Population: 269,000
Southampton sits on England’s south coast, and is famous for being the starting point for the Titanic’s last fateful journey. The maritime industry still plays a large role in the city’s economy, hosting the most prominent port in the UK for cruise ships and the largest freight port on the coast of the English Channel. Associated British Ports has a large presence in Southampton, as does map-maker Ordnance Survey. Southampton is considered a key city within the UK when it comes to supply chains covering myriad industries. Its metropolitan population (taking in the whole of south Hampshire, including the city of Portsmouth) is more than 1.5 million.