Liverpool is the commercial focus of a large metropolitan area. Although its exports (largely manufactured goods) have declined, it remains Great Britain's second most important seaport, after London, for traffic other than petroleum. Imports include grain and other foodstuffs, wood, nonferrous metals, and textile fibers. Liverpool is also a passenger port for travel to Ireland. Manufactures include pharmaceuticals, electric equipment, refined sugar and flour, and rubber products. To augment Liverpool's extensive dock areas, important new facilities were constructed in the 1970s outside the city limits. Motor-vehicle manufacturing and oil refining are also located on the periphery of the metropolitan area. Liverpool is connected to the Wirral Peninsula across the river by two motor-vehicle tunnels (1934, 1971) and a railroad tunnel.

Relatively few of the existing buildings in Liverpool predate 1800. A notable exception is the town hall (1754, rebuilt 1795). Other outstanding edifices are the neoclassical Saint George's Hall (1854), housing concert halls, law courts, and exhibition rooms; the Gothic-style Anglican Cathedral (begun 1904, consecrated 1924), one of the largest ecclesiastical structures in the world; and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Christ the King (consecrated 1967), a striking example of modern architecture. Liverpool's cultural institutions include the Walker Art Gallery (1873), the Liverpool City Libraries (1852), and the Merseyside County Museum (1851). The city also has a symphony orchestra and several theaters. Among the educational institutions here are the University of Liverpool, a polytechnic college, and several research institutes.

In 1207 King John granted the hamlet of Liverpool the privileges of a free borough. It remained an insignificant port town until the late 17th century, when the nearby port of Chester declined as a result of the silting of the Dee River. The growth of manufacturing in surrounding areas and the increase of trade with America and the West Indies caused Liverpool to thrive. Expansion of the harbor was necessary, and in 1715 the first wet dock in Great Britain was constructed here. By the end of the 18th century the city had become a rich metropolis thriving on the slave trade and privateering. In 1830 a railroad was constructed between Liverpool and Manchester, and by the 1860s the city was the hub of an extensive rail network. During this period its population grew rapidly as numerous immigrants, chiefly from Ireland, settled here. Liverpool became the foremost British port for American trade and passenger service in the 19th century.

Because its port was strategic, Liverpool was heavily bombed by the Germans during World War II (1939-1945). By the late 1940s cotton trade and the textile industry had declined dramatically. Extensive slum-clearance and rebuilding projects were undertaken in the city in the 1960s and 1970s. The Beatles began their musical career in Liverpool in the late 1950s. In 1981 and 1982, the Toxteth district of Liverpool was the scene of rioting caused largely by depressed economic conditions. Population (1991 preliminary) 448,300.