Portal:Greater Manchester

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The Greater Manchester Portal

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, West Yorkshire and Derbyshire to the east, Cheshire to the south, and Merseyside to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Manchester.

The county has an area of 1,276 km² (493 sq mi) and is highly urbanised, with an estimated population of 3,009,664 in 2024. Manchester is in the centre of the county, with the city of Salford immediately adjacent to the west. Other large settlements include Rochdale in the north-east, Stockport in the south-east, Sale in the south-west, Wigan in the far north-west, and Bolton in the north-west. The majority of the county's settlements are part of the Greater Manchester Built-up Area, which extends into Cheshire and Merseyside and is the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom. For local government purposes the county comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan. The borough councils collaborate through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Greater Manchester was created on 1 April 1974 from parts of north-east Cheshire, south-east Lancashire, and a small part of the West Riding of Yorkshire.

The centre and south-west of Greater Manchester are lowlands, similar to the West Lancashire Coastal Plain to the north-west and the Cheshire Plain to the south-west. The north and east are part of the Pennines: the West Pennine Moors in the northwest, the South Pennines in the northeast and the Peak District in the east. Most of the county's rivers rise in the Pennines and are tributaries of the Mersey and Irwell, the latter of which is itself a tributary of the Mersey. The county is connected to the Mersey Estuary by the Manchester Ship Canal, which for its entire length within Greater Manchester consists of canalised sections of the Mersey and Irwell. (Full article...)

Selected article -

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. Manchester was granted city status in 1853. It has a population of , and lies at the centre of the Greater Manchester Urban Area, which has a population of 2,240,230, the United Kingdom's third largest conurbation. Manchester has the second largest urban zone in the UK and the fourteenth most populous in Europe. l Forming part of the English Core Cities Group, often described as the second city of the UK, and the "Capital of the North", Manchester today is a centre of the arts, the media, higher education and commerce. In a poll of British business leaders published in 2006, Manchester was regarded as the best place in the UK to locate a business. A report commissioned by Manchester Partnership, published in 2007, showed Manchester to be the "fastest-growing city" economically.

Manchester was the world's first industrialised city and played a central role during the Industrial Revolution. Manchester City Centre is now on a tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, mainly due to the network of canals and mills constructed during its 19th-century development.

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General images

The following are images from various Greater Manchester-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Heaton Park Tramway (from Greater Manchester)
Image 2Runway 2 of Manchester Airport lies on top of Oversley Farm, a Neolithic farming community. (from History of Manchester)
Image 3Rochdale, one of the large towns of Greater Manchester (from Greater Manchester)
Image 4Much of Greater Manchester's housing stock consists of terraced houses constructed as low-cost dwellings for the populations of local factory towns. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 5A bus stop in Denton bearing the logo of Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). TfGM is a functional executive body of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and has responsibilities for public transport in Greater Manchester. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 6The Lowry is a combined theatre and exhibition centre at Salford Quays, and is Greater Manchester's most visited tourist attraction. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 7The population of Greater Manchester increased from around 328 thousand in 1801, to 2.8M in 2021. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 8Bolton Town Hall (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 9Common cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium), seen here at Light Hazzles Reservoir near Littleborough, was voted the county flower of Greater Manchester in 2002. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 10Salford, the second city of the county (from Greater Manchester)
Image 11Stockport, one of the large towns of Greater Manchester and historically part of Cheshire (from Greater Manchester)
Image 12Albert Square (from History of Manchester)
Image 13Sale Town Hall (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 14The Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre (better known as the G-Mex centre and now rebranded as Manchester Central) is the converted former Manchester Central railway station, in Manchester city centre, used for hosting the county's cultural events. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 15Eccles cake is a small round flaky pastry cake filled with currants, sugar and spice. It is native to Eccles. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 16Map of the ancient parish of Manchester (from History of Manchester)
Image 17Skyline of Salford. (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 18Significant regeneration works are ongoing across Greater Manchester. Walkden Town Centre regeneration is pictured (December 2025). (from Greater Manchester)
Image 19Population density map (from Greater Manchester)
Image 20The arms of the Greater Manchester County Council, depicted here, became redundant with the abolition of the council in 1986 (though similar arms are used by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service). (from Greater Manchester)
Image 21The Peterloo Massacre was a major event in the history of the city. (from History of Manchester)
Image 22Andy Burnham has served as the inaugural Mayor of Greater Manchester since May 2017. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 23Oldham, painted during the Industrial Revolution by J. H. Carse. Many towns in Greater Manchester were built around the mills. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 24Beetham Tower, Manchester's second tallest building, was completed in 2006. (from History of Manchester)
Image 25Manchester Central Library, St Peter's Square (from History of Manchester)
Image 26Old Wellington Inn Shambles Square was built in 1552. (from History of Manchester)
Image 27Manchester's Exchange Square undergoing extensive regeneration (from History of Manchester)
Image 28Old Trafford, home to Manchester United F.C. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 29A 19th-century slum dwelling. The overhang contained privies, whose waste fell straight into the River Medlock below. (from History of Manchester)
Image 30Map of the Salford Hundred, with Manchester in the south-east (from History of Manchester)
Image 31Manchester Town Hall (from History of Manchester)
Image 32Bury, one of the large towns of Greater Manchester and historically part of Lancashire (from Greater Manchester)
Image 33Bolton Wanderers F.C. are based at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, in Horwich. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 34Manchester from Kersal Moor, by William Wyld in 1852. Manchester acquired the nickname "Cottonopolis" during the early 19th century owing to its many textile factories. (from History of Manchester)
Image 35Skyline of Manchester. (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 36The main entrance of Old Trafford Cricket Ground (from Greater Manchester)
Image 37Haigh Hall (from Greater Manchester)
Image 38The M60 motorway, seen here at Failsworth, is an orbital motorway in Greater Manchester. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 39Go North West operate bus services in northern-Greater Manchester. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 40The multiple urban areas of Greater Manchester's boroughs (from Greater Manchester)
Image 41A Metrolink tram in Radcliffe, part of Greater Manchester's light rail network (from Greater Manchester)
Image 42Stockport bus station in 1988. Greater Manchester Transport (later GM Buses) operated bus services throughout the county, from 1974 to 1993. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 43A reconstructed gateway of Mamucium fort (from History of Manchester)
Image 44The Trafford Centre in Trafford is one of the largest shopping centres in the United Kingdom. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 45The Imperial War Museum North, in Trafford Park, was designed by Daniel Libeskind, and is one of the Imperial War Museum's five branches. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 46The City of Manchester Stadium, the main venue of the 2002 Commonwealth Games and home to Manchester City F.C. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 47Map of Manchester from Roman Manchester (1900) (from History of Manchester)
Image 48Chetham's School of Music (from History of Manchester)
Image 49The Greater Manchester Urban Area in 2001 (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 50McConnel & Company's cotton mills in Ancoats, c. 1820 (from History of Manchester)
Image 51Former weavers' cottages in Wardle. An increase in domestic cloth production, and textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution is attributed to a population boom in the area. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 52Looking west along Nico Ditch, near Levenshulme (from History of Manchester)
Image 53Royal Exchange, Cross Street (from History of Manchester)
Image 54GMC County Hall (now known as Westminster House) in Manchester housed the Greater Manchester County Council until its abolition in 1986. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 55Liverpool Road railway station, the terminus of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (from History of Manchester)
Image 56Greater Manchester lies at the conjunction of the ancient county boundaries of Cheshire, Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire. (from Greater Manchester)

Boroughs

Greater Manchester is split into 10 boroughs:

Selected biography -

Ronald Wallwork (born 10 September 1977), commonly known as Ronnie Wallwork, is an English professional footballer who can play as either a defender or a midfielder. An England under-20 international, he began his career at Manchester United, where he made his professional debut in 1997. He never fully established himself in the United first team however, and was loaned out to Carlisle United and Stockport County. During a further loan spell at Royal Antwerp, he was banned from football for life for attacking a Belgian referee, although the ban was later substantially reduced.

In 2002, Wallwork moved to West Bromwich Albion, where he was the Player of the Year for 2004–05. He was not always a regular in the side however, and spent time on loan at Bradford City, Barnsley and Huddersfield Town. His spell at Barnsley was cut short when he was stabbed in a nightclub, causing him to miss more than two months of the 2006–07 season. Wallwork was transferred to Sheffield Wednesday in January 2008, but was released just four months later and has since been without a club.

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Did you know?

...that the Albert Medal was one of the awards given to Mark Addy for rescuing more than 50 people from the highly polluted River Irwell, Manchester, in the 19th Century?
...that the Port of Runcorn in Cheshire, England, was an independent customs port for two separate periods before becoming part of the Port of Manchester in 1894?
...that a word square found in Mamucium (pictured), a Roman fort in Manchester, may be one of the earliest examples of Christianity in Britain?
...that the women's scratch race at the 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships was held in Manchester and was won by Ellen van Dijk?

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Greater Manchester

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Buildings and structures in Greater Manchester

Burials in Greater Manchester

Crime in Greater Manchester

Culture in Greater Manchester

Economy of Greater Manchester

Education in Greater Manchester

Environment of Greater Manchester

Folklore of Greater Manchester

Geography of Greater Manchester

Health in Greater Manchester

History of Greater Manchester

Local government in Greater Manchester

Mass media in Greater Manchester

Municipal coats of arms in Greater Manchester

Organisations based in Greater Manchester

People from Greater Manchester

Politics of Greater Manchester

Religion in Greater Manchester

Science and technology in Greater Manchester

Sport in Greater Manchester

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Transport in Greater Manchester

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Featured Content

Featured articles: Altrincham • Bert Trautmann • Chat Moss • City of Manchester Stadium • Duncan Edwards • Emmeline Pankhurst • Greater Manchester • Joy Division • M62 motorway • Manchester • Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal • Manchester City F.C. • Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine • Peterloo Massacre • Oldham • Scout Moor Wind Farm • Shaw and Crompton • Stretford • Trafford

Featured lists: Castles in Greater Manchester • Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester • List of Manchester City F.C. managers • List of Manchester United F.C. managers • List of Manchester United F.C. records and statistics • List of Manchester United F.C. seasons • List of Manchester United F.C. players • List of Manchester United F.C. players (25–99 appearances) • List of Manchester United F.C. players (fewer than 25 appearances) • List of railway stations in Greater Manchester • List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater Manchester • List of tallest buildings and structures in Manchester • List of tallest buildings and structures in Salford • Manchester City F.C. seasons

Good articles: 1990 Strangeways Prison riot • Alan Turing • Ashton-under-Lyne • B of the Bang • Bank Street (stadium) • Bridgewater Canal • Buckton Castle • Castleshaw Roman fort • Chadderton • Cine City, Withington • City of Salford • Controversy over the usage of Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man • David Beckham • Didsbury • Dunham Massey • Hale Barns • Henry Taylor (swimmer) • Hugh Mason • Hulme Arch Bridge • Hyde Road • Mamucium • Manchester and Bolton Railway • Manchester Liners • Manchester Mummy • Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine • Manchester United F.C. • Milnrow • Murrays' Mills • Nico Ditch • Noel Gallagher • North Road (stadium) • Ordsall Hall • Old Trafford • Oasis (band) • Radcliffe, Greater Manchester • River Irwell • Ronnie Wallwork • Royton • Sale, Greater Manchester • Tameside • Trafford Park • Upper Brook Street Chapel, Manchester • Urmston • Warburton, Greater Manchester

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Ceremonial county of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester Portal
Statutory City Region	Greater Manchester Combined Authority Greater Manchester Statutory City Region Mayor of Greater Manchester
Metropolitan districts	City of Manchester City of Salford Metropolitan Borough of Bolton Metropolitan Borough of Bury Metropolitan Borough of Oldham Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough of Stockport Metropolitan Borough of Tameside Metropolitan Borough of Trafford Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
Major settlements (cities in italics)	Altrincham Ashton-in-Makerfield Ashton-under-Lyne Astley Atherton Audenshaw Blackrod Bolton Bramhall Bredbury Bury Chadderton Cheadle Cheadle Hulme Chorlton-cum-Hardy Clifton Didsbury Denton Droylsden Dukinfield Eccles Failsworth Farnworth Gatley Golborne Hale Hale Barns Harwood Haughton Green Hazel Grove Heald Green Heywood Hindley Horwich Hyde Ince-in-Makerfield Irlam Kearsley Leigh Littleborough Little Hulton Little Lever Lowton Manchester Marple Middleton Milnrow Mossley Oldham Orrell Partington Pendlebury Prestwich Radcliffe Ramsbottom Reddish Rochdale Romiley Royton Sale Salford Shaw Shevington Stalybridge Standish Stockport Stretford Swinton Timperley Tottington Tyldesley Urmston Walkden Westhoughton Whitefield Wigan Worsley Wythenshawe See also: List of civil parishes in Greater Manchester
Rivers	Beal Bollin Croal Douglas Etherow Goyt Irk Irwell Medlock Mersey Roch Spodden Tame Tib Tonge
Canals	Bridgewater Canal Fletcher's Canal Hulme Locks Branch Canal Islington Branch Canal Manchester and Salford Junction Canal Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Manchester Ship Canal Mersey and Irwell Navigation Peak Forest Canal Stockport Branch Canal
Topics	Parliamentary constituencies and Members of Parliament Crime Cycling Demography People Public art Schools Geography Greater Manchester County Council (1974–1986) Places Population of major settlements Castles Churches Flag Football clubs Grade I listed buildings Grade II* listed buildings Mills Scheduled monuments SSSIs History Lord Lieutenant High Sheriff Museums Places of interest Transport Transport for Greater Manchester Manchester Airport Manchester Metrolink