Sunderland
Sunderland is a city in Tyne and Wear in the North East region of England. Major towns and cities within easy reach of Sunderland include Newcastle upon Tyne which is ten miles away, Durham, 12 miles away, Manchester and Edinburgh, both of which are approximately 100 miles away. Sunderland is a coastal city and port at the mouth of the River Wear and this location made it an ideal centre for shipbuilding. Shipbuilding and coalmining were the major employers in Sunderland until after WW2 when increased competition from overseas resulted in the last shipyard closing in 1988 and the last coal mine in 1994. Following the decline of these industries in the late 20th century, Sunderland grew into a commercial centre for the automotive industry science & technology and the service sector. The Nissan plant is the largest car manufacturing site in the UK and companies such as EE, Royal Mail and EDF have set up their contact centres in the area.
A major attraction in Sunderland is the National Glass Centre which depicts the history of glass production in the area from 7th century to the present day and also offers visitors the chance to have a go at blowing glass.
Famous people from Sunderland: Emeli Sandé, singer and Lauren Laverne, DJ and presenter