GLASGOW

Gaelic Glaschu city, west-central Scotland, along both banks of the River Clyde 20 miles (32 km) from that river's mouth on the western, or Atlantic, coast. Glasgow is Scotland's largest city. It forms an independent council area, which lies entirely within the historic county of Lanarkshire. The city occupies much of the lower Clyde valley, and its suburbs extend into surrounding districts. Most important commercial and administrative buildings lie north of the Clyde. Shipyards and engineering industries line the Clyde below (west of) the city centre. During the mid-20th century high-rise redevelopment schemes replaced Glasgow's notorious slum tenement areas (particularly the Gorbals). Industrial decline in Glasgow and the development of the peripheral new towns of East Kilbride and Cumbernauld reduced the inner city's population and congestion. Late in the century Glasgow experienced a new wave of revitalization and construction. Glasgow's Gaelic name, Glaschu, means Green Glen. There is evidence of a fortified prehistoric village on the site, but Glasgow did not begin to develop until about AD 550 with the arrival of St. Kentigern (Mungo), who established a religious community there. The present cathedral, dedicated to St. Mungo and begun in the 12th century, was built on the site of the chapel. About 1180 William I designated Glasgow a burgh of barony, and about 1189 it was granted the right to hold an annual fair. The first stone bridge over the Clyde was built in 1350. Glasgow was created a royal burgh in 1450, and its university was founded in 1451. Glasgow prospered as a market centre because it was well situated between Highland and Lowland Scotland and also between Edinburghthe capital, 45 miles (72 km) eastand the west. Yet it was not until after the union of the Scottish and English crowns (1603) that Glasgow grew significantly. When trade with the Americas developed in the 18th century, Glasgow was already exporting coal, plaid (wool cloth), and herring to Europe. Trade in the Americas' tropical produce (tobacco, sugar, and rum) then made fortunes for the Glasgow merchants, as the Clyde was dredged and deepened and eventually made navigable to the heart of the city. In 1745, however, Glasgow was almost ruined by the levies imposed by the army of the insurgent Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender, which occupied the city. A greater blow followed in 1775 with the revolt of the American colonies and the end of the tobacco trade. Cotton manufacture, which was well suited to Glasgow's damp climate, succeeded the trade in tobacco. Textiles were exported, sugar from the West Indies was processed, and Glasgow's fortunes revived until supplies of raw cotton were disrupted during the American Civil War (186165). With the Industrial Revolution came coal mining, iron founding, chemical manufacturing, and, especially, shipbuilding, which developed in Glasgow early in the 19th century. The prosperity of Glasgow's shipbuilding and heavy industry was badly shaken after World War I, and its industry has since tended toward greater variety. Its manufactures now include textiles, food and beverages, tobacco, and chemicals. Engineering and printing are also important in the economy. The city has a number of growing service activities, including telecommunications and software development. Modern business and industrial estates house many small firms, and others have moved to Glasgow's new towns. Few ancient buildings have survived the industrial era, apart from the cathedral and Provand's Lordship (1471), Glasgow's oldest house, but the historic district known as Glasgow Cross, just east of the modern city centre, preserves buildings and streetscapes from the 17th and 18th centuries. The city is a notable education centre and is well endowed with parks and cultural amenities, including the Scottish Opera, the Scottish Ballet, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The Burrell Collection, in Pollok Country Park, includes ancient art and works by European and Asian masters. Glasgow also is the site of the Gallery of Modern Art and the Lighthouse, an exhibition and conference centre devoted to architecture, design, and city planning. The Glasgow Science Centre explores the effect of science and technology on society and includes the Glasgow Tower. This 459-foot- (140-metre-) high tower is the tallest freestanding structure in Scotland and the only structure of its height in the world that revolves 360 degrees from its base. Scotland's first public museum, the Hunterian (established in 1807), is housed on the grounds of the University of Glasgow. The University of Strathclyde was founded in 1796 as Anderson's Institution and obtained university status in 1964. Glasgow Caledonian University, founded in 1875, gained university status in 1993. Glasgow's other postsecondary institutions include the Glasgow College of Nautical Studies, North Glasgow College, and John Wheatley College. Area 68 square miles (177 square km). Pop. (1999 est.) 611,440.