Second city

:For the American comedy troupe, see The Second City

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, Birmingham has generally been considered the second city since around the First World War. More recently, many have claimed that Manchester deserves the distinction. Many Birmingham residents agree, with the tongue-in-cheek stipulation that Birmingham be the 'First City'.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - Birmingham - First World War - Manchester - Tongue-in-cheek

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Based on formal city boundaries Birmingham is larger than Manchester, although formal city boundaries are not the sole criteria; for instance, the City of London is very small. The surrounding conurbations and the areas that can be considered informally part of each city are hard to define. It is perhaps even more difficult to make a distinction based on cultural factors, as all major UK cities play an important role in the cultural make-up of the country.

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In the past, Glasgow and Liverpool each had a claim to being the second city of the UK or indeed of the entire British Empire. Both cities were prominent because of their economic importance, especially the central role which they played in overseas trade.

Related Topics:
Glasgow - Liverpool - British Empire

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