Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary.
Inhabitants of Liverpool are referred to as Liverpudlians and nicknamed "Scousers", in reference to the local meal known as 'scouse', a form of stew. The word scouse has also become synonymous with the Liverpool accent and dialect.
In the late 19th century, Liverpool laid claim to being the "second Port of the Empire", handling more goods than any British city outside London. During the late 20th century, the decline of the Port of Liverpool as a source of employment and the later contraction of manufacturing industry in the city region badly affected the city's economy. However, the city's economy has grown strongly and faster than the national average since the mid nineties.
Liverpool contains over 2,500 listed buildings (of which 26 are Grade I listed and 85 are Grade II* listed). It is the inheritance of high-minded public spirit since the late 18th century, largely with Dissenter impetus, resulting in more public sculpture than in any UK city aside from Westminster, more listed buildings than any city apart from London and, surprisingly, more Georgian houses than the city of Bath.

Waterfront

In 2004 Liverpool's waterfront was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site, reflecting the city's importance in the development of the world's trading system and dock technology.
The docks are central to Liverpool's history, with arguably the best-known being Albert Dock: the first enclosed, non-combustible dock warehouse system in the world and the first structure in Britain to be built entirely of cast iron, brick and stone, designed by Jesse Hartley. Restored in the 1980s, the Albert Dock is the largest collection of Grade I listed buildings in Britain. Part of the old dock complex is now the home to the Merseyside Maritime Museum, Museum of Liverpool Life and the Tate Liverpool. Other relics of the dock system include the Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse, which at the time of its construction in 1901, was the world's largest building in terms of area.
The Pier Head is arguably the most famous image of Liverpool, the location of the Three Graces, three of Liverpool's most recognisable buildings. The first is the Royal Liver Building, built in the early 1900s and surmounted by two bronze domes with a Liver Bird (the symbol of Liverpool) on each. The second is the Cunard Building, the headquarters of the former Cunard shipping company. The third is the Port of Liverpool Building, the home of the former Mersey Docks and Harbour Board which regulated the city's docks.
In front of these buildings at the waters edge are the memorials to the men of the merchant navy who sailed out of the port during both World Wars. Memorials to the British mariners, Norwegian, Dutch and to the many thousands of Chinese seamen who manned Britain's ships cluster together here. Perhaps most intereting is the Chinese memorial to the men forcibly deported from the city after World War Two and to the families they left behind.
The area around William Brown Street has been labelled the city's 'Cultural Quarter', owing to the presence of the William Brown Library, Walker Art Gallery and World Museum Liverpool, just three of Liverpool's many neo-classical buildings. Nearby is St George's Hall, perhaps the most impressive of these neo-classical buildings, was built to serve both as a concert hall and as the city's law courts. Also in this area are Wellington's Column and the Seble Fountain.
Liverpool's Town Hall dates from 1754 and has a beautifully-designed interior.
The term Red Brick University, applied to many British universities dating from a similar period, was inspired by the University of Liverpool's Victoria Building, noted for its clock tower.
Some of Liverpool's landmarks are better known for their oddness rather than for their role. Williamson's tunnels are architecturally unique as being the largest underground folly in the world. The Philharmonic Dining Rooms are noteworthy for their ornate Victorian toilets, which have become a tourist attraction in their own right.