Coventry

This article is about the city in England. For other uses, see Coventry (disambiguation).

Coventry
City and metropolitan borough
Coventry city centre skyline
The Precinct
Flag of Coventry
Flag
Official logo of Coventry
Coat of arms
Shown within the West Midlands (county)
Shown within the West Midlands (county)
Coventry is located in England
Coventry
Coventry
Location within England
Coventry is located in the United Kingdom
Coventry
Coventry
Location within the United Kingdom
Coventry is located in Europe
Coventry
Coventry
Location within Europe
Coordinates: 52°24′29″N 1°30′38″W / 52.40806°N 1.51056°W / 52.40806; -1.51056
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryEngland
RegionWest Midlands
Ceremonial countyWest Midlands
Historic countyWarwickshire
Administrative HQCouncil House
Founded1043
Founded byLeofric, Earl of Mercia
Government
 • TypeMetropolitan borough
 • BodyCoventry City Council
 • LeadershipLeader and cabinet
 • Lord MayorMal Mutton[2]
 • Council LeaderGeorge Duggins (L)
 • Chief ExecutiveJulie Nugent
 • MPsMary Creagh (L)
Taiwo Owatemi (L)
Zarah Sultana (Ind)
Area
38.09 sq mi (98.64 km2)
Population
 (2021 Census)
345,324 [1]
 • Density8,050/sq mi (3,108/km2)
 • Metro
651,600[3]
DemonymsCoventrian
Coventarian
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
Postcode
CV
Area code024
ISO 3166-2GB-COV
ONS code00CQ (ONS)
E08000026 (GSS)
OS grid referenceSP335785
NUTS 3UKG33
2021 population[4]345,328
Ethnicity
(2011 Census)[5]		73.8% White (66.6% White British)
16.3% Asian
5.5% Black
2.7% Mixed Race
1.6% Other
Websitecoventry.gov.uk
Map
Click the map for an interactive fullscreen view

Coventry (/ˈkɒvəntri/ ⓘ KOV-ən-tree[6] or rarely /ˈkʌv-/ KUV-)[7] is a cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centuries. Founded in the early Middle Ages, its city status was formally recognised in a charter of 1345.[8] The city is governed by Coventry City Council, and the West Midlands Combined Authority.[9]

Formerly part of Warwickshire until 1451, and again from 1842 to 1974, Coventry had a population of 345,324 at the 2021 census,[1] making it the tenth largest city in England and the 13th largest in the United Kingdom.[10]

It is the second largest city in the West Midlands region, after Birmingham, from which it is separated by an area of green belt known as the Meriden Gap; it is the third largest in the wider Midlands after Birmingham and Leicester. The city is part of a larger conurbation known as the Coventry and Bedworth Urban Area, which in 2021 had a population of 389,603.[11]

Coventry is 19 miles (31 km) east-south-east of Birmingham, 24 miles (39 km) south-west of Leicester, 10 miles (16 km) north of Warwick and 94 miles (151 km) north-west of London. Coventry is also the most central city in England, being only 12 miles (19 km) south-west of the country's geographical centre in Leicestershire.[12][13]

Coventry became an important and wealthy city of national importance during the Middle Ages. Later it became an important industrial centre, becoming home to a large bicycle industry in the 19th century. In the 20th century, it became a major centre of the British motor industry; this made it a target for German air raids during the Second World War, and in November 1940, much of the historic city centre was destroyed by a large air raid.

The city was rebuilt after the war, and the motor industry thrived until the mid-1970s. However, by the late-1970s/early-1980s, Coventry was in an economic crisis, with one of the country's highest levels of unemployment due to major plant closures and the collapse of the respective local supply-chain. In recent years, it has seen regeneration and an increase in population. The city also has three universities: Coventry University in the city centre, the University of Warwick on the southern outskirts and the smaller private Arden University with its headquarters close to Coventry Airport. In addition, Coventry was awarded UK City of Culture for 2021.[14][15][16]

  1. ^ a b "Coventry Local Authority 2021 Census Area Profile". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Lord Mayor of Coventry". Coventry City Council. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Population on 1 January by age groups and sex – functional urban areas". Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  4. ^ " Archived 8 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine. ONS. Retrieved 16 December 2019
  5. ^ "2011 Census: Key Statistics for Local Authorities in England and Wales" Archived 24 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine. ONS. Retrieved 25 December 2012
  6. ^ Roach, Peter; Hartman, James; Setter, Jane; Jones, Daniel, eds. (2006). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (17th ed.). Cambridge: CUP. ISBN 978-0-521-68086-8.
  7. ^ "Coventry". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021.
  8. ^ Coventry city charter in Latin, aalt.law.uh.edu. Accessed 11 December 2022.
  9. ^ https://www.wmca.org.uk/who-we-are/
  10. ^ List of English districts by population based on ONS mid-year population estimates for 2018 Archived 8 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine: Coventry is the 9th-largest city by population in England and the 11th-largest city in the UK proper with a 2018 mid-year estimated population of 366,785 (and a 2011 Census population of 316,915). This is after London (1st: 8,908,081), Birmingham (2nd: 1,141,374), Leeds (3rd: 789,194), Glasgow (Scotland) (4th: 626,410), Sheffield (5th 582,506), Manchester (6th: 547,627), Bradford (7th: 537,173), Edinburgh (Scotland) (8th: 518,500), Liverpool (9th: 494,814), Bristol (10th, 463,405), Coventry (11th: 366,785). (This is followed by Cardiff (Wales) (12th: 364,248) and Leicester (13th: 355,218).)
  11. ^ "United Kingdom: Urban Areas in England". Citypulation. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Distance between Lindley Hall Farms, Nuneaton, UK and Coventry, UK (UK)". Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  13. ^ "Plaque marks new centre of England". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 November 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  14. ^ "UK City of Culture 2021: Coventry wins". BBC News. BBC. 7 December 2017. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  15. ^ LLoyd, Matt (27 July 2020). "Inspirational film launches new City of Culture brand". CoventryLive. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  16. ^ "Uncommon's modular Coventry City of Culture identity references the city's brutalist history". itsnicethat.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.