Manchester (UK)

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Metropolitan district of Greater Manchester, and city in northwest England, on the River Irwell, 50 km/31 mi east of Liverpool; population (2001) 394,300. A financial and manufacturing centre, its industries include banking, insurance, and printing; the production of cotton and man-made textiles, petro-chemicals, rubber, paper, machine tools, and processed foods; and heavy, light, and electrical engineering. Tourism has become increasingly important. It is linked to the River Mersey and the Irish Sea by the Manchester Ship Canal, opened in 1894, although only one dock remains open.

History
Originally a Roman camp (Mancunium or Mamucium), Manchester is mentioned in the Domesday Book, and by the 13th century was a centre for the wool trade. Its damp climate and many waterways made it ideal for the production of cotton, which was introduced in the 16th century. By the mid-18th century, the Manchester area was a world centre of manufacture, using cotton imported from North America and India. The Peterloo massacre, when troops attacked unarmed supporters of parliamentary reform, took place at St Peter's Fields in 1819. In the 19th century Manchester was the centre for a school of political economists, including John Bright and Richard Cobden, who campaigned for the repeal of the Corn Laws in the first half of the century. Manchester was also the original home of The Guardian newspaper, which was founded as the Manchester Guardian in 1821. After 1945 there was a sharp decline in the cotton industry, and many disused mills were refurbished to provide alternative industrial uses.

Features
Manchester cathedral dates from the 15th century and was built in the Perpendicular style. It has the widest medieval nave in Britain. The Old Wellington Inn in Shambles Square, thought to date from 1378, started as part of a meat market, was a recruiting office, and became a pub in 1810. Manchester is the home of Bridgewater Hall, a 2,400-seat concert hall which houses the Hallé Orchestra; the Royal Northern College of Music; and Chetham's School of Music. Manchester Grammar School was founded in 1515, and there are four universities: the University of Manchester, UMIST, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the University of Salford. Manchester United Football Club is located at Old Trafford near to the large Trafford Centre shopping complex. Notable buildings include the Royal Exchange (1869, now a theatre); the Town Hall (1877) designed by Alfred Waterhouse, with its 87 m/285 ft spire; the Free Trade Hall (1856), built in a Renaissance style; Liverpool Road station (1830), the world's oldest surviving passenger station; and the Whitworth Art Gallery (1889). Libraries include the Central Library (1934), which is the world's largest municipal library, and is designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; and the John Rylands Library (1900) on Deansgate, which houses a large collection of rare books and manuscripts, including The Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye (1474), the first book ever printed in English. The waterways of Manchester once played a vital role in the industrial revolution and have become a major attraction within the city. The Castlefield Urban Heritage Park includes the Granada television studios, including the set of the soap opera Coronation Street open to visitors, and also the Museum of Science and Industry. Exhibition centres include G-Mex/MICC (1986), a development of the former Central Railway Station (1880); and Urbis, an urban museum opened in 2002. Heaton Park is Europe's largest municipal park, and covers 260 ha/640 acres. The Printworks is a futuristic family entertainment complex with 24-hour licence, as well as a range of nightclubs, themed bars and restaurants, live music arenas, and indoor streets. Manchester International airport is the largest municipally-owned airport in the country. Manchester Velodrome, in the east of the city, is Britain's only indoor Olympic cycle track. Metrolink, a light rail system, was opened in 1992. The Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester in 2002.

Blue stands for water and rain. Black and white represent the racial harmony of the people. Effective date: 30 September 1966. >>