Glasgow was known as the 'Third City of the Empire' in 1912 after expanding its boundaries into surrounding areas including Govan, Partick and Pollockshaws.
As a result, its population increased by 250,000 to more than 1 million, making it 'Second City of the Kingdom' and 'Third City of the Empire' after Calcutta.

City and unitary authority in west-central Scotland;
the unitary authority formed in 1995 from the majority of land from Glasgow District Council of Strathclyde Region

Area: 176 sq km/68 sq mi

Industries: engineering; chemicals; printing; whisky blending; brewing; electronics; textiles; light manufacturing

Population: (1995) 618,400

Features;
Buildings include the Cathedral of St Mungo, which dates mainly from the 13th century;
Provand's Lordship (1475; the oldest dwelling- house in the city);
the Cross Steeple (part of the historic Tolbooth);
the universities of Glasgow, established in 1451 (present buildings constructed in 1868–70 to designs by George Gilbert Scott).
Other buildings of note include the Kelvingrove Art Gallery;
the Glasgow School of Art, designed by C R Mackintosh;
the Burrell Collection at Pollock Park, bequeathed by shipping magnate William Burrell (1861–1958);
the Gallery of Modern Art;
the Mitchell Library;
and 19th-century Greek Revival buildings designed by Alexander Thomson.
Glasgow's Hampden Park Stadium is a Millennium Commission Landmark Project.

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History
There was a settlement on the Clyde when St Mungo arrived in the 6th century to convert the Strathclyde Britons.
Willliam the Lion made Glasgow a burgh of barony in about 1178, and it became a royal burgh under James VI in 1636.
The Union of Scotland and England in 1707, though at first resented, brought increasing prosperity;
in the 18th century trade with the Americas for tobacco, sugar, and cotton was very important.
In the 19th century the Industrial Revolution had a great influence on the city, and its shipbuilding industry developed.

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Topography
Glasgow lies on both sides of the River Clyde and is surrounded by hills;
the city is partly built on the river terrace and partly on glacially deposited hills (drumlins).

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Architecture
Glasgow possesses some of the most impressive buildings in Scotland, situated chiefly in the commercial centre of the city.
The main square is George Square (sometimes called the 'Valhalla of Glasgow' because of its many statues) in which a cenotaph occupies a prominent place.
The municipal buildings, formally opened by Queen Victoria in 1888, stand on the east side of George Square; the General Post Office occupies the south side; and on the west is the Italianate Merchants' House.
Two of the main streets are Sauchiehall Street, in which are the McLellan Galleries, former home of the city art collection; and Argyll Street, the busiest commercial thoroughfare, leading to Trongate, the oldest part of the city.
The Trongate steeple is at the eastern end of Trongate, and a little further on lies the cross.
The surrounding areas near Glasgow Cross were always popular with traders selling from their barrows during the 19th Century. They were given a permanent pitch when street trader Margaret McIver bought a piece of land in the 1920's on the south side of the Gallowgate known as "Barrier's Gate" - the site of the old city gate. Stalls were let out and in 1926 a roof was built over the market. 'The Barras' expanded rapidly to nearby buildings and street pavements until it covered most of the ground between Ross Street, Bain Street and London Road. But facilities were poor and it was not until 1982 that proper entrances were erected. The Barras is Scotland's biggest covered market place with ten seperate markets, around 1000 stalls and 100 shops.
St Mungo's Cathedral is situated northeast of the city on the side of the valley of the Molindinar Burn.
Built in the Early English style, the cathedral is in the form of a Latin cross with imperfect transepts. It was used after the Reformation as three separate churches: the Inner High, occupying the choir; the Outer High, occupying the nave; and the Laigh (Low) or Barony, occupying the crypt with its pillars and pointed arches. The stained glass windows in the crypt and chapter house were executed by various British and foreign artists.
St Mungo formed a bishopric here in about 543. The see was restored by David, prince of Cumbria, in 1115, and his preceptor John Achaius, bishop of Glasgow, laid the foundations of a cathedral in 1133 (consecrated in 1136).
This was probably destroyed by fire in about 1176. Carved bosses in the vaulting of the lower church commemorate those who carried out further building work on the cathedral, including Bishop Jocelyn (1175–99), Bishop Bondington, and Comyn, Lord of Kilbride (13th century).
The rood screen and the unfinished south transept were added in the 15th century by Archbishop Blacadder.
St Mungo is buried under the central vaulting of the lower church, and a well named after him is nearby.

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Education and culture
Glasgow has three universities, the oldest of which is Glasgow University at Gilmorehill in the West End.
Strathclyde University is east of George Square, while Glasgow Caledonian University is to the north of George Square.
Other important colleges and institutions include the Glasgow School of Art, the Scottish College of Commerce, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, the West of Scotland College of Agriculture, the Glasgow and West of Scotland College of Domestic Science, and Stow College for trade and technical instruction.

Glasgow has several excellent art galleries and museums.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum was first opened as part of the 1901 International Exhibition and officially opened as an art gallery and museum in 1902.
The Art Gallery is noted for its collection of European painting from the 15th century onwards.
The museum has a section on shipbuilding, which includes the Spencer collection of early ship models, and houses the Scott collection of arms and armour.
The Kelvin Hall (1927) was the annual venue of the city's exhibitions, fairs, and carnivals. Now a sports centre the former are now held in the new Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre at Finnieston.
Glasgow's Libraries Department has its headquarters at the Mitchell Library.

The Scottish Orchestra in Glasgow, where John Barbirolli first won recognition, was established early this century.
The Citizen's Theatre is one of the chief Scottish creative dramatic centres.
Parks and open spaces include Glasgow Green in the east; in the southwest are Queen's Park, Bellahouston Park, Roukenglen, and Linn Park; to the north is Springburn Park; to the northeast are Alexandra Park and Hogganfield; and to the northwest is Kelvingrove Park.
In Victoria Park is the 'fossil grove', consisting of petrified trees of the Carboniferous system.
The botanic gardens contain the Kibble Crystal Palace, a large glass structure and winter garden, at one time used for concerts and meetings.
Hampden Park, the ground of Queen's Park Football Club, could accommodate 140,000 spectators, but refurbishing has curtailed the crowds to just over 50,000.
Glasgow was the successful venue for the 1999 European City of Architecture and Design Festival and the 1988 Garden Festival.

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The Clyde
The upper river, originally a fordable salmon river, has been successfully straightened and deepened in such a manner that the scour of the tides keeps the channel clear and comparatively little dredging is required.

The rise and fall of the tide at Glasgow bridge varies between 3 m/ ft and 4 m/ ft.
The River Clyde is spanned by many bridges.
The Dalmarnock bridge was erected in 1891; the Rutherglen bridge was reconstructed in 1896.
St Andrew's suspension bridge spans the river from the Green to Hutcheson Town, a district also approached by the Albert bridge.
The Victoria Bridge, built of granite, replaced the old bridge constructed by Bishop Rae in the middle of the 14th century.
Glasgow or Broomielaw Bridge, composed of granite, is a continuation of Jamaica Street; reconstructed in 1899, it proved inadequate for the constantly increasing traffic, and the George V bridge was opened a short distance downstream in 1927.
The most important of all the bridges, The Kingston Bridge, carries 10 lanes of the M8 through Glasgow.
Twin road tunnels have been constructed under the Clyde at Whiteinch in order to relieve traffic congestion in the city.
Glasgow and Clydeside sustained severe bomb damage during World War II, notably in March 1941, when 1,235 people were killed and 40,000 houses damaged.
In Clydebank only eight houses were left undamaged.

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Communications
Direct transatlantic flights from Glasgow International Airport were introduced in 1990.
The city has an urban motorway running through and over the city (including the high Kingston bridge); its construction involved major demolition and reconstruction of the greater part of the inner city.
Glasgow has two major railway stations and a circular underground system.
Glasgow's water supply is taken mainly from Loch Katrine, in Stirling unitary authority.
The Loch Katrine waterworks were opened by Queen Victoria in 1859.
The supply is augmented with water from Loch Arklet (1914) and Glen Finglass (1958).

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Economy
Glasgow maintained the reputation of the Clyde as one of the greatest shipbuilding rivers in the world; many ships of all classes were built there, including the world's largest liners: Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Elizabeth II, and the battleship HMS Vanguard.
Most shipbuilding is on the south bank of the Clyde and Glasgow's importance as a world ranking centre has declined considerably.
Glasgow engineers built the first airship to cross the Atlantic, and also the Forth Bridge and London's Tower Bridge.
While the heavier industries of shipbuilding and engineering have been predominant, The Clyde area also developed lighter industries, producing textiles, carpets, threads, sewing machines and foods.
Industries established include the manufacture of motor trailers, optical equipment, scientific apparatus, jet engines, and motor vehicle components; electric lamps, batteries, and electric household appliances; silk and artificial silk garments, seamless containers; razor blades; and motor service equipment.
Established firms have diversified into the manufacture of mechanical loaders and excavators, synthetic resin glues and insulated cloths, machines for bottle-making and labelling, gravel and sand-washing, and the mechanical packing of foodstuffs, and glass silk for heat and sound insulation.
The city also has a long tradition of warehousing, commerce, insurance, banking, and general marketing.

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Population
Even before local government reorganization in 1975, the population of Glasgow was declining.
This was partly a planned dispersal to new towns such as Cumbernauld, but the clearance of 29 specified comprehensive redevelopment areas, including some slum and tenement zones, also caused some displacement of population.
The city is the administrative, social, and service centre for the Glasgow conurbation, which extends from Gourock on the west to Carluke on the east; it is thus one of the largest continuously built-up areas in Britain.
The majority of the housing stock is presently owned by the city corporation, but that may be changing soon.
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