BRISTOL is the most populous city in southern England outside London and is also home to the University of Bristol. It received its Royal Charter in 1909, and its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.
The city is built around the River Avon and also has a short coastline on the Severn Estuary which flows into the Bristol Channel.
Like Bahrain, Bristol’s prosperity has often been linked with the sea since its earliest days. In recent years, its economy has depended on the creative media, electronics, defence and aerospace industries and the city centre docks have been regenerated as a centre of heritage and culture.