The popularity of the Beatles, widely regarded as the most influential band of all time, led to it becoming a tourist destination. The city is closely associated with the arts, especially music. It is noted for its culture, architecture, and transport links. In 2019, Liverpool was the fifth most visited UK city. It was also home to both the Cunard and White Star Lines, and was the port of registry of the ocean liners RMS Titanic, RMS Lusitania, RMS Queen Mary, RMS Queen Elizabeth and RMS Olympic.
In the 19th century, Liverpool was a major port of departure for English and Irish emigrants to North America. Along with general cargo, freight, and raw materials such as coal and cotton, merchants were involved in the slave trade. Its growth as a major port was paralleled by the expansion of the city throughout the Industrial Revolution. It became a borough in 1207, a city in 1880, and a county borough independent of the newly-created Lancashire County Council in 1889. On the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, Liverpool historically lay within the ancient hundred of West Derby in the county of Lancashire.
Its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.24 million. With a population of 486,100 in 2021, it is located within the county of Merseyside and is the principal city of the wider Liverpool City Region. Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in North West England.
