Manchester is a major city in England and the centre of a wider metropolitan borough, Greater Manchester. As of 2007 it had an estimated population of 458,100 though the approximate population of the entire Greater Manchester area is around two million. It was the first city in the world to become industrialised due to the boom that took place in its textile industry during the Industrial Revolution.
Today, Manchester is at the centre of arts, commerce and higher education in England. The University of Manchester, the Central Business District and fashion boutiques such as Emporio Armani, DKNY and Chanel are all found in this thriving city. It offers tourists a great nightlife experience, with a wide range of bars, public houses and clubs. In addition, the Canal Street area has offered clubs and bars for gays and lesbians since the 1940s and has become the centre of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.
Travel within the city is made possible mostly by buses and tram systems. For anyone arriving by air, the city has its own airport, Manchester International Airport, which, in 2008, was actually the busiest, in terms of passenger traffic, in the country, outside of London, serving about 21 million passengers, annually.
Visitors to Manchester from the US have a number of carriers to choose from, including US Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Delta Airways. Travellers from within Europe, have the choice of most of the major airlines or from within the UK there is an excellent rail network.
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