily involved in the Atlantic slave trade, with the first slave ship departing from the town in 1699. The port also imported much of the cotton required by the neighbouring Lancashire textile mills, and became a major departure point for English and Irish emigrants to North America. In the nineteenth century, Liverpool rose to global economic importance at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution, and built the first intercity railway, the first non-combustible warehouse system, and a pioneering elevated electrical railway; it was granted city status in 1880. In common with many British cities, the city entered a period of decline in the mid-twentieth century after which it experienced significant regeneration when it was selected as the European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Liverpool's modern economy is diversified. The city has a significant influence on the knowledge sector, maritime industry, tourism, culture, hospitality, healthcare industry, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, the creative and digital sectors. The city contains the second-highest number of national museums, listed buildings, and listed parks in the UK after London. Its architecture means the city is often used as a filming location, and in 2022 it was one of top five cities in the UK most visited by overseas tourists. Liverpool is England's only UNESCO City of Music and has produced many notable musicians, including the Beatles. In sports, the city is the home of Premier League football teams Everton F.C. and Liverpool F.C. The Port of Liverpool was the fourth-largest in the UK in 2020, and numerous shipping and freight lines have headquarters and offices in the city.

Residents of Liverpool are often called "Scousers" in reference to scouse, a local stew made popular by sailors in the city; the name is also applied to the distinct Liverpool accent and dialect. The city has a culturally and ethnically diverse population, and historically attracted many immigrants from Ireland, Norway, and Wales. It is also home to the oldest black community in the UK, the oldest Chinese community in Europe and the first mosque in England, now restored.