Citroën

Proof of this good health, in 2005, for the first time in its history, Citroën is planned to reach a total worldwide production of 1,000,000 cars. Birmingham is twinned with:. The introduction of even newer models, such as the long-awaited XM replacement, the C6, indicates Citroën's continued commitment to innovation in the 21st century. Among the city's notable scientists and inventors are:. It has even expanded into new markets, for example in China where the C3 and Xsara are alongside the ZX Fukang and Elysée local models. Local inventions and notable firsts include: gas lighting, roller skate wheels, the Baskerville Font, questionnaires, Custard powder, foam rubber, the magnetron (the core component in the development of radar and microwave ovens), the UK electroplating industry, the first ever use of radiography in an operation, and the UK's first ever hole-in-the-heart operation, at Birmingham Children's Hospital. In spite of the problems between Peugeot and Citroën, Citroën has continued its tradition for innovation, exemplified by new vehicles such as the C2 and the Xsara Picasso. Birmingham is also the hub for various national ethnic media, including The Voice, The Sikh Times, Desi Xpress, The Asian Today and Raja TV (based in the Mailbox).

The ubiquitous 2CV was finally killed off in 1990, production having moved from France to Portugal. Local radio stations include BRMB, Galaxy, BBC WM and Heart FM, and Kerrang, Birmingham's first dedicated rock station. Citroën's ambitious attitude to engineering and styling was squeezed out in favor of Peugeot conservatism. The Central TV and BBC studios are famous for many shows, including Tiswas, Crossroads, Dalziel & Pascoe, Midlands Today, the BBC Asian Network,. Citroën developed a small car for production in Romania known as the Oltcit, which it also sold as the Citroën Axel. The BBC has its regional headquarters, BBC Birmingham, in the Mailbox, in the Convention Quarter (where they relocated from Pebble Mill), and many television and radio programes are produced in the city, including the world's longest running radio soap opera, The Archers. The XM, for example, used the same engines and floorpan as the Peugeot 605, and the Xantia of 1993 was identical under the skin to the Peugeot 406. StarCity is said to be Europe's largest leisure and cinema complex and is not far from the Britain's only permanent drive-in cinema maintained by T-Mobile; both are in Nechells.

By the late 1980s, PSA used extensive platform sharing. The Birmingham Film Festival takes place annually, and the Birmingham School of Acting won a Royal Television Society award for their short film 'Soul Boy'. The BX of 1982 still used the hydropneumatic suspension system, but was powered by Peugeot-derived engines. The Electric Cinema on Station Street is the oldest working cinema in the UK, and Oscar Deutsch opened his first Odeon cinema in Perry Barr during the 1920s. In the 1980s, Citroën models were increasingly Peugeot-based. Birmingham is unusual in supporting two local newspapers - the Birmingham Post and the Evening Mail - as well as the Sunday Mercury, all owned by the Trinity Mirror, who also produce The Birmingham News, a weekly freesheet distributed to homes in the leafy surburbs along with Forward, the Birmingham City Council's free newspaper distributed to homes and via community centres and public buildings. The combined company was known as PSA Peugeot Citroën, PSA sold off Maserati to DeTomaso soon after. Patrick's Day parade (Europe's second largest, after the one in Dublin).

Huge losses caused by failure of the Maserati tie-up coupled with crippling warranty costs by the unreliable GS and high development cost of CX led to Peugeot taking over Citroën in 1976. The city's largest single-day event is its St. This maneuver was unfortunately-timed, with the impending 1973 energy crisis soon to make GT manufacture unprofitable. The city also hosts an annual arts festival (Artsfest) during September, where people can enjoy many of the regions' arts, free. In 1967 Citroën took control of Maserati, the Italian sports car maker and launched the sports car/Grand Tourer SM, which contained a V6 Maserati engine. Birmingham Pride takes place in the 'gay village' and attracts up to 100,000 visitors each year. DS/ID). The currently biennial Caribbean- style Birmingham International Carnival was originally the Handsworth Carnival, held in Handsworth Park from 1984, but now takes place in the August of odd- numbered years, parading through the streets of Handsworth to Perry Barr Park.

2CV/Ami) and large, expensive cars (e.g. The Birmingham Tattoo is a military show that has taken place in the city for several years. In 1965 Citroën took over the French carmaker Panhard in the hope of using Panhard's expertise in midsize cars to complement its own range of very small, cheap cars (e.g. George's Day party. During Citroën's venture with Maserati the Citroën high pressure hydraulic system was used on several Maserati models for power clutch operation (Bora), power pedals adjustment (Bora), pop-up headlights (Bora, Merak) and brakes (Bora, Merak), and the entire Quattroporte II prototype, which was a four-door Citroën SM under the skin. Birmingham is home to many national, religious and spiritual festivals including a St. This high-pressure hydraulic system would form the basis of many Citroën cars, including the SM, GS, CX, BX, XM, Xantia and C5. Graffiti (or "spraycan art") culture appeared in the early 1980s, and graffiti art competitions are still regularly held.

The same high-pressure system was used to activate pistons located in the gearbox cover to shift the gears in the transmission (gearbox in British - in French transmission means driveshaft) and operate the clutch on their "Citromatic", Citroën's version of a semi-automatic transmission. Other famous Birmingham artists include David Cox, David Bomberg, and various Afro-Caribbean artists including Pogus Caesar, Keith Piper and Donald Rodney. The DS featured power steering, power brakes and suspension and, from 1968, directional headlights . For a fuller list of art galleries in Birmingham, see Arts in Birmingham. 1955 saw the introduction of the DS, which was the first full usage of Citroën's now legendary hydropneumatic suspension system that was first tested on the rear suspension of the last of the Tractions. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts was declared 'Gallery of the Year' by the 2004 Good Britain Guide. This car become a bestseller and even a 4wd version with 2 engines (Sahara)were sold in limited numbers. Edward Burne-Jones was born in Birmingham, spent his first twenty years in the city, and later became the president of the Birmingham Society of Artists.

Citroën unveiled the 2CV at the Paris Salon in 1948. Birmingham has one of the largest collections of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world at The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. In 1934, debt forced the company into foreclosure; it was then taken over by its biggest creditor, the tire company Michelin. Auden and Benjamin Zephaniah. The expeditions conveyed scientists and journalists and were a publicity success. H. Citroën also sponsored some expeditions in Asia (Croisière Jaune) and Africa (Croisière Noire), intended to demonstrate the potential for motor vehicles to cross inhospitable regions. Tolkien, Arthur Conan Doyle, Louis MacNeice, Washington Irving, David Lodge, W.

Achieving quick development of the Traction Avant was, of course, expensive and contributed to the financial ruin of the company. R. That encouraged André Citroën to develop the Traction Avant, a car so innovative that to it the competition would have no response. R. The Citroëns sold in large quantities despite the stylistic drawback, but the car's low price was the main selling point and Citroën experienced heavy losses. Literary figures associated with Birmingham include Samuel Johnson , J. Citroën had no way to redesign the body of his cars and the cars began to be perceived as old-fashioned. The Fierce Festival teams with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre annually to present an series of quirky performances from local and national companies.

But soon competitors, who still used a wood structure for their bodies, introduced aerodynamic body designs on their cars. The Mac and Drum arts centres also host many professional plays. In the beginning, the cars were successful. The four largest professional theatres are the Alexandra Theatre ("the Alex"), Birmingham Repertory Theatre ("The Rep"), the Birmingham Hippodrome and the Old Rep. These cars would set the pattern to be followed thirty years later by the Mini, Volkswagen and nearly every other manufacturer. There are many theatres in Birmingham. It was this prototype that evolved into the Onze Légère and 7 CV (5 kW) Traction Avant of 1934. Birmingham's other city-centre music venues include The National Indoor Arena (NIA), the CBSO Centre, Adrian Boult Hall at Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham Town Hall (currently closed for refurbishment).

By 1930, Budd had created a prototype for Citroën with a unibody and front wheel drive. Albert William Ketèlbey was born in Alma Street, Aston in 1875. In 1928, Citroën introduced the first all-steel body in Europe. Music was written for the festival by Mendelssohn, Gounod, Sullivan, Dvorak, Bantock and most notably Elgar, who wrote four of his most famous choral pieces for Birmingham. Budd went on to manufacture steel bodies for many automakers, Dodge being his first big auto client. The Birmingham Triennial Music Festival took place from 1784 - 1912 and was considered the grandest of its kind throughout Britain. From 1899, Budd had worked to develop pressed-steel bodies for railroad cars, Pullman in particular. The equally world-renowned Birmingham Royal Ballet also resides in the city as does the world's oldest vocational dance school, Elmhurst School for Dance.

Budd. The internationally-renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's home venue is Symphony Hall, where it gives frequent performances. In 1924, Citroën began a relationship with American engineer Edward G. Digbeth, near the city centre, features some of the country`s top dance clubs, and the nearby National Exhibition Centre has played host to the biggest indoor dance events in the country. In 1919, however, the business started to produce automobiles, beginning with the conventional Type A. Birmingham has also been synonymous in the development of the British electronic music scene. After serving in the French army, he set up a gear-making business, which became identified with the "herringbone" or double helical gear, which is the origin of the Citroën "double chevron" trademark. Party in the Park, a popular chart music event, is Birmingham's largest music festival.

The story of Citroën begins with the founder of the company himself, André Citroën. Jazz is popular in the city, and the annual Birmingham International Jazz Festival is the largest of its kind in the UK. . The Streets), R&B singer Jamelia and Editors. Later significant models include the H Van (1947-1981, "HY"), 2CV (1948-1990, The "Ugly Duckling"), DS (1955-1975, "Goddess") and CX (1974-1989). Recent chart success has come from Mike Skinner (a.k.a. Until the late 1980s the company had a reputation for approaching auto design in a unique way. The 1980s brought Duran Duran, possibly the most successful new romantic group, and Dexy's Midnight Runners, and the 1990s the Charlatans, Dodgy and Ocean Colour Scene.

Originally a mass-market car maker with relatively straightforward designs, Citroën shocked the world in 1934 with the innovative Traction Avant (front wheel drive) (1934-1956). Singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading had many hits during this decade. Its headquarters are located in Paris, rue Fructidor. The 1970s also saw the rise of reggae and ska in the city, with Steel Pulse and later on UB40, The Beat and Musical Youth. Citroën is a French automobile manufacturer, started in 1919 by André Citroën, today part of PSA Peugeot Citroën. In the 1970s members of The Move and The Idle Race formed the Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard. 2005: Citroën C4. Robert Plant and John Bonham came from nearby towns, and played in local Brum Beat bands before forming two thirds of Led Zeppelin.

2003: Citroën C3. The city is often described as the birthplace of heavy metal music, with Judas Priest and Black Sabbath coming from Birmingham. 1994: Citroën Xantia. In the 1960s, the "Brum Beat" era featured blues and early progressive rock bands such as The Fortunes, Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, The Move and The Moody Blues. 1988: Citroën AX. Although its music scene is not as renowned as those of Liverpool or Manchester, Birmingham has had a vibrant and varied musical history over the last half-century. 1979: Citroën Visa. The BBC Good Food Show takes place at The National Exhibition Centre, and is Britain's biggest food event.

1990: Citroën XM. The city boasts two Michelin starred restaurants: Simpson's and Jessica's, both in Edgbaston. 1975: Citroën CX. The Balti was invented in the city and has since received much gastronomic acclaim for the 'Balti Belt' of restaurants in the Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath and Ladywood areas. 1971: Citroën GS. This later became The Darjeeling, the first Indian restaurant in Birmingham. Some models, like the Citroën RE2, have been flight tested and still exist. In 1945, Abdul Aziz opened a cafe shop selling curry and rice in Steelhouse Lane.

Citroën also investigated in the early seventies the possibility to produce helicopters using the Wankel engines manufactured by its subsidiary Comotor. The Wing Yip food empire first began in the city and now has its headquarters in the Chinese Quarter. In 2004 and 2005, French driver Sébastien Loeb won the Driver's Championship driving the Citroën Xsara WRC. Ladypool Road, Sparkhill contains the largest concentration of restaurants in Birmingham and possibly the UK. Citroën is a major competitor in the World Rally Championship, winning the constructor title in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Alum Rock Road, Alum Rock, contains the largest concentration of take-away businesses in Birmingham. The company's famous "double chevron" logo derives from André Citroën's early business in gear-cutting the company pioneered mass production of double helically-cut gear teeth, which mesh together in a chevron. Famous food brands from Birmingham include Typhoo tea, Birds custard, Blue Bird Toffee, Bournville cocoa, Cadbury chocolate, and HP Sauce.

An old-fashioned nickname for Citroën cars is Citron (lemon, in French). The Anchor Inn (1797), is also nearby in Digbeth. André Citroën's originally Dutch language family name was Citroen, meaning "lemon", as one of his grandfathers was a citrus seller ("limoenman") on Amsterdam's street markets. The oldest inn in Birmingham is the Old Crown in Deritend (circa 1450). C-Airplay Concept car (2005). Many fine Victorian pubs and bars can still be found across the city. C-SportLounge Concept car (2005). Aston Manor Brewery is currently the only brewery of any significant size.

C-Airlounge Concept car (2003). Birmingham based Breweries included Ansells, Davenports and Mitchells & Butlers. C-Airdream Concept car (2002). Birmingham has been awarded the title National City of Sport by the Sports Council. C-Crosser Concept car (2001). Birmingham also has a professional Rugby Union side, Moseley RFC, and there is professional basketball, boxing, hockey, skateboarding, and greyhound racing in the city. Pluriel Concept car (1999). The world's first professional football league was founded at a meeting in Aston on March 22, 1885 under the auspices of William McGregor, a director of Aston Villa.

Osée Pininfarina Concept car. The city is home to two of the UK's oldest professional football teams: Aston Villa (1874) and Birmingham City (1875), both of whom currently play in the Premier League. C6 Lignage Concept car (1999). The first ever game of lawn tennis was played in Edgbaston in 1859; international tennis is still played at Edgbaston's Priory Club. C3 Lumière Concept car (1998). The NIA also hosts events in many other sports, such as the World Indoor Badminton Championships. Tulip (1995). The National Indoor Arena (NIA) meanwhile is a major indoor athletics stadium and in 2003 hosted the 9th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics.

Osmose Concept car. International athletics meetings take place at the open-air Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, the home of Birchfield Harriers athletic club, which numbers many Olympic medallists among its past and present members. Xanae Concept car 1994. A cricket club was in existence in Birmingham as early as 1745, and today the city is home to Warwickshire County Cricket Club whose ground at Edgbaston is also a venue for international test matches. Citella (1992). King Edward's School is perhaps the most prestigious independent school in the city. Activa II (1990). A minority of the city's children receive private education.

Activa (1988). It also runs the library service, with 4 million visitors annually [6], and provides around 4000 adult education courses throughout the year [7]. Zabrus Bertone Concept car (1986). The city council is England's largest local education authority, directly or indirectly responsible for 25 nursery schools, 328 primary schools, 77 secondary schools [4] and 29 special schools [5]. Eole Concept car (1986). The Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham School of Acting, both now part of UCE, offer higher education in the arts. Eco 2000 (1984). It also has two other higher education colleges (Newman College and the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies).

Xenia (1981). Birmingham has three universities: the University of Birmingham, Aston University and the University of Central England (UCE). Karin (1980). Birmingham's canals are comparatively shallow artificial channels, while those in Venice are primarily reinforced natural channels between islands of the lagoon on which the city stands. C44 (1980). Although this is in some sense correct (Venice has 26 miles), Birmingham is far larger [3], and the types of waterway are very different. Prototype Y. The abundance of canals has led to the frequently made claim that "Birmingham has more canals than Venice".

2CV Pop (1973). There are 35 miles (60 km) of canals in the city, most remaining navigable. GS Camargue (1972). Birmingham is also notable for its canal system; formerly the lifeblood of the city's industries, their use is now mainly for pleasure. Mini-Zup (1972). The city's main station, Birmingham New Street, is at the centre of the national rail network, whilst Birmingham International railway station serves Birmingham International Airport which has flights to cities across Europe and several Asian and North American destinations. Project F. The number 11A and 11C outer circle bus routes are the longest urban bus routes in Europe.

C-60. Local public transport is by bus, local train and tram (the Midland Metro light railway system between the city centre and Wolverhampton). Prototype C or Coccinelle. Junction 6 of the M6 is also one of Birmingham's most famous landmarks, and probably the most famous motorway junction in the UK: Spaghetti Junction, officially called the Gravelly Hill Interchange. G Van. It is served by a number of major roads, including the M5, M6, M6 Toll, M40, and M42 motorways. Citroën Traction Avant 22CV. Due in part to its central location in England, Birmingham is a major transport hub on the motorway, rail, and canal networks.

350 to 850 aka Belphegor. For a larger list see List of famous residents of Birmingham. U23. Tolkien, and Ozzy Osbourne are a few of the many famous names associated with Birmingham. P46. R. P45 (1934-1953). R.

ZX (1991-1997). Neville Chamberlain, J. Xsara (1997- ). See also Places of interest in Birmingham. Xantia (1993-2001). Birmingham is also the seat of the Government Office for the West Midlands region. XM (1989-2000). Birmingham's eleven constituencies are represented in the House of Commons by one Conservative, one Liberal Democrat, and 9 Labour MPs.

Visa (1978-1988). There is a Conservative/Lib-Dem coalition, with Conservative group leader Mike Whitby as Leader of the council and Lib-Dem group leader Paul Tilsley as Deputy Leader. Type C C4-C6 (1928-1934). After the election of 10 June 2004, there is no overall control, with the 120 seats being divided between the Labour, (53 councillors), Conservative (39) and Liberal Democrat ("Lib-Dem", 28) parties. Type C C2-C3 (1922-1926). Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in the UK with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 councillors representing just under one million people, in 40 wards. Type B (1921-1928). There has been a lot of new building in the city centre in recent years, including the award-winning Future Systems' Selfridges building, an irregularly-shaped structure covered in thousands of reflective discs (see picture), the Brindleyplace development and the Millennium Point science and technology centre.

Type A (1919-1921). In more recent years, Birmingham has learnt from what many see as the mistakes of the 1960s and instituted the largest tower block demolition and renovation programmes anywhere in Europe. TUB (1939-1941). The planning decisions of the post-war years were to have a profound effect on the image of Birmingham in subsequent decades, with the mix of ring roads, shopping malls and tower blocks often referred to as a 'concrete jungle'. Traction Avant (1934-1957). In inner-city areas too, much Victorian housing was redeveloped and existing communities were relocated to tower block estates like Castle Vale. SM (1970-1975). However, the destruction that took place in post-war Birmingham was also extensive: dozens of fine Victorian buildings like the intricate glass-roofed Birmingham New Street Station, and the old Central Library, were razed in the 1950s and 1960s and replaced with modernist concrete buildings.

Saxo (1995-2003 ). Continued population growth in the interwar period, saw vast estates of semi-detached houses being built on greenfield land in outlying parts of the city such as Kingstanding and Weoley Castle, but the coming of World War II and the Blitz claimed many lives and many beautiful buildings too. Méhari (1968-1987). Across the city, the need to house the industrial workers gave rise to miles of redbrick streets and terraces, many of back-to-back houses, some of which were later to become inner-city slums. M35 (1970-1971). The characteristic materials of Victorian Birmingham are red brick and terracotta, and many fine Victorian buildings have been retained on New Street and Corporation Street in the city centre. LNA (1978-1986). Saint Chad's Cathedral, built in 1839 by Augustus Pugin, was the first Roman Catholic Cathederal to be built in the UK since the Reformation.

LN (1976-1979). Major public buildings such as the Town Hall, the Law Courts, the Council House (see picture) and the Museum & Art Gallery were constructed, many under the auspices of Joseph Chamberlain's reforming mayoralty. Jumper (1994- ). The Victorian era saw extensive building across the city. Jumpy (1995- ). Tolkien). H Van (1947-1981). R.

GS and GSA (1970-1984). R. FAF. Among them are St Philip's Cathedral, originally built as a parish church, St Paul's Church in the largely Georgian St Paul's Square, Soho House in Handsworth, the home of Matthew Boulton, and Perrott's Folly in Ladywood (which is said to have later inspired J. Evasion (1994-2002). The city grew rapidly from Georgian times and a number of buildings survive from this period. Elysée ZX derivative for the Chinese market. A few other buildings from the medieval and Tudor periods survive, among them The Old Crown public house in Digbeth, the 15th century Saracen's Head public house and Old Grammar School in Kings Norton and Blakesley Hall in Yardley.

DS/ID (1955-1975). The current church (begun around 1290) was extensively re-built in the 1870s, retaining some original walls and foundations. Dyane (1967-1984). Traces of medieval Birmingham can be seen in the oldest churches, notably the original parish church, St Martin's in the Bullring, where a church has stood since at least the 12th century. C35 (1974-1992). Consequently, relatively few buildings survive from its earlier history. C25 (1981-1993). Although Birmingham has existed as a settlement for over a thousand years, today's city is overwhelmingly a product of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, as the real growth of the city began with the Industrial Revolution.

C15 (1984-2005). Attractions for visitors include Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Millennium Point, Bull Ring, Selfridges Building, Cadbury World, Tolkien Trail [2], Birmingham Royal Ballet, and the National Sea Life Centre. C8 (2002- ). Millions of people visit Birmingham every year, and in 2004 the city was named the second best place to shop in England after the West End of London [1]. C7 (2007- ). In recent years Birmingham's economy has diversified into service industries, retailing, tourism and conference hosting, which are now the main employers in the city. C6 (2005- ). Lloyds Bank (now Lloyds TSB) began in 1765 and the Midland Bank (now part of HSBC) opened in Union Street in August 1836.

C5 (2001- ). Two of Britain's "big four" banks were founded there. C4 (2004- ). The city attracts over 40% of the UK's total conference trade. C3 (2003- ). Birmingham has over 500 law firms, and is Europe's second largest insurance market. C2 (2004- ). Other famous brands from the city include Bakelite, Bird's Custard, Brylcreem, BSA, Cadbury's chocolate, Chad Valley toys, Halfords, HP Sauce, Typhoo Tea and Valor.

C1 (2005- ). Scientific research (including research into nanotechnology at the University of Birmingham) is expanding in the city. CX (1974-1989). The city's present day products include motor vehicles, vehicle components and accessories, weapons, electrical equipment, plastics, machine tools, chemicals, food, jewellery and glass. BX (1982-1994). However, the future for the former looks bleak, as MG Rover went into administration in 2005, resulting in the plant being mothballed and the loss of 6,000 jobs at the site, plus more in the supply chain. Berlingo (1996- ). Birmingham was home to two major car factories: MG Rover in Longbridge and Jaguar in Castle Bromwich.

AX (1986-1998). The city's workers designed and constructed railway carriages, steam engines, bicycles, automobiles and even – unusually for somewhere so far from the sea – ships, which were made as pre-fabricated sections, then assembled at the coast. Axel (1984-1988). James Watt improved the Steam Engine while working in the city, and historically the largest manufacturers in the city have been associated with the steam, electric and petrol transport and power industries. Ami Super (1973-1976). Until 2003, coins for circulation were manufactured in the Jewellery Quarter at the Birmingham Mint, the oldest independent mint in the world, which continues to produce commemorative coins and medals. Ami 8 (1969-1979). The Jewellery Quarter is still the largest concentration of dedicated jewellers in Europe, and one third of the jewellery manufactured in the UK is made within one mile of Birmingham city centre.

Ami 6 (1961-1971). Pen manufacture in Birmingham helped revolutionise writing across the world with many companies based in and around the Jewellery Quarter. Acadiane (1978-1987). During the Industrial Revolution many factories, foundries and businesses prospered in the city, including the areas known as the Gun Quarter and Jewellery Quarter. 10CV. Birmingham's industrial heritage predates the Industrial Revolution, and up until the 20th Century the city maintained a tradition of individual craftsmen, sometimes working independently in their own back yards or on piecework rates in rented workshops, alongside larger factories. 8CV Rosalie (1932-1935). Over a quarter of the UK's exports originate in the greater Birmingham area.

2CV (1948-1990). Birmingham is an important manufacturing and engineering centre, employing over 100,000 people in industry and contributing billions of pounds to the national economy. To the south west of the city lie the Clent Hills and Walton Hill, which reach 315 m and have good views over the city. The watershed of the River Severn and River Trent can clearly be seen along the Perry Barr area of Birmingham and areas near Erdington where the level and gradient of the land changes significantly. This high ground makes Birmingham prone to tornadoes which were witnessed in mid-2005.

The main north-south watershed of Britain actually passes through Birmingham. The city of Birmingham is situated on an area of high ground, around 150-200 metres above sea level. Birmingham's transition from an industrial centre to a tourism and services economy is best illustrated by the hosting of the first official summit of the G8 at the International Convention Centre (May 15 to May 17, 1998). In the decades following World War II, the face of Birmingham changed dramatically, with large scale immigration from the Commonwealth of Nations and beyond.

In recent years however, Birmingham has been transformed, the city centre has been extensively renovated and restored with the construction of new squares, the restoration of old streets, buildings and canals, the removal of the pedestrian subways, and the demolition and subsequent redevelopment of the Bull Ring shopping centre, which now includes the architecturally unique Selfridges building. As a result, Birmingham gained a reputation for ugliness and was frequently described as a "concrete jungle". Birmingham suffered heavy bomb damage during World War II, and partly as a result of this the city centre was extensively re-developed during the 1950s and 1960s, with many concrete office buildings, ring-roads, and now much-derided pedestrian subways. The city absorbed Sutton Coldfield in 1974, and at the same time became part of the new West Midlands county.

Birmingham was originally part of Warwickshire, however the city expanded in the late 19th and early 20th century, absorbing parts of Worcestershire to the south and Staffordshire to the west. The city built it's own university in 1900, The University of Birmingham, which became the first of Britain's Redbrick universities. Birmingham's importance led to it being granted city status in 1889 by Queen Victoria. It became known as the "City of a thousand trades" due to the wide array of industries located there.

During the Victorian era, the population of Birmingham grew rapidly to well over half a million and Birmingham became the second largest population centre in Britain. And this was soon followed by the Great Western Railway's Snow Hill station. New Street Station was opened as a joint station in 1854. Railways arrived in Birmingham in 1837, with the opening of the Grand Junction Railway and later the London and Birmingham Railway the railways soon linked Birmingham to every corner of Britain.

By the 1820s an extensive canal system had been constructed; Birmingham is often described as having more miles of canals than Venice. From the 1760s onwards, a large network of canals were built across Birmingham and the Black Country, to transport raw materials and finished goods. Unlike many other English industrial cities such as Manchester, industry in Birmingham was based upon small workshops rather than large factories or mills. During the Industrial Revolution (from the mid 18th century onwards), Birmingham grew rapidly into a major industrial centre.

Arms manufacture in Birmingham became a staple trade and was concentrated in the area known as the Gun Quarter. Birmingham manufacturers supplied Oliver Cromwell's forces with much of their weaponry during the English Civil War. In the 17th century, Birmingham became an important manufacturing town with a reputation for producing small arms. By the 16th century, Birmingham's access to supplies of iron ore and coal meant that metalworking industries became established.

As a convenient location for trade, Birmingham soon developed into a small but thriving market town. In the 12th century, Birmingham was granted a charter to hold a market, which in time became known as the Bull Ring. It was first recorded in written documents by the Domesday Book of 1086 as a small village, worth only 20 shillings. Birmingham started life as a small Anglo-Saxon hamlet in the Early Middle Ages.

The Birmingham area was occupied in Roman times, with several military roads and a large fort. (paloma). In this time, it has grown from a tiny Anglo-Saxon farming village into a major industrial and commercial city. Birmingham has a recorded history going back 1000 years.

. Around 30% of Birmingham's population is of non-white ethnicity; at the time of the 2001 census, 70.4% of the population was White (including 3.2% Irish), 19.5% Asian or Asian British, 6.1% Black or Black British, 0.5% Chinese, and 3.5% of mixed or other ethnic heritage. Birmingham is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. There is a distinctive Brummie dialect and accent.

This comes in turn from the city's dialect name, Brummagem. The people of Birmingham are known as 'Brummies', a term derived from the city's nickname of Brum. It forms part of the larger West Midlands conurbation, which has a population of 2,284,093 (2001 census) and includes several neighbouring towns and cities, such as Solihull, Wolverhampton and the towns of the Black Country. The City of Birmingham has a population of 992,400 (2004 estimate).

To this day over a quarter of the UK's exports originate in the greater Birmingham area. The city's reputation was forged as the powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, a fact which led to Birmingham being known as "the workshop of the world". It is England's "second city" and is the largest of England's core cities. Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the English West Midlands.

See also the Black Country. Towns: Bedworth, Cannock, Kenilworth, Kidderminster, Nuneaton, Redditch, Royal Leamington Spa, Rugby, Solihull, Stafford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Tamworth, Warwick,. Cities: Coventry, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Worcester. John Wright, inventor of a type of electroplating.

James Watt, engineer and inventor; associated with the steam engine. Joseph Priestley, chemist and radical. Alexander Parkes, inventor of celluloid, the first synthetic plastic. Sir Francis Galton, originator of eugenics and important techniques in statistics.

Matthew Boulton, proprietor of the Soho engineering works. Victoria Square. Town Hall. Sutton Park.

St Philip's Cathedral. Sarehole Mill. National Sealife Centre. National Indoor Arena.

The Mailbox. mac. Jewellery Quarter - The largest concentration of dedicated jewellers in Europe. Gun Quarter - Once the foremost gun manufacturing community in the UK.

Convention Quarter. Chamberlain Square featuring a BBC Big Screen. Central Mosque. Centenary Square.

Cannon Hill Park. Cadbury World. The Bullring. Brindleyplace - Canalside development.

Blakesley Hall. Birmingham Thinktank - Science Museum. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Barber Institute of Fine Arts. The Back to Back houses. Aston Hall.