One of England’s oldest cities, Leicester has been a strategic and economic centre in the East Midlands since it was first established by the Romans. Leicester is home to an estimated 329,839 people, according to the Office of National Statistics’ 2011 Census. With a total area of 73.09 square kilometres (28.22 square miles), the city has a population density of approximately 4,180 people per square kilometres (10,800 per square miles). An ethnically diverse community, some 130 languages and dialects are spoken in Leicester. Over a third of the city’s population were born outside of the United Kingdom and approximately 31.8 percent of Leicester’s residents are South Asian.

Before the area was settled by Romans, Leicester was an Iron Age settlement populated by the Celtic Corieltauvi people. Known as Ratae Corieltauvorum during the Roman period, the community evolved from a military frontier settlement into a civilian town. Roman influence began to wane during the 4th century. During the 5th and 6th centuries, Anglo-Saxons settled Leicestershire and transformed Leicester into Christian community by the 7th century. Throughout the Danish occupation in the 9th and 10th centuries, Leicester once again emerged as a garrison town with its own mint. Following the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, the city grew into one of England’s most important centres for trade and religion.

An historic market town, Leicester developed into a major commercial and manufacturing centre during the Industrial Revolution. During the 18th and 19th centuries the region saw significant industrial change with the construction of major transportation links. The Grand Union Canal was completed in the late 18th century and linked the city with London and Birmingham. Rail arrived in 1832 with the Leicester and Swannington Railway, which brought coal from nearby collieries. A direct link to the national railway network was established in 1840 with the Midland Counties Railway, and rail service to London began in the 1860s with the completion of the Midland Main Line. New factories supported by these transportation links emerged along the canal and the River Soar, with large mill operations concentrated on Frog Island and Woodgate. Hosiery, textiles and footwear industries became major sources of economic growth and employment.

Since the 1960s and 1970s, Leicester’s economy has evolved once again. Following the decline of manufacturing industries, the growth of the local economy has become driven by a diverse set of small businesses rather than a single sector. While manufacturing remains an important sector, much of the local economy is now focused around knowledge-based industries, high-tech engineering and business service sectors, food and drink manufacturing, distribution and logistics, wholesale and retail, and tourism and hospitality. Areas of potential growth include creative industries, space-related research and technologies, and environmental technologies, according to the Leicester City Council. The city maintains a strategic position with links to the M1 motorway and East Midlands Airport. Several national firms have headquarters in the city, including Next, Jessops, Shoe Zone, and the Dunelm Group. The retail sector has been spurred by the £350 million development of the Highcross shopping centre in the city centre. The city’s economy is also strengthened by the presence of the University of Leicester, De Montfort University, and the National Space Centre.

Leicester is home to one of the largest outdoor covered markets in Europe. It is also home to several professional sports teams, including Leicester City Football Club and the Leicester Tigers rugby union club. Major religious buildings in the city include St. Nicholas Church, St. Mary de Castro, and Leicester Cathedral. A stunning timber-framed building, the Leicester Guildhall dates back to the 14th century. Ruins of the 12th century Leicester Abbey and Cavendish House are founds at the Abbey Park along the River Soar. Ruins of the city’s Roman past are also found at the Jewry Wall and the Jewry Wall Museum. Other major landmarks include the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, Newarke Houses Museum and Gardens, and the National Gas Museum. Notable people associated with the city include naturalists Henry Walter Bates, Alfred Russel Wallace and David Attenborough, actors Richard Attenborough, Richard Armitage and Parminder Nagra, entrepreneurs Thomas Cook, Henry Walker and Henry Curry, and notable political figures Simon de Montfort, Alistair Campbell and Lady Jane Grey.