ABSTRACT

Birmingham is the second largest city of England in terms of population when only the local district area is considered. Birmingham and its city-region, also known as the Black Country, were among the pioneering regions of England that sparked the Industrial Revolution. The de-industrialisation crisis started later in Birmingham than in the northern English city-regions. This chapter provides a concise impression of the current economic, socio-demographic and political situation of Birmingham and its city-region. The share of the non-white population in Birmingham was much higher than the English average. In Birmingham, 29.6" of the population in 2001 belonged to a non-white ethnic group, compared to only 9.1" for England. As a result of Birmingham's hierarchical position as the centre of the West Midlands and England's second city, the knowledge-intensive business services are an important and growing part of the Birmingham economy. Manufacturing growth was further encouraged by spectacular improvements in regional and national transport networks.