Sheffield

Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in the north of located in::England, located in::United Kingdom. Its name originated from the River Sheaf that runs through the town. The city has grown from its industrial roots to encompass a wide economic base. The city population is estimated at 516,100 people (2004), and it is one of the eight largest English cities outside London that form the English Core Cities Group.

The city has become world famous for its production of steel. Many innovations in the industry have been developed locally, including crucible and stainless steel. This fuelled an almost tenfold increase in the population since the start of Industrial Revolution. It gained its city charter in 1893 and became officially titled the City of Sheffield. International competition caused a decline in local industry during the 1970s and 1980s, impacting on Sheffield's population. In recent years the city has attempted to reinvent itself as a sporting and technology city; there are signs that this is reversing its fortunes.

The present city boundaries were set in 1974, when the former county borough of Sheffield merged with Stocksbridge Urban District and two parishes from the Wortley Rural District. This area includes a significant part of the countryside surrounding the main urban region. Roughly a third of Sheffield lies in the Peak District National Park (no other English city has a national park within its boundary), and Sheffield is considered as England's greenest city, containing over 150 woodlands and 50 public parks.