Birmingham's main business area has many high-rise buildings. The nearby Centenary Square is the city's main cultural center. It includes a concert hall, a theater, and one of Europe's largest city libraries. The city has a symphony orchestra, and it is the home of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Its historic buildings include Aston Hall, completed in 1635, St. Philip's Cathedral, which was built in 1715, and the Town Hall, which opened for public meetings and concerts in 1834. The area has three universities: the University of Aston, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Central England.
Birmingham ranks as the second largest city in the United Kingdom. Only London has more people. Birmingham and the surrounding communities form the United Kingdom's chief manufacturing area.
Anglian settlers founded Birmingham, probably in the A.D. 600's. The city became a trading center during the 1100's, and industries began to develop there in the 1500's. Birmingham was able to grow into an industrial city because of its nearby coal and iron ore deposits and other important natural resources. During the Industrial Revolution of the 1700's and early 1800's, Birmingham became a major industrial center of the United Kingdom. Job opportunities attracted many people to Birmingham, and its population increased from about 70,000 in 1801 to over 800,000 by the early 1900's.
Many sections of Birmingham, including the central business district, were heavily damaged by German bombs during World War II (1939-1945). The city did much rebuilding during the 1950's and 1960's. Workers constructed residential and commercial buildings and many new roads. In the late 1900's, Birmingham greatly expanded its cultural facilities. Symphony Hall opened in 1991.
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