Manchester is one of the biggest cities in the UK and has a population of over 400,000 although the population of Greater Manchester exceeds 2.5million.

Despite a history of manufacturing, companies based in Manchester are now primarily service-based, with a an inward investment second only to London. For example, Manchester has more than 60 banking institutions and over fifteen thousand people employed in banking and finance alone.

Manchester's business district is right in the heart of the city with four major business areas including Piccadilly, Deansgate and Mosley Street. A major development in Manchester has been Spinningfields, a £1.5 billion development created for office space, retail and catering facilities. Manchester's business district hosts numerous large companies, including one of the three main BBC bases in England. Many business also operate in Greater Manchester areas including Sale, Salford and Altrincham.

During the 1960s, many skyscrapers were constructed throughout Manchester including CIS Tower and The Beetham Tower. The latter was completed in 2006 and was the tallest building in the UK outside London; however, the Piccadilly Tower has now begun construction early in 2008 and is set to be even taller.

Manchester and the Greater Manchester area are served by Manchester International Airport, one of busiest airports in the UK with over 22 million passengers in 2006. Manchester also has one of the busiest train stations outside of London in terms of passengers, with Manchester Piccadilly located in the heart of the city providing services to locations such as London, Nottingham and Cardiff. In 1992, the Manchester Metrolink was opened, making Manchester the first UK city to have a modern light rail system. Manchester also has one of the most extensive bus networks outside of London with over 50 bus companies serving the Greater Manchester area.

Manchester is twinned with various cities across the world, including Cordoba in Spain and Saint Petersburg in Russia.