Liberation of Belgium Second Army captured Antwerp, the port city on the river Scheldt in northern Belgium, close to the Netherlands, on 4 September as well. In the following days and weeks, the Battle of the Scheldt claimed many lives, as the port of Antwerp could not be operated effectively without control of the Scheldt estuary. Antwerp was the first port to be captured by the Allies in near perfect condition, making it very valuable, especially with its deep water facilities. On 6 September, the 4th Canadian Armoured Division crossed the border with Belgium and took areas around Ypres and Passchendaele. Between 9
Second city of the United Kingdom claims have been made on behalf of Cardiff and Belfast due to their status as the respective capital cities of Wales and Northern Ireland. Furthermore, a number of opinion polls have been conducted since 2000 and complicate the issue further, with public response showing a consistent view amongst the British population that Manchester is the second city. Birmingham is technically the United Kingdom's most populous city; the City of London has fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, and Greater London is not recognized as a city. Since the formation of the United Kingdom, several places have been described as the "second city".