Liverpool, city in northwestern England, on the Mersey River, near its mouth on the Irish Sea. Liverpool is the commercial focus of a large metropolitan area. Although its exports (largely manufactured goods) have declined, it remains Britain's second most important seaport, after London, for traffic other than petroleum. Imports include grain and other foodstuffs, wood, nonferrous metals, and textile fibers. Liverpool is also a passenger port for travel to Ireland. Manufactures include pharmaceuticals, electric equipment, refined sugar and flour, and rubber products. To augment Liverpool's extensive dock areas, important new facilities were constructed in the 1970s outside the city limits. Motor-vehicle manufacturing and oil refining are also located on the periphery of the metropolitan area. Liverpool is connected to the Wirral Peninsula across the river by two motor-vehicle tunnels (1934, 1971) and a railroad tunnel.
Relatively few of the existing buildings in Liverpool predate 1800. A notable exception is the town hall (1754, rebuilt 1795). Other outstanding edifices are the neoclassical Saint George's Hall (1854), housing concert halls, law courts, and exhibition rooms; the Gothic-style Anglican Cathedral (begun 1904, consecrated 1924), one of the largest ecclesiastical structures in the world; and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Christ the King (consecrated 1967), a striking example of modern architecture. Liverpool's cultural institutions include the Walker Art Gallery (1873), the Liverpool City Libraries (1852), and the Merseyside County Museum (1851). The city also has a symphony orchestra and several theaters. Among the educational institutions here are the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University (1992, formerly a polytechnic college), and several research institutes.
