"Oxford"

England. It is the county town of Oxfordshire, and forms

a district within the county. It has a population of just under 165,000, of whom 153,900 live within the district boundary.
Oxford has a diverse economic base. Its industries include motor manufacturing, education, publishing and a large number of information technology and science-based businesses.
The city is known for being a university town as home of the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the country and the English-speaking world.
Buildings in Oxford demonstrate an example of every English architectural period since the arrival of the Saxons, including the iconic, mid-18th-century Radcliffe Camera. Oxford is known as the "city of dreaming spires", a term coined by poet Matthew Arnold in reference to the harmonious architecture of Oxford's university buildings.

in the English speaking world and one of the most

famous and prestigious higher education institutions of the world, averaging five applications to every available place, and attracting 40% of its academic staff and 15% of undergraduates from overseas. It is currently ranked as fifth-best university in the world, according to QS World Rankings, behind its main UK rival, Cambridge, in first place.

major draw for tourists (9.1 million in 2008, similar in

2009),Oxford city centre has many shops, several theatres, and an ice rink. The historic buildings make this location a popular target for film and TV crews.
The city centre is relatively small, and is centred on Carfax, a cross-roads which forms the junction of Cornmarket Street (pedestrianised), Queen Street (semi-pedestrianised), St Aldate's and The High. Cornmarket Street and Queen Street are home to Oxford's various chain stores, as well as a small number of independent retailers, one of the longest established of which is Boswells, which was founded in 1738. St Aldate's has few shops but has several local government buildings, including the Town Hall, the city police station and local council offices. The High (the word street is traditionally omitted) is the longest of the four streets and has a number of independent and high-end chain stores, but mostly University and College buildings.

the city centre: The Clarendon Centre and The Westgate Centre.

The Westgate Centre is named for the original West Gate in the city wall, and is located at the west end of Queen Street. It is quite small and contains a number of chain stores and a supermarket. The Westgate Shopping Centre is to undergo a large and controversial refurbishment; the plans involve tripling the size of the centre to 750,000 sq ft (70,000 m2), a new 1,335 space underground car park and 90 new shops and bars, including a 230,000 sq ft (21,000 m2) John Lewis department store. There is to be a new and improved transport system, a complete refurbishment of the existing centre and the surrounding Bonn Square area. The development plans include a number of new homes, and completion is expected in 2011, although this is being delayed due to the current financial climate.

Oxford
-Museum of the History of Science
-Oxford Botanic Garden
-Oxford University Museum

of Natural History
-Pitt Rivers Museum
-Sheldonian Theatre
-St. Mary The Virgin Church

Schools

Main article: List of

schools in Oxfordshire
Oxford is home to wide range of schools many of which receive pupils from around the world. There are two University choral foundation schools, Christ Church Cathedral School and New College School, established to educate the boy choristers of the chapel choirs, and have kept the tradition of single sex education. Magdalen College School was also a school for choristers but later became a grammar school and then independent school. St Edward's is another leading independent HMC member school and is the one of the few fully co-educational public schools in the county. Other independent schools in Oxford include Oxford High School, Rye St Antony School and Headington School (all girls only), St. Clare's, Oxford (co-ed, international school), Greene's Tutorial College (post-GCSE) and two prep schools, Dragon School and Emmanuel Christian School.

consistently below the national average and regional average. However, results

in the city are improving with 44% of pupils gaining 5 grades A*-C in 2006. The city and its suburbs are served by two academies, three state schools and a voluntary-aided Catholic school.