Glasgow is the most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in west central Scotland. It is the third-most populous city in the United Kingdom and the 27th-most populous city in Europe, and comprises 23 wards which represent the areas within the city boundaries. Glasgow is a leading city in Scotland for university education and research, finance, industry, commerce, shopping, culture and fashion, and was commonly referred to as the "second city of the British Empire" for much of the Victorian and Edwardian eras.