Manchester, UK
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Manchester, the so-called "Capital of the North" is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, situated in the North West of England, fringed by the Cheshire Plain to the south and the Pennines to the north and east. It has a population of about 450,000, while the complete urban area of Greater Manchester has about 2.5 million people.
Manchester is known by some for its influence on the histories of industry and music, and for its sporting connections. It is seen by many as the second city of the United Kingdom and the home to the UK's largest airport outside London, owned by the ten local authorities of Greater Manchester. The city is also the center of arts, media, higher education and commerce.
Being one of the first industrialized cities in the world, it had an important role during the Industrial Revolution. Manchester was a dominant international center of textile manufacture in the 19th century. In 1996 Manchester City was attacked and a bomb exploded in the city centre, heavily damaging nearby buildings. After this incident many buildings in the city have been renovated, rebuilt or converted into modern buildings of steel and glass.
The city has 135 parks, gardens and green spaces, among the most important are: Albert Square where you can find monuments of Prince Albert, Bishop James Fraser, Oliver Heywood, William Ewart Gladstone, and John Bright, and other one, Piccadilly Gardens, with monuments: Queen Victoria, Robert Peel, James Watt and the Duke of Wellington. Heaton Park, occupying 250 hectares, is one of the largest municipal parks in Europe.
There is no doubt that Manchester's universities continue to be a big draw. The University of Manchester is the most over subscribed university in Europe. More and more language schools are also now opening and offer a more reasonable option than other southern venues.
The city is famous all over the world thanks to its football clubs, including Manchester United and Manchester City. Manchester City Football club is located in Sportcity, while Manchester United, one of the biggest football clubs in England is located in Old Trafford. Currently, Manchesters United coach is Sir Alex Ferguson, who is leading the team for 21 years and City's coach is Roberto Mancini.
Vibrant and artistic, Manchester has a vibe that is unrivalled by any other UK city. For those who are willing to try something more interesting than dinner and theater, Manchester has a large number of attractions for all ages.
