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Birmingham is an English City lying in the West Midlands County. It is the City as well as the Metropolitan borough. Sometimes it is considered to be the second city of the United Kingdom. During the Industrial Revolution Birmingham was very important and since that time it has been known as “the workshop of the world” or the “city of a thousand trades”.  
 
Birmingham was at first (in the 7th century) a little Anglo-Saxon farming village. It was mentioned for the first time in written documents in Domesday Book in 1086. The village turned into a market town in the 12th century, when Birmingham gained a royal charter to hold a market (known as Bull Ring). The metalworking industries were established in the 16th century. By the English Civil War in the 17th century Birmingham had become an important manufacturing town producing small arms. At the first half of the 19th century an extensive canal system was constructed as well as the railways arrived here. Birmingham grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution. It was granted city status in 1889 by Queen Victoria. In the World War II Birmingham was heavily damaged by bombing and redeveloped in 1950s and 60s. he population of Birmingham is over one million and the population density is 3,739 inhabitants per square kilometre. It is ethnically and culturally diverse city; there is a number of Asians, Blacks and other nationalities and rases living here. The prevailing religion is Christian. People of Birmingham are often being referred to as Brummies (derived from city’s nickname Brum) and their dialect and accent are different when comparing with the adjacent Black Country.  
 
As far as education is concerned, there is a large number of all types of schools in Birmingham. The city is home to three universities. The oldest one, The University of Birmingham was founded in 1900 and it was the first “red brick” university in England. Other two are Aston University (founded 1966), and the University of Central England (gained University status in 1992). There are also two other higher education colleges (Newman College and the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies).  
 
When visiting Birmingham one can admire a beautiful city center with a large diversity of buildings. There are old buildings around the Victoria Square like The City Council or the Town Hall as well as modern ones, Bull Ring, The Mailbox of numerous hotels. One should not miss Brindleyplace, a major canal side development with restaurants and office buildings along with the National Sea Life Centre, then Jewellery Quarter or Botanical Gardens close to the city center. 
 
 

Sheffield, the City and the Metropolitan Borough, is part of South Yorkshire County. It lies on the River Sheaf. It belongs to the eight large cities besides London in England. Sheffield is a core city (being the core of the respective area).  
Sheffield has two universities, the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University and two further educational colleges, besides all levels of schools and two private schools and two catholic schools.  
 
Sheffield is a very family-friendly city. There are also lot of galleries and museum, parks and open spaces and beautiful buildings mainly in the city center around Town Hall. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Oxford is a town lying in the South East of England in Oxfordshire County. It is home to the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world.  
 
Oxford lies 90 kilometres (55 miles) north west of London and 110 kimometres (70 miles) far from Birmingham. It covers the area of 45.59 square kilometres (17.6 square miles). River Thames flows through Oxford and it is known here as Isis (especially used in the context of rowing at the University of Oxford). Population in Oxford was 149,800 in 2005 with the population density 3,286 inhabitants per square kilometre.  
 
The University of Oxford has 39 self-governing colleges related to the University in a type of federal system. Besides them, there are also seven Permanent Private Halls, founded by different Christian denominations. Students from all over the world study here, a quarter from all the students is from overseas. 18,000 students are of more than 130 nationalities. Term “town and gown” is used in referring to the people living in Oxford in contrast with students. The colleges of the University exist around the city for more than 800 years, although there is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. The first colleges were University, Balliol and Merton. Thanks to the harmonious architecture of university buildings, Oxford is known as the “city of dreaming spires”.  
 
Many tourist attractions are connected with the University and collages. Colleges create special historical atmosphere, although many of them are closed to visitors. Quite famous is Radcliff Camera in the centre of the city. However, it still belongs to the University as well as Bodleian Library, Clarendon Building, Sheldonian Theatre or the building of the Oxford University Press. There are a lot of green spaces in Oxford. 
 
 

Liverpool is located in the North West part of England in the Merseyside County. It is a city as well as the Metropolitan Borough. In 2008 it will hold the title European Capital of Culture (together with the Stavanger, Norway).Liverpool is the fifth most populous cit in England.

In 1960s Liverpool became a centre of youth culture, mainly because of The Beatles. The City is internationally known as a cultural centre, with a particularly rich history in popular music, performing and visual arts. 
 
 
 

Manchester lies in the North West England and it is the City as well as the Metropolitan Borough. It is the center of Greater Manchester Urban Area that is the third largest conurbation in the United Kingdom. As the “Capital of the North” it is one of the English core cities. Manchester is a centre of the arts, the media, higher education and commerce. It is the third best place to locate business in the United Kingdom, and the third most visited city in country by foreign visitors. It is often considered to be the Second city of the United Kingdom (sometimes Birmingham gains this status). Manchester is famous also in sports (Manchester United), music (home to for example The Bee Gees, Oasis or Take That), beautiful architecture (ranging from Victorian to modern), many museums and galleries and parks. It is home to two universities, the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University. 
 
 

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland. It lies in the west central lowlands, on the Clyde River. It is the third most populous city in the United Kingdom. People from Glasgow are called Glaswegians, as well as the local dialect. It is home to Scotland’s leading businesses. In the Victorian era it was known as the “Second City of the British Empire”. Glasgow is divided into several districts and suburbs. The city centre is bounded by the High Street to the east, the River Clyde to the south and the M8 motorway to the west and north. It is built in grid pattern. The heart is George Square with many of Glasgow's public statues and the Victorian Glasgow City Chambers, headquarters of Glasgow City Council. To the south and west are the shopping precincts. The main shopping centers are Buchanan Galleries and the St. Enoch Centre. The centre is also home to many cultural facilities such as The Theatre Royal, The King's Theatre, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow Film Theatre, Gallery of Modern Art. The world's tallest cinema Cineworld is sited on Renfrew Street. There are also four of Glasgow's higher education institutions here: The University of Strathclyde, The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow School of Art and Glasgow Caledonian University.  
 
East of the centre is the district of Merchant City (former residential place for rich merchants in the 18th and 19th centuries). Its center was Glasgow Cross that encompassed the Tolbooth Clock Tower (the only remaining part of original City Chambers). Glasgow Cathedral lies in this city part as well. Western edge of the city centre is occupied by the financial district, officially known as International Financial Services District (IFSD), and by press often nicknamed as the "square kilometre" or "Wall Street on Clyde".  
 
Although Glasgow is not as attractive for tourists as Edinburgh, it boasts world famous art collections, many buildings built in Victorian architectural style the best shopping in the United Kingdom outside London, and the most vibrant and exciting nightlife in Scotland. 
 
 

Leeds lies in the north of England, in West Yorkshire county, on the River Aire. It is known as one of eight core cities that act as a focus of their respective regions. Leeds was voted Britain's Best City for Business by Omis Research in 2003. It is the fastest growing city in the United Kingdom, as well as the second largest financial centre in England after London.  
Tourism has started to play an important role in Leeds recently. It has being voted by Conde Nast Traveller magazine Readers' Awards as the "UK's favourite city" and also "Visitor city of the year" by The Good Britain Guide. Over 11 million visitors come to Leeds every year. Leeds is famous for its vibrant night life and cultural scene. It is also Yorkshire and Humberside's prime shopping location. And besides that, it attracts its visitors by fascinating architecture. 
 
 

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom of Great Britain as well as England. It is one of the four major global cities and one of the world’s leading cities on the field of business, finance and culture. It is very influential also in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts. London is the seat of the Monarch, the Parliament, the Government and the Supreme Court. The Prime Meridian of the World runs across Greenwich in the east of London.  
London is also an international transportation hub, with five international airports (Heathrow is the biggest) and a large port (it lies on the Thames River). As far as the transportation within a city is concerned, London is famous for its red double-decker buses.  
 
The major London’s landmarks are Houses of Parliament with the Big Ben Tower, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace or St. Paul’s Cathedral. There are many famous museums located in London; the most famous are probably British Museum, National Gallery or Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. One of the modern attractions is the London Eye. There are several famous parks and green places in London. To the largest and most famous belongs Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, Kensington Gardens or Greenwich Park. London is also great place for shopping. Probably the most famous is the Oxford Street and the area around Piccadilly Circus. Well-known is also the Harrods shopping centre. It is said that you can buy here everything, from a needle to an elephant. 
 
 
 

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland (since 1437) as well as one of the biggest and most important cities in the country, the seventh biggest in the United Kingdom. The population of the city is around half a million. It lies in the southeast of Scotland, near the North Sea, along the Firth of Forth. As the capital city it is also the seat of the Scottish Parliament (created in 1999). In the past it was one of the major centres of the Enlightenment, led by the University of Edinburgh that earned the city its nickname Athens of the North. Due to its architecture it is considered one of the most picaresque cities in Europe. It is the second most visited city in the United Kingdom after London, with 13 million visitors a year.  
Edinburgh is quite famous for its annual Edinburgh festival held four weeks from early August. The most famous of these events are the Edinburgh Fringe (the largest performing arts festival in the world), the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. There are also other festivals held during the year, such as Hogmanay street party (31 December), Burns Night (25 January) or St. Andrew's Day (November 30).  
 
Edinburgh has been connected with many famous people through its whole history. Famous authors of the city include Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, or nowadays J. K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter. From other artist it is necessary to mention Sir Sean Connery (a James Bond actor), Sir Henry Raeburn (portrait painter) or Arthur Marwick (a musician). It is a home town of ex Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair. As far as the science is concerned, the most famous people connected with Edinburgh are James Clerk Maxwell (the founder of the modern theory of electromagnetism), Alexander Graham Bell (the telephone pioneer), Charles Darwin (the biologist), David Hume (a philosopher), Adam Smith (an economist) or James Hutton ("Father of Geology"). 
 
 

Newcastle is the largest city in the north-east of England. Located on the northern bank of the River Tyne a few miles upriver from the coast.  The city of Gateshead is located opposite Newcastle on the southern bank of the Tyne river

Recent years have seen extensive restoration and rejuvenation in the city centre. Just voted England's top short-break destination, there has never been a better time to see Newcastle for yourself. Newcastle has an extremly lively & vibrant nightlife

Newcastle in one of the most vibrant and expanding cities in Europe, thousands of hotel rooms to suit all budgets are within the city.

Newcastle has countless historical and modern attractions and are within walking distance of famous name shops, theatres, art galleries and the hub of the vibrant exciting nightlife.

The third-largest city in Scotland, ABERDEEN , commonly known as the Granite City, lies 120 miles northeast of Edinburgh, on the banks of the rivers Dee and Don smack in the middle of the northeast coast. Based around a working harbour, it's a place that people either love or hate. Certainly, while some extol the many tones and colours of Aberdeen's granite buildings, others see only uniform grey and find the city grim, cold and unwelcoming. The weather doesn't help: Aberdeen lies on a latitude north of Moscow and the cutting wind and driving rain (even if it does transform the buildings into sparkling silver) can be tiresome. 
 
Since the 1970s, oil has made Aberdeen a hugely wealthy and self-confident place: only four percent of Scotland's population live in the city, yet it has eight percent of the country's spending power. Despite (or perhaps because of) this, it can seem a soulless city; there's a feeling of corporate sterility and sometimes, despite its long history, Aberdeen seems to exist only as a departure point and service station for the transient population of some ten to fifteen thousand who live on the 130 oil platforms out to sea. 
 
Staying in such a prosperous place has its advantages. There are plenty of good restaurants and hotels, local transport is efficient and certain sights, including Aberdeen's splendid Art Gallery and the excellent Maritime Museum , are free. Furthermore, the fact that the city is the bright light in a wide hinterland helps it to sustain a lively nightlife with some decent pubs and a colourful arts and cultural scene.