Liverpool is a major city situated on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, in the Merseyside area of the UK. Liverpool has a long history and was first named as a borough of Merseyside in 1207 and was eventually granted city status in 1880 and is the fourth largest city in the UK and third in England. The population of the city itself is just under half a million, with a further 300,000 in the wider Liverpool area. The city of Liverpool was once part of Lancashire and in 1974 became a metropolitan borough in the newly created metropolitan county of Merseyside. The city;s status as a major port and trade area was what led to its growth and expansion into a major UK city. During the eighteenth century international trade made a significant contribution to the growth of the city and by the start of the nineteenth century the city dealt with 40% of the world's trade, establishing Liverpool as a major UK city. During the nineteenth century Liverpool became one of the UK's richest cities, at one point its wealth outstripped that of London, leading the statesman Benjamin Disraeli to comment that Liverpool had become the second city of Empire. By 1861 Liverpool had achieved such prominence on the world stage that it was referred to as the second New York. A major sign of the city's stature was that aside from London, Liverpool was the only British city ever to have its own Whitehall Office. Liverpool, and the Scouse accent attracted world fame in the nineteen sixties through the popularity of the Beatles and other Mersey Beat groups. The world wide popularity of these musicians was what turned Liverpool into a popular tourist destination and in 2008 it held the title of European Capital of Culture together with the Norwegian city of Stavanger. The people who live in the city are called Liverpudliansand are also affectionately known as Scousers, which is a reference to the local dish of Scouse stew – the term is also used to refer to the inhabitant's dialect and accent. Liverpool's status as an important port has led to the growth of one of the most ethnically diverse communities in the UK, and the city is home to Britain's oldest black African community and to the longest domiciled Chinese community in the whole of Europe. In 2004 UNESCO granted World Heritage status to several areas of the city. The Changing Nature of Liverpool Liverpool was a highly industrialized city but in the nineteen seventies there was a decline in most of the city;s major industries. Over the last twenty five years Liverpool has reinvented itself and its many art galleries and museums, along with the fact that it was the home of the Beatles and the birthplace of the Merseybeat music genre, have made significant contributions to Liverpool's tourist industry and made the city an international tourist attraction. Liverpool has produced many famous sons and daughters and in 1999 it became the first city outside of London to be awarded blue plaques by English Heritage as a recognition of the contributions made by Liverpool's famous citizens.