Manchester is a city in the North West of England. It is a centre of the arts, the media and big business. The city is world-famous for its sport, being home to the Manchester City and Manchester United football clubs and the Lancashire County Cricket Club, and having hosted the XVII Commonwealth Games in 2002.

The city is named from the old Roman name Mamucium plus ceaster, derived from the old Latin ‘Castra’. Manchester is a metropolitan borough with city status. The city proper has a population of 437,000, whilst the wider urban area Greater Manchester has a population of 2,284,093.

Greater Manchester consists of the metropolitan district of Manchester and the surrounding boroughs of Trafford, Tameside, Salford, Wigan, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and Stockport.

After the boom years, the city fell on hard times and entered a period of economic decline during the 1960s and 70s. On the verge of full recovery, Manchester suffered a further setback when the IRA detonated a devastating bomb that ripped through the heart of the city center in 1996. This, however, turned out to be the catalyst for the city’s rebirth and huge sums of money were pumped into rebuilding the city center, kick-starting a wave of citywide development and regeneration projects. Manchester grew from strength to strength and went on to host the Commonwealth Games in 2002.

The momentum of Manchester’s growth continues today with urban regeneration schemes seemingly underway around every corner. But, as with all great cities, it is the people that really make the place special and Mancunians have a reputation for their warmth and openness.

The city supports a vibrant arts scene that has spawned such bands as the Smiths, the Stone Roses and Oasis, as well as many comedians, artists and poets. Coronation Street (Britain’s longest-running television soap opera) is set in Manchester and has been a huge global success with a dedicated fan base around the world. The city is also famed for its footballing talent, with Manchester United having held the crown as the world’s richest club for nearly a decade, although London’s Chelsea look as if they will soon dethrone them.

It is also this incredible fusion of different styles, trends and ideas that has attracted a thriving gay community and one of the largest student populations in Europe. With a distinct urban flavor and an abundance of youthful energy, modern day Manchester is viewed by many as England’s ’second city’ and rightfully vies with its neighbors in the battle to be crowned the capital of the north.