Nottingham is the county city of Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands of England. Nottingham lies on the River Trent, which flows from Stoke-on-Trent to the Humber-the only major English river to flow north.
The geographical area of Nottingham includes several local authorities: Gedling, Broxtowe, Ashfield, Erewash, Amber Valley, Rushcliffe and Mansfield.
Nottingham is famous for its involvement in lace-making, its association with the legendary outlaw Robin Hood, and the supposedly exceptional beauty of its young women.
Perhaps not unrelatedly, Nottingham is also nationally famous for the high ratio of females to males, given at various times as between 3:1 to 6:1.
In 2001, however, the official ratio was published as 1.015:1.
Founded as a Saxon settlement, Nottingham was later captured by the Danes (Vikings) and in the 9th century became one of the five boroughs (fortified towns) of the Danelaw.
From its earliest beginnings, parts of the settlement have included man-made caves, dug into soft sandstone.
names including Tigguo Cobauc ("House of Caves") and Snottingaham (from the Anglo-Saxon for "Snot's people", Snot being a local chieftain).
The populace is grateful that the S became lost in the course of history.
The legend of Robin Hood first arose in the Middle Ages.
Robin Hood is said to have lived in Sherwood Forest, to the north of the city, with the Sheriff of Nottingham as his greatest enemy.
While the legends are almost certainly untrue, particularly in their details, they have had a major impact on Nottingham, with Robin Hood imagery a popular choice for local businesses and many modern tourist attractions exploiting the legend.
The English Civil War began in Nottingham in 1642, when King Charles I raised his standard upon Nottingham Castle.
The original castle was demolished by the victorious Parliamentarians in 1651.
A major industry in the 19th century was lace-making, with Nottingham lace becoming famous.
While some lace-making still goes on in the city, it is no longer of much economic significance.
Also in the 19th century, the Nottingham Park Estate was built on the castle's former deer park.