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The Geography of Birmingham

On a world map the co-ordinates for the cityrivers flowing through Birmingham; the River
of Birmingham are 52o 28' latitude north andCole which flows across the south to
longitude 1o 53' west. Birmingham is anorth-east of the city; the River Rea, which
metropolitan borough of the West Midlands andflows from the south west into the River Tame
a unitary authority in its own right.north of the city centre. The River Tame
However, it also still retains historic linksflows west to east across the city and
with the counties of; Warwickshire,eventually flows into the River Trent at
Worcestershire and Shropshire to which itsAlrewas. None of the rivers passing through
suburbs once belonged. The population ofBirmingham  are  navigable  by  boat.
Birmingham exceeds 1 million people making it
the second largest city in the country; theThe climate in Birmingham is typical of
population of the West Midlands conurbationEngland being a temperate one. With most of
is almost 2,300,000. Birmingham city coversits weather systems arriving on the
an area of some 26,700 hectare giving it aprevailing westerly winds, the average
population density of around 38 per hectare,temperature in January is 30C and July it is
which is slightly less crowded than many150C. On average Birmingham receives less
other  major  UK  cities.than 750ml of rainfall a year which, being
relatively close to the Welsh hills and
Artefacts dating back to Roman and even themountains, much of the rain being carried by
Bronze Age establish that there have beenthe prevailing winds is deposited over Wales
settlements in and around Birmingham for abefore reaching Birmingham. The average
long time. Before it became a heavilyexpectancy of rain in Birmingham is about 175
industrialised city Birmingham would havedays a year. The temperature in January is
grown and developed by the aggregation oflower than might be expected for a city in
small farming hamlets, probably centred onthe midland of England. This is because the
areas close to the River Rea. The surfacecity is centrally located in the landmass and
geology of Birmingham is sandstone, mudstoneso does not benefit from the blanket effect
and a pebbly silty clay that would have beenof  the  North  Atlantic  Drift.
deposited at the time the glaciers retreated
during the ice age. By and large the surfaceHouse prices in Birmingham vary across the
geology is rarely more than 10m thick. Thecity dependant on the suburb in which they
dominant bedrock in Birmingham is the redare located. Traditionally the two most
mudstones and sandstones that were laid downexpensive areas have been Edgbaston and
during the Permian and Triassic eras, roughlySutton Coldfield. The suburb of Harbourne is
290  to  250  million  years  ago.seen as an up and coming area for young
professionals being close to the city centre,
To the west of the city there arethe university and the main Birmingham
Carboniferous coal measure deposits and rocksHospitals. Houses in Bournville, especially
dating back to the Silurian era. Ofthose that are part of the Bournville Village
significance here is the area known as WrensTrust, are also much sought after. The
Nest, Dudley, which is a site of exceptionaloverall average price for a house in
importance for Lower Silurian limestone. InBirmingham  is  155,000  GBP.
2002 Birmingham was hit with the Uks biggest
earthquake in a decade, measuring 4.8 on theThe average price of a four bed roomed
Richter scale the epicentre of it was indetached house is the same as the national
Dudley which sits on a major fault line.average at 320,000 GBP which is higher than
Birmingham also sits on a fault line runningthe regional price of 275,000 GBP. A three
south-west  to  north  east through the city.bed-room semi-detached house is 160,000 GBP,
below the national average of 185,000 GBP but
Once sitting on the northern edge of thesome 5% above the regional average. A two
Forest of Arden and surrounded by woodland,bed-room terraced house in Birmingham
timber was the traditional building material.typically costs 130,000 GBP, about 7% higher
With sand and gravel deposits and limestonethan regionally and 10% higher than the
nearby the use of mortar mixes and concretenational average. At over 130,000 GBP for a 2
was also common. Ever since they could bebed-roomed flat, Birmingham is around the
mass produced, bricks and plain baked claynational average price, but again higher than
tiles have subsequently been used inthe  regional  average.
buildings.
Whilst there are 43 major suburbs, the city
Geographically Birmingham sits on thecouncil for Birmingham has 40 electoral wards
Birmingham Plateau which is generally 150 towhich each return 3 councillors. The city is
200 metres above sea level. However, thedivided into 10 electoral constituencies to
Lickey Hills in the extreme south west of thereturn Members of Parliament.
city rise to 285m. There are three main



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