It is misleading though and really just a boundary quirk because Greater Manchester is much bigger than the city of Birmingham. The West Midlands is really a region rather than a conurbation like Greater Manchester. If you included the large chunks of surrounding areas like Lancashire and Cheshire the Manchester Metro area is even bigger. I think it is absurd to compare Birmingham with Manchester. It is like saying London is a small city becuase the City of London itself is very small.The Brummies and the media in general call Birmingham the 2nd city due to the size of its population. But if you ask most people not from Manchester or Birmingham, with an interest in that subject, they will say Manchester due to it’s status.
It is misleading though and really just a boundary quirk because Greater Manchester is much bigger than the city of Birmingham. The West Midlands is really a region rather than a conurbation like Greater Manchester. If you included the large chunks of surrounding areas like Lancashire and Cheshire the Manchester Metro area is even bigger. I think it is absurd to compare Birmingham with Manchester. It is like saying London is a small city becuase the City of London itself is very small.