Plymouth is a waterfront city located in southwestern England. It is surrounded by the River Plym and the River Tamar, and the Plymouth Sound which flows into the English Channel. Plymouth has a population of over 250,000 people and is one of ten districts in the county of Devon, which has a population of more than 1.1 million people.

Having a waterfront location, Plymouth has naturally been dominated by a maritime economy, particularly in the military related sector. The Devonport Dockyard is the UK's only naval base that refits nuclear submarines, and it accounts for about 10% of Plymouth's income. The dock is also as Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport, which is one of three naval bases operating in the United Kingdom. Plymouth is home to the largest marine and maritime industry in the south west of England with 270 firms operating within the sector.

The Drake Circus Shopping Centre is the main shopping mall in Plymouth with three floors and 48 stores.

Plymouth has several ferry services locally and internationally. Brittany Ferries provides service from Plymouth to France (Roscoff) and Spain (Santander) via the M/V Bretagne and M/V Pont-Aven. There is also ferry service across the local River Tamar as an alternative to the busy bridges of Tamar Bridge and Royal Albert Bridge.

The Plymouth City Airport is located is located few miles away from the city centre. The airport is home to Air Southwest, the sole airline operating in the airport with ten total destinations, mostly within the United Kingdom.

The Plymouth railway station provides train transportation to over 1.8 million passengers a year. The station is mostly served by First Great Western trains and is located along the Reading to Plymouth line, which connects to London.

The University of Plymouth is the 11th largest university in the United Kingdom, with more than 30,000 enrolled students and 3,000 staff members. Other notable higher education schools in the city are University College Plymouth St Mark & St John, City College Plymouth, and Plymouth College of Art and Design. Another notable educational facility is the Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

The professional Plymouth Argyle Football Club compete in the Football League Championship (second division of English Football) and play at the 19,500 capacity stadium Home Park. Other sports teams in the city are Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club and the Plymouth Raiders, who compete in the top division of English basketball.

The two main theatres in Plymouth are Drum Theatre and Theatre Royal, which has over 1,000 capacity.

The Plymouth Pavillions is a multi-use facility that hosts concerts, conferences, and basketball games of the local team Plymouth Raiders. Capacity in the stadium ranges from 1,000 to 4,000 seats depending on the event.

A notable cultural landmark in the city is the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, which has thousands of collections.