Newcastle upon Tyne (city)

Newcastle upon Tyne (city), city, administrative centre of Newcastle upon Tyne unitary authority, in north-eastern England on the River Tyne. Newcastle upon Tyne is an important industrial, commercial, and transport centre, and handles passenger traffic to Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway via the North Shields International Ferry terminal.

The city is on the high-speed East Coast railway line from London to Edinburgh, and has an international airport 10 km (6 mi) north of the city centre. The Tyne and Wear Metro, a rapid transport system, extends both north and south of the Tyne. More than 80 per cent of the local workforce is employed in the service sector, reflecting the city's importance as the region's main administrative centre: central and local government, education, and health services are major employers. In addition, Newcastle has become an important centre for tele-business operations for companies such as British Airways and Intercity. Manufacturing includes light engineering, ship repairs, machinery, and the production of pharmaceuticals. Major shopping precinct developments have led to the city becoming the fifth-largest shopping destination in Britain, and there are regular chartered shopping trips from Scandinavia and Iceland.

Among local landmarks are the remains of the 13th-century town walls and the cathedral of St Nicholas (largely 14th century). The city has numerous art galleries and museums, and was the home of the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra until 2004, when it moved to The Sage, a multi-million-pound performing arts complex in Gateshead. The Theatre Royal is also the third base of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Newcastle is the seat of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (1851), Northumbria University (1992), and the Royal Grammar School (1525). The present city is on the site of Pons Aelii, one of the Roman forts on Hadrian's Wall. The site was later occupied by the Angles. After the 12th century, when a castle was built here, the community expanded as a monastic and commercial centre. Coal and woollens were exported from here as early as the 13th century, and after the 16th century coal became the chief export. Ship-building was a major industry here by the 19th century. Before 1974 Newcastle upon Tyne was the county town of Northumberland. Population 259,600 (2001 estimate).