Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a densely populated and highly urbanised ceremonial county centred around the city of Manchester, one of the UK’s largest and most influential cities. Formed in 1974, the county is made up of ten metropolitan boroughs, including Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Stockport, and Wigan. Once an industrial powerhouse, Greater Manchester has reinvented itself as a hub of culture, media, education, and technology. It is overseen by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, led by a directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester.

This county page, Greater Manchester, is a sub-page this region page: North West. It zooms in to local authorities and parliamentary constituencies in this county.

Local Authorities in Greater Manchester

  • Bolton Borough Council (Metropolitan District)
  • Bury Borough Council (Metropolitan District)
  • Manchester City Council (Metropolitan District)
  • Oldham Borough Council (Metropolitan District)
  • Rochdale Borough Council (Metropolitan District)
  • Salford City Council (Metropolitan District)
  • Stockport Borough Council (Metropolitan District)
  • Tameside Borough Council (Metropolitan District)
  • Trafford Borough Council (Metropolitan District)
  • Wigan Borough Council (Metropolitan District)

Greater Manchester, in England’s North West region, is a metropolitan county made up of ten metropolitan boroughs, each governed by its own council acting as a unitary authority responsible for all local services. These are Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan. Created in 1974, the county has no county council, with each borough handling functions such as education, housing, planning, transport, and social care independently, while also cooperating through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which oversees region-wide issues like transport, regeneration, and strategic planning under a directly elected mayor. Together, these councils serve a diverse area that includes the regional capital Manchester, with its global cultural and economic significance, alongside historic industrial towns, suburban communities, and extensive green spaces, reflecting the county’s blend of urban vitality and surrounding countryside.

Districts in Greater Manchester

In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Greater Manchester is one of ITLs Level 2 area that contains the following 5 ITLs Level 3 areas:

(ITL 1) North West
(ITL 2) ⇒ Greater Manchester
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Manchester ⁞ Greater Manchester South West ⁞ Greater Manchester South East ⁞ Greater Manchester North West ⁞ Greater Manchester North East

Constituencies in Greater Manchester

A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 27 of them are in Greater Manchester.