Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, centred on the estuary of the River Mersey. It comprises five metropolitan boroughs — Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens — and has a combined population of around 1.4 million. Merseyside is celebrated globally for its musical heritage, particularly as the birthplace of The Beatles, its two Premier League football clubs, its waterfront UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the warmth and wit of its people.