Wikipedia:Today's featured article/March 7, 2016

Bristol is a city in South West England. With an estimated population of 442,500 in 2015, it is the second most populous city in Southern England and the eighth in the UK. Iron Age hill forts and Roman villas were built near the confluence of the Rivers Frome and Avon, and around the beginning of the 11th century the settlement was known as Brycgstow (Old English for "the place at the bridge"). Bristol received a royal charter in 1155, and became a county in 1373. A major commercial port from the 12th century, it was the starting place for early voyages of exploration to the New World, including the 1497 expedition in which John Cabot became the first European since the Vikings to land on mainland North America. One of the top four English cities in tax receipts from the 13th to the 18th century, Bristol's prominence declined during the Industrial Revolution. Its modern economy is built on the creative media, electronics and aerospace industries. The city-centre docks closed in the 20th century, and have been redeveloped as centres of heritage and culture. The city is among the most popular tourist destinations in the UK.