Birmingham, which is a local government district in the West Midlands, and the communities that surround it form Britain's chief manufacturing area. Birmingham is the richest of Britain's provincial cities. Its success stems from the diversity of its manufacturing industries.

Birmingham lies in west-central England on a plateau bounded by the rivers Trent, Severn, and Avon, but no major river runs through the city. Various parts of the city range from 81 to 222 metres above sea level. Birmingham is often called "the heart of England," because it lies close to the centre of the country. It is 110 kilometres away from the nearest coast. London is 174 kilometres away to the southeast, Manchester is 139 kilometres away to the north, and Bristol is 145 kilometres away to the south-southwest