Nottingham ( ) is a city in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands region of England. Nottingham is also a member of the English Core Cities Group.

Nottingham City proper has a population of 288,700 and the Greater Nottingham area 667,000. It is the 7th largest urban area in the United Kingdom, ranking between Liverpool (6th) and Sheffield (8th). The city proper population is notably smaller, this is because the city boundary is an historical one and is tightly drawn, therefore this boundary excludes many places which today are part of Nottingham. Greater Nottingham does include these areas which are the large expanse of suburbs, along with towns on the outskirts such as Ilkeston and Eastwood that have been swallowed up by the growth of the city.

At the heart of Nottingham City Centre is the Old Market Square. This 22,000 sq/m open space is the largest square in England and was refurbished in 2007 to include a large water feature, which consists of numerous fountains and gushing rapids. The entire square was also re-surfaced with granite slabs. Nottingham Council House which overlooks the square can be seen for miles around thanks to its dome which rises above the city, and is lit up at night. Inside the Council House is the Exchange Arcade, an upmarket shopping centre which houses many high class shops, shopping being one of the main attractions of the City. Radiating out from the central square are the other areas of the city. The Hockley quarter, characterised by a higher proportion of independent retailers and alternative cinema, is situated to the east of the city. Hockley is adjacent to the Lace Market area which is home to many large grand Victorian era buildings owing to Nottingham's importance in the Victorian Lace Industry, the city's interesting history being another main attraction. To the south of the square shopping streets lead their way into the soon to be totally rebuilt Broadmarsh shopping centre. Beyond the shopping centre lies the canal which is a pleasant area full of cafes and restaurants. To the west is Nottingham Castle and Maid Marian Way which is home to The Tales of Robin Hood along with the majority of the high rise office buildings in the city. Northwards from the square more major shopping streets lead to the Victoria Shopping Centre and to an entertainment quarter with numerous restaurants and a cinema complex. The Theatre Royal, Nottingham on Theatre Square and Nottingham Playhouse at the Albert Hall can also be found here.

History

Nottingham is relatively unusual among major manufacturing cities in Britain in having a mediæval and pre-industrial past of equal importance to its more recent one. The first evidence of settlement dates from pre-Roman times,Fact: date=June 2007 and it is possible that the Romans also lived in the area.Fact: date=June 2007