Nottingham is a city, unitary authority, and county town of Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England. The centre of Nottingham lies on the River Leen and its southern boundary follows the course of the River Trent, which flows from Stoke to the Humber.

The heart of Nottingham City Centre is the Old Market Square, where a major redevelopment was completed in May 2007. Most of the main shopping streets surround the square.

The legend of Robin Hood first arose in the Middle Ages. Robin Hood is said to have lived in Sherwood Forest, which extended from the north of Nottingham to the north side of Doncaster, Yorkshire. Although Robin Hood is generally associated with Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, some authors (eg Phillips & Keatman, 1995) argue that he came from Yorkshire. Hood's main adversary was the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The Robin Hood Statue in Nottingham is within walking distance from the Old Market Square.

Nottingham Castle, founded by William the Conqueror, famed through the Middle Ages as one of the country’s finest strongholds, and where Charles I raised the Royal Standard in 1642 no longer exists, and has been replaced by a classical ducal palace. Of the mediæval castle only the (restored) gatehouse, and the ruined remains of some walls/foundations, survive.

Nottingham is home to the headquarters of many well known companies. One of the best known is Boots the Chemists, founded in the city by Jesse Boot.

Nottingham has two large-capacity theatres, the Nottingham Playhouse and the Theatre Royal (which together with the neighbouring Royal Concert Hall form the Royal Centre) and a smaller theatre space at the University of Nottingham's Lakeside Arts Centre.

There are also several art galleries which often receive national attention, particularly the Nottingham Castle Museum, the Angel Row Gallery (attached to the main library), the University of Nottingham's Djanogly Gallery and Wollaton Park's Yard Gallery. Both of the city's universities also put on a wide range of theatre, music and art events open to the public throughout the year.