The word Birmingham comes from the Anglo Saxon Ham (Home), ing (of the people) of Beorma (the local leader). Birmingham is said to have more canals than Venice - its first canal was opened in 1769. There are many locks on the canals including the famous Guillotine Lock in Kings Norton, which was used to control the flow of water between canals owned by different companies. Victoria Square has one of the largest fountains in Europe. It has a flow of 3,000 gallons per minute and is known as "The River".

The city also boasts the historic Bull Ring - the site of a market for more than 800 years. Within the Bull Ring complex are 5 markets attracting around 20 million customers a year.