Leeds is a city located in northern England. It is located in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire, the fourth most populous county in England with a population of more than 2 million people. Leeds has dual status as city and as one of five boroughs of West Yorkshire. Leeds is the fourth most populous city in England with about 450,000 residents, while the wider borough of Leeds has a total population of over 750,000 people.

Leeds is one of the major centres of many industries in England, and is one of the strongest financial centres in the country. Leeds has been traditionally a large industrial city with its economy dominated by manufacturing since the Industrial Revolution. In modern times, the service sector has surpassed the manufacturing industry of the city.

Leeds was a pioneer during the world wide web boom of the 1990’s and has become a major internet hub in England. Consequently, major internet companies such as Freeserve, Energis, Sportal, TEAMtalk, Contactmusic.com and Ananova have developed from the city to dominate the British internet industry. Leeds is known to be of the best equipped internet areas, accounting for about one third of internet activity in the United Kingdom.

Leeds a strong and diverse retail industry most of which is concentrated in the city centre. Major shopping centres include The Merrion Centre, which has 2 floors and 90 stores, and White Rose Centre, which has 2 floors and over 100 stores. Other popular shopping areas include the Victoria Quarter and Leeds Shopping Plaza. The Leeds Kirkgate Market is one of the largest in Europe and attracts more than 100,000 weekly visitors. Leeds is home to dozens of supermarkets, and is home to the major company British Supermarket company Asda, a subsidiary of Walmart.

Dozens of major diverse companies are based in Leeds. Notable companies in the food retail/production industry include Arla Foods, Goldenfry Foods, Northern Foods. Other prominent companies operating in the city include low cost airline Jet2.com, beverage company Carlsberg UK, financial companies first direct, Yorkshire Bank and Leeds Building Society, electronic companies Wharfedale and Rockstar Leeds, bus manufacturer Optare, and media companies Yorkshire Television and Yorkshire Post Newspapers.

Leeds is home to multiple skyscrapers with additional plans to expand the city’s skyline. The tallest building in the city is the office/residential development Bridgewater Palace, which stands at 110 metres with 32 floors. Other notable skyscrapers with over 20 floors include Opal Tower, West Riding House, Park Plaza Hotel Leeds and Leeds Town Hall. Current developments under construction that will become Leeds’ tallest buildings are Lumiere Tower 1, Lumiere Tower 2 and the Plaza Phase II.

Leeds has an advanced transport network to accommodate its large population. The Leeds Bradford International Airport serves the Yorkshire region of England and handles more than 2.5 million passengers a year. The Leeds railway station is one of the busiest in the United Kingdom and connects directly to major cities including London. Multiple bus companies serve Leeds, with the major opreators being National Express, FirstBus and Arriva Yorkshire.

Leeds is home to two major universities, Leeds Metropolitan University and University of Leeds, which combine to serve more than 50,000 students and employ more than 10,000 staff. Other notable higher education schools include Leeds College of Art and Design Leeds Trinity & All Saints, Leeds College of Music (the largest music college in the UK), Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Park Lane College Leeds. Further Education colleges in the city are Park Lane College Leeds, Leeds College of Technology, Leeds College of Building, Joseph Priestley College and Leeds Thomas Danby.

Leeds has a rich history of sports and is home to several teams. The most notable club is Leeds United Association Football Club who play at the 39,500 capacity stadium Elland Road. The club currently competes in the lower divisions of English Football, but was once a domestic and European powerhouse.

The 22,000 capacity Headingley Stadium is a multi-use venue that hosts the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie.

Leeds is a major cultural centre and is home to many points of interests. Millennium Square is a major cultural venue located in the city centre. Notable museums are Leeds City Museum, Leeds Art Gallery, Thackray Museum, Royal Armouries Museum, and Armley Mills Industrial Museum. The Grand Theatre of Leeds is located in the city centre and has a 1,550 seating capacity. The city is home to one of the largest film festivals in the UK, the Leeds International Film Festival.