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edinburgh: general info
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EDINBURGH
Calling Code: +44
Edinburgh (pronounced /ˈɛdɪnb(ə)rə/; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann) is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city. It is situated in the south-east of Scotland, on the east coast of Scotland's demographic "Central Belt", on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, on the North sea and, because of its rugged setting and vast collection of Medieval and Georgian Architecture including numerous stone tenements, it is one of the most dramatic cities in Europe. It forms the City of Edinburgh council area; the city council area includes urban Edinburgh and a 30sq mile rural area.
It has been the capital of Scotland since 1437 and is the seat of the Scottish Parliament. The city was one of the major centres of the enlightenment (see also Scottish Enlightenment), led by the University of Edinburgh, gaining the nickname Athens of the North. The Old Town and New Town districts of Edinburgh were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. There are over 4,500 listed buildings within the city. In the census of 2001, Edinburgh had a total resident population of 448,624.
Edinburgh is well-known for the annual Edinburgh Festival, a collection of official and independent festivals held annually over about four weeks from early August. The number of visitors attracted to Edinburgh for the Festival, is roughly equal to the settled population of the city.[citation needed] The most famous of these events are the Edinburgh Fringe (the largest performing arts festival in the world), the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Other notable events include the Hogmanay street party (31 December) and the Beltane celebrations (30 April).
The city is one of Europe's major tourist destinations, attracting roughly 13 million visitors a year, and is the second most visited tourist destination in the United Kingdom, after London.
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