Editing King's Lynn (section)

==Economy==
King's Lynn has always been a centre for fishing and seafood (especially inshore prawns, shrimps and cockles).<ref>{{Cite book|title= Fisher's End|author= Frank Castleton|publisher= Frank Castleton|year= 1988}}</ref> There have also been glass-making and small-scale engineering works – many fairground and steam engines were built here. It still contains much farm-related industry, including food processing. There are several chemical factories and the town retains a role as an import centre. In general, it is a regional centre for a still sparsely populated part of England.

King's Lynn was the fastest growing port in Great Britain in 2008. [[Department for Transport]] figures show that through-put increased by 33 per cent.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/travel-and-transport/2823-kings-lynn-is-fastest-growing-port-in-britain |publisher=Business Weekly |title=King's Lynn is fastest growing port in Britain |date=4 November 2009 |access-date=7 July 2014}}</ref>

In 2008, the German Palm Group began to erect one of the world's largest paper machines, constructed by [[Voith#Voith Paper|''Voith Paper'']]. With a web speed of up to 2000 metres a minute and a web width of 10.63 metres, it can produce 400,000 tons a year of newsprint paper, based on 100-per-cent recycled paper. The start-up was on 21 August 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.papierfabrik-palm.de/ISY/index.php?call=en_kingslynn&sprache=en |title=Standorte – King's Lynn – English |access-date=25 May 2010 |publisher=The Palm Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719071845/http://www.papierfabrik-palm.de/ISY/index.php?call=en_kingslynn&sprache=en |archive-date=19 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[King's Lynn Docks|Port of King's Lynn]] has facilities for dry [[bulk cargo]] such as cereals and liquid bulk products such as petroleum products for [[Kuwait Petroleum International|Pace Petroleum]]. It also handles timber imported from [[Scandinavia]] and the [[Baltic states|Baltics]] and has handling sheds for steel imports.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.abports.co.uk/custinfo/ports/kings/commodities.htm |publisher=Associated British Ports |title=Port of Kings Lynn: Commodities |access-date=25 May 2010}}</ref>

[[File:2009-02-02-vancouver-quarter-kings-lynn.jpg|thumb|right|The Vancouver Shopping District at night]]
King's Lynn is the prime retail centre in West Norfolk. The town centre is dominated by budget shops, reflecting the spending power of much of the population. The town centre fulfils a leisure role with entertainment centres, bars and restaurants, and has a range of service functions. It provides about 5,300 retailing jobs.<ref name="vision">{{Cite web |url=http://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/pdf/The%20Vision%20statement.pdf |title=The Vision for King's Lynn 2000–2023 |pages=2, 8 |date=April 2004 |access-date=2 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607102318/http://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/pdf/The%20Vision%20statement.pdf |archive-date=7 June 2011}}</ref>

The town centre has 73,000 sq. m. of retail floor space in 347 shops, which exceeds the comparable centres of [[Bury St Edmunds]] and [[Boston, Lincolnshire|Boston]]. However, whilst the percentage of floor space in comparison shopping and that occupied by multiple retailers is above the national average, King's Lynn offers a more limited range of choice.<ref name="vision"/>

{{See also|Buildings in King's Lynn}}
Tourism in King's Lynn is a minor industry, but it attracts visitors to its historic centre, and as a base for visiting [[Sandringham House]] and other country houses in the area. Within the town and across the nearby [[Fenland District|Fenland]] are some of the finest historic churches in Britain, built in a period when King's Lynn and its hinterland were wealthy from trade and wool.