Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Historically part of Warwickshire, Coventry is the 10th-largest city in England and the 13th-largest UK city overall. It is also the second largest city in the West Midlands region, after Birmingham, with a population of 329,810 in 2013.Coventry is situated north-west of central London, east-south-east of Birmingham, south-west of Leicester and north of Warwick. It is further from the coast than any other city in Britain. Although harbouring a population of almost a third of a million inhabitants, Coventry is not amongst the English Core Cities Group due to its proximity to Birmingham. Approximately half a million people live within 10 miles (16 km) of Coventry city centre.Coventry was the world's first twin city, when it formed a twinning relationship with the Russian city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) during World War II. The relationship developed through ordinary people in Coventry who wanted to show their support for the Soviet Red Army during the Battle of Stalingrad. The city is now also twinned with Dresden, Lidice, Saint-Étienne and 22 other cities around the world. A part of the city centre at the entrance to the Lower Precinct is named Lidice Place.