Bristol

Bristol is a city in the English county of Bristol, as well as a unitary authority. It is located on the banks of the River Avon and is bordered to the north by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire and to the south by the ceremonial counties of Somerset. Bristol is the most populous city in the English-speaking region of South West England. The Greater Bristol Built-up Region is the ninth most populous urban area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 1.3 million people.

Hillforts and villas dating back to the Iron Age and Roman periods were constructed around the junction of the rivers Frome and Avon, and the community became known as Brycgstow. Bristol was granted a royal charter in 1155 and was traditionally split between the counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset until it was elevated to the status of county corporate in 1373. From the 13th through the 18th centuries, Bristol was one of the top three English cities in terms of tax collections, second only to London.

For early voyages of discovery to the New World, Bristol served as a launching pad for their expeditions. John Cabot, a Venetian, set out from Bristol in 1497 aboard a ship that would become the first European to set foot on the continent of North America. In 1499, William Weston, a Bristol merchant, became the first Englishman to conduct an expedition to North America, setting a precedent for future expeditions. At the height of the Bristol slave trade, between 1700 and 1807, more than 2,000 slave ships transported an estimated 500,000 individuals from Africa to slavery in the Americas, according to historical estimates. Since then, the Port of Bristol has relocated from Bristol Harbour in the city centre to the Severn Estuary at Avonmouth and Royal Portbury Dock, where it is now located.

Current Bristol is founded on creative media, electronics, and aerospace sectors. The city's docklands have been restored into historical and cultural hubs, and Bristol's modern economy is based on these businesses. The Bristol Pound, which is tied to the pound sterling, is the biggest circulating community currency in the United Kingdom, with over a million units in circulation. In addition to the city's two universities, the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England, it is home to a diverse range of artistic and sporting organisations and venues, such as the Royal West of England Academy, the Arnolfini, the Spike Island Arts Centre, Ashton Gate and the Memorial Stadium. There are road and rail connections to London and other major UK cities, as well as to the rest of the world, including the M5 and M4 (which connect to the city centre via the Portway and M32); rail connections via Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway mainline rail stations; and a commercial airport at Bristol International Airport.

Several times, including in 2014 and 2017, Bristol was selected the greatest city in the United Kingdom to live in, and it was designated the European Green Capital in 2015.