Liverpool is a major city and metropolitan borough on the eastern bank of the River Mersey in North West England. Historically one of the world's great port cities, Liverpool played a pivotal role in the British Empire's trade networks and the transatlantic slave trade — a history it now confronts and commemorates openly. Today, Liverpool is renowned for its extraordinary cultural output, including its role as the birthplace of The Beatles, its two iconic football clubs, its vibrant arts scene, and its stunning waterfront, which forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.