Liverpool

Liverpool is a port city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, 178 miles (286 km) north-west of London. With a population of 496,770 (in 2022), Liverpool is the administrative, cultural and economic centre of the Liverpool City Region, a combined authority area with a population of over 1.5 million.

Established as a borough in Lancashire in 1207, Liverpool became significant in the late 17th century when the Port of Liverpool was heavily involved in the Atlantic slave trade. The port also imported cotton for the Lancashire textile mills, and became a major departure point for English and Irish emigrants to North America. Liverpool rose to global economic importance at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century and was home to the first intercity railway, the first non-combustible warehouse system (the Royal Albert Dock), and a pioneering elevated electrical railway; it was granted city status in 1880 and was moved from Lancashire to the newly created county of Merseyside in 1974. It entered a period of decline in the mid-20th century, but has experienced regeneration since the European Union selected it as the European Capital of Culture in 2008, which was reported to have generated over £800 million for the local economy within a year.

The economy of Liverpool is diversified and encompasses tourism, culture, maritime, hospitality, healthcare, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, creative, and digital sectors. The city is home to the UK's second-highest number of art galleries, national museums, listed buildings, and parks and open spaces, with only London having more. It is often used as a filming location due to its architecture, and was the fifth-most-visited UK city by foreign tourists in 2022. It has produced numerous musicians, most notably the Beatles, and artists from the city have had more UK No. 1 hit singles than anywhere else. It has also produced academics, actors, artists, comedians, filmmakers, poets, scientists, sportspeople, and writers. It is the home of Premier League football teams Everton and Liverpool. The world's oldest still-operating mainline train station, Liverpool Lime Street, is in the city centre; it is also served by the underground Merseyrail network. The city's port was the fourth largest in the UK in 2023, with numerous shipping and freight lines having headquarters and offices there.

Residents of Liverpool are often called "Scousers" in reference to scouse, a local stew made popular by sailors in the city, while "Scouse" is also the most common name given to the local accent. The city's cultural and ethnic diversity is a result of attracting immigrants, especially from Ireland, Scandinavia, and Wales; it is also the home of a large black and Chinese community, and the first mosque in England.