曼彻斯特位于英格兰西北部兰开夏大平原的中央，象一个圆形的大剧场。辽阔的平原西延爱尔兰海接特拜夏和柴郡的低洼丘陵地带。在北部和东部靠近康布兰及西英格兰和约克夏郡的地方，有众多的溪谷和高山斜坡，风景十分秀丽。
　　曼彻斯特市城区面积116平方公里，人口43.2万左右。
　　曼彻斯特曾是世界工业革命的故乡，纺织工业一度较为发达。二十世纪初，由于世界各国开始自己加工棉花，生产棉织品，英国纺织业开始衰退，而新兴的工业却应运而生。现在的曼彻斯特已发展成以电子、化工和印刷为中心，拥有重型机器、织布、炼油、玻璃、塑料和食品加工等七百多种行业的现代化城市。
    政府：曼彻斯特市成立于1893年，现行最高政府机构由99名当地市民选出的议员组成。曼彻斯特向来是工党的势力范围，因此工党是曼城市议会的多数党，也是市政府的执政党。曼彻斯特市议会现任议长是葛雷姆·斯君格。曼彻斯特市议会下设13个行政机构，雇有30，000多名工作人员。曼城市长是名誉性的，一年换一届。
    工商业：作为自由贸易，经济自由化和合作运动的先导的曼彻斯特市已经成为一个国际性的大都市。原来的很多工厂大都由劳动密集型向资本（高技术）密集型转化，以适应大量高质低成本进口品的挑战。现在具有代表性的工业有机械制造、化工、食品加工、塑料、电子、通讯器材、航空、金融、专业技术服务业等。作为曼城工业心脏的特拉福德工业园区发展速度惊人，已经成为欧洲经济和贸易增长最快的地区，吸引着世界各地越来越多的投资。在大曼彻斯特地区，有超过1，600家的外国公司在此投资，其中《金融时报》中所列的全球100家大公司中，就有80家在曼城地区设立分公司或是办事机构。
    曼彻斯特不仅是英格兰西北部地区政治和文化中心，也是商业和就业中心。大曼彻斯特地区共有250万人口，曼城周围更有占英国人口60%的居民，他们驱车到曼城市中心仅需两小时。市中心建筑面积2千万平方英尺，其中760万平方英尺为商业建筑面积，有1610家大小商场和商店。今天的曼彻斯特到处都让人感受到浓烈的欧洲风格的自信，无论你的口味如何，在曼城市走一走，遍布曼城市内的酒吧和餐馆都会使你很轻松地找自己的所爱，来自世界二十多个国家的不同风味的饮食烹饪更赋予曼城浓厚的国际大都市气质；而丰富多彩的夜生活经济每年都可给曼城带来1亿英镑的收入。
    交通与通讯：曼彻斯特拥有各种现代化的交通、通讯工具，随时与世界各地保持着密切的联系。四通八达的公路、纵横交错的铁路为本地工商业的发展提供了良好的条件。曼城人民引以自豪的曼彻斯特国际机场在最近几年的调查中，都被评选为世界最佳机场之一和欧洲最佳机场；在国际运输方面，曼城国际机场一直名列世界前二十位。每年有1700万名旅客从这里飞往世界175个目的地，其中440个商业航班到曼城的飞行时间不超过3个小时。在货运方面，曼城国际机场的年均运量为10万吨。
    在电报、电讯技术革命中，曼彻斯特亦站在前列，拥有除伦敦以外的全国第一台X机交换系统。曼彻斯特还有英国第二大新闻中心，也是西北部地区广播、电视、出版、广告和工商业培训中心。
    财政金融：曼彻斯特是英格兰主要的工业中心和商品集散中心，加上带有传奇色彩的“曼彻斯特人”具有内在气质和文明世界的商业信誉，60家国内外商业银行，50家会计事务所，12家风险资本机构组织，众多享有国际声誉的律师事务所和无数的独立金融交易所，使该市在国际金融业中占有重要的位置。仅在金融服务行业，曼城就吸引了多达27，000名的服务人员。
　　国王大街上有股票交易市场和曼彻斯特工商会，有最早、最兴旺的英格兰银行分行，有结算银行地方办事处，有合作银行总部和150多家保险公司的总部或分部。曼彻斯特的财政收入主要来源于税收和中央政府的补贴。
    教育与文化：曼彻斯特地区文化教育水平较高，四所国际知名的大学共有在校学生78，000人，构成了欧洲最大的大学园。在驱车不到一个小时的空间里还有其他十四所高等教育学府，容纳的在校学生多达300，000人。所有这些高等学府文教设施比较完善，专业课程设置齐全，大部分院校都达到了颁发学位水平。如奇特姆斯音乐学校就享有国际声誉；曼彻斯特大学、曼彻斯特理工大学等都是世界知名学府。此外，还有公立、私立中小学及职业学校。中小学校实行9年义务教育制。
　　曼彻斯特集中了英格兰西北地区有影响的乐团、剧院、博物馆等文化娱乐设施。1858年由查尔斯·哈雷先生创办的哈雷乐团在世界乐团享有声誉，还有BBC地方交响乐团和地方芭蕾舞剧团。
    体育：两次申办奥运使曼城的各项体育场管设施日趋完善。作为2002英联邦运动会的举办城市的曼城已经作好了充分的准备。曼城颇具艺术风格的体育场，耗资3千2百万英镑建成的水上运动中心，国家自行车赛车中心和能容纳20，000人的欧洲最大室内运动场和许多其他体育运动设施共同构成了曼彻斯特21世纪体育梦的坚强基石。曼城拥有世界上最负盛名的曼彻斯特联队，此外大曼彻斯特地区还拥有英国的另外的七个超级足球队，七个顶级的橄榄球队和90多个高尔球场。在曼城其他著名的体育队还有兰开夏板球队，曼彻斯特巨人篮球队和曼彻斯特暴风雪橄榄球队等。

1986年10月，曼彻斯特与我市结成友城。两市在经济、文化、科技、教育等众多领域开展了卓有成效的交流与合作。曼城成立了“中国通道西北公司”。1995年10月，曼城联合英中贸易48集团在我市开设了代表处。2002年7月，我市就汉口江滩开发项目与曼城签署了合作开发联合建议书。

Manchester stands at the heart of the UK, itself a top venue for global investment.
The UK receives more cumulative investment from key overseas markets than any other European Country. As the capital of England’s North West region, Manchester is a city of industrial, commercial and technological excellence and a leading centre for education and research. Over 1,600 overseas owned companies have already invested in North West England and 80 of the Financial Times Top 100 companies are represented in the region.
Manchester’s talent has long inspired and pioneered development in technology, transport, engineering, computers, medical research and robotics. Manchester remains progressive, inventive and entrepreneurial, a truly cosmopolitan city with a rich cultural heritage.  
Transportation & Communication
Geographically, Manchester lies at the centre of the UK and is ideally placed for access by road, rail and air. It has the national and international communication links to satisfy all business requirements.
Sixty percent of the UK population is within two hours’ drive of the city and London is only 35 minutes away by air.
By air
Manchester airport is just 20 minutes drive time from the city centre, has motorway access from the national network, and has direct rail connections from around the UK. Voted one of the world‘s best airports, and European Airport of the year in recent surveys, it is now ranked in the top twenty of world airports for international travel. Over 17 million passengers use it every year and over 440 consumers are within 3 hours flight time from Manchester.
Currently serviced by 95 airlines, it offers a passenger timetable which includes 175 destinations worldwide, from domestic and European flights to long haul routes to North America and Asia. The addition of a newly opened British Airways terminal and the construction of a second runway, this year keep the airport on target to double passenger throughput up to 30 million by 2005. Work has now started on a new 50 million pounds ground transport interchange.
The airport has a major cargo handling capacity with the freight terminal having an annual throughput of approximately 100,000 tonnes.
By rail
There are regular passenger connections to all major UK cities from Manchester, with an hourly service to London and other major centres of commerce. For local commuting there is a comprehensive regional railway network servicing the area. Manchester also has Metrolink, a Light Rapid Transit System which provides a quick and efficient north-south service through Manchester city centre and is now being extended to the west. There are future planned links to the north, east and south including Manchester Airport.
By Sea
The Manchester Ship Canal connects Manchester with the Irish Sea at Liverpool. Trafford Park provides port facilities for companies within the area, including a full range of services from containerised roll-on roll-off facilities to bulk cargoes. The deep water ports of Liverpool and Hull, 30 miles(48Km) and 95 miles(153Km)from Manchester respectively, are also easily accessible via the motorway and rail networks.
 By Road
Manchester is at the heart of the UK’s motorway network. Around 20 million of the UK’s residential population and over 60% of all UK businesses are within two hours drive time of Manchester. Manchester’s orbital motorway, the new M60 now ensures even easier access from Manchester to other major UK cities, such as London, Birmingham and Glasgow.
The movement of freight in the Manchester area is handled by the Trafford Park World Freight Centre, it is the largest road/rail interchange complex outside London and includes Euroterminal, Manchester International Freight Terminal, P&O’s Containerbase and Rail Freight Distribution’s Freight Liner Terminal. Euroterminal alone currently provides 17 daily services through the Channel Tunnel to 14 European markets within 2 days by rail.
Ease Of Communication is just one of the many reasons for locating in the Manchester area.
Population & Workforce
Manchester’s People
Manchester’s people asset is its people. A large and highly skilled labour pool distinguishes the city from its national and international rivals. An excellent commercial and industrial base, unrivaled transport links, and a world-class educational infrastructure maintain the size, mobility and quality of the workforce, whilst the city’s competitive labour costs and productivity bring added value to location choice.
Population
Manchester is one of Europe’s most dynamic cities at the heart of North-West England, the UK’s largest economic region outside London. The region has:
A population of 7 million
Over 2.5 million households
An annual disposable income of 43 billion pounds(US $68.8 billion)
A gross Domestic Product(GDP) of 75 billion pounds(US $107.6 billion) equating to approximately 10% of the UK output. Moreover, Greater Manchester itself is a large consumer and business market in its own right, with a workforce of 1.5 million people and a GDP of 28 billion pounds(US $41billion).
Over 25% of the UK’s motorway network runs through the Manchester area, placing it within 2 hour’s drive time of 60% (33.4 million people) of the UK’s population.
Over 2 million people live within a 10 mile (16km) radius of Manchester and more than 5 million people within a radius 30 miles (48km). Manchester’s population is multi-cultural and predominantly young, with 65% being under 45 years old.
 Workforce
 Manchester’s workforce is employed across the entire industrial and commercial spectrum: manufacturing; transport and distribution; financial, professional and technical services; retailing; government; education and health.
Manchester is home to 60 merchant, overseas and clearing banks, 50 accountancy firms, a dozen venture capital organizations, internationally acknowledged corporate law firms and numerous independent finance and specialist finance houses. 27,000 people work in financial services.
 Wage Rates and Social Costs
The UK labour market is among the most flexible in Europe and is extremely cost competitive. Wage rates in Manchester are extremely competitive with the rest of the UK.
Education
With 4 leading universities, each renowned for their own specialist centres of excellence, Manchester is home to over 78,000 students - one of Europe’s largest university campuses. There are also another 14 universities and higher education institutions in the surrounding area, making for a total student population of over 300,000 within one hour’s drive time of Manchester.
Over 9,000 students are studying first or higher degrees at Manchester’s Universities. Manchester receive more applications from potential higher education students than any other University City in the UK. These confirm Manchester’s popularity as the primary location for study.
The Manchester area is well recognized for the quality and quantity of students receiving degrees in certain disciplines. In the 1997/98 academic year alone, over 19,000 students graduated with degrees from Manchester’s Universities. Computing science produced over 1,000 graduates and science and technology disciplines saw over 2,000 qualifiers in 1997/98. Foreign language student numbers are also significant, with 8,401 students studying foreign languages at the 18 Universities within one hours drive time of Manchester and with 2,135 qualifying in 1997/98.
All the area’s universities maintain pragmatic partnerships with industry and commerce and collectively they attract some 70 million pounds of research income annually. The research strengths, highly skilled labour force and cost effective technology transfer all add up to form a SUPERCAMPUS which has enhanced the economic and technological base of the area.
Quality of life
Manchester is the cultural centre of the region with the largest theatre concentration in the UK outside London and one of the country’s finest classical concert venues as well as a wealth of art galleries and libraries.
It is home to three symphony orchestras, BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Camerata and the Halle one of the World’s most respected orchestras. The Halle’s home is the 43 million pounds, 2,400 seat Bridgewater Hall opened in 1996.
Two of the finest opera companies in Europe-Opera North and Glyndebourne-are regular, committed visitors to the region, as are several major dance companies such as English National Ballet and Ballet Rambert. Prestigious musicals, dramas and comedy tour the Palace Theatre and Opera House.
The region offers a tremendous variety of fascinating museums and galleries to explore: Manchester museum is crammed with ethnographic wonders, whilst the Whitworth art Gallery houses a thrilling collection of decorative and fine arts. Manchester City Art Gallery boasts a remarkable collection of Pre-Raphelite paintings, currently under wraps until 2001 as its building is being restored and virtually doubled in size.
Shopping
In Manchester, shopaholics think they have died and gone to heaven. Manchester offers a huge range of retail choice, from designer chic to antiques and crafts. Large chain stores and department stores can be found in abundance. Manchester has the world’s largest Marks and Spencer. Only a few miles away lies the vast domed shopping city of the Trafford Center, home to the only Selfridges store outside London.
Sports and Manchester
Having twice taken on the world in a bid for the Olympic Games, the pace in Manchester is hotting up for 2002 Commonwealth Games. A state of the art stadium is under construction, the 32 million pounds Manchester Aquatics Centre was completed in July 2000, ahead of schedule, adding to the National Cycling Centre and a 20,000-capacity indoor arena, the largest in Europe which are already in place. These fantastic facilities will be foundations for Manchester’s 21st century sporting ambitions. But there’s no need to wait for 2002. You can experience sporting Manchester right now. It may be best known for being home to the most famous football club in the world-Manchester United-but it has many other sporting attractions.
Manchester is home to eight major league soccer teams, seven top rugby teams and over 90 golf courses.
Manchester has 5 international venues among nearly 500 sports facilities.
Old Trafford is not only home to Manchester United, it is also home to one of England’s great cricketing countries-Lancashire County Cricket clubown Basketball team, Manchester Giants
Manchester’s Ice Hockey Team, The Storm, are the 1998/99 Super League Champions
Manchester has its
Leisure
Manchester today has a confident, European air. Whatever your taste, a short stroll will bring an amazing choice. Bars and restaurants have boomed, doubling in the last five years to 450 licensed premises in the city centre alone. Manchester’s night time economy is valued at more than 100 million pounds per year. The cosmopotitan nature of Manchester is reflected in its wealth of international cuisine from 20 different nations. Manchester’s Chinatown is unrivalled in Britain, Rusholme’s curry mile’ has near-legendary status, and both are buttressed by a thousand others; restaurants specializing in seafood and the best of French, Italian, Thai and Japanese cuisine. Big name chefs like Gary Rhodes, Paul Heathcote and Nico Ladenis have all added Manchester to their menus. For winning individuals style, visit the sumptuous Reform, or the elegant Lincoln. Enjoy the best sun terrace in town at Mick Hucknall’s Barca. Sample Italian, Greek, Thai dishes or the new wave of tapas, noodle and sushi joints.
The recently-opened Printworks development in Exchange Square houses the North Wests first IMAX cinema, as well as the Hard Rock Café, Tiger Tiger and a host of other clubs, bars and restaurants.
The industrial heart of Manchester
The impressive regeneration of Trafford Park Industrial Estate, the industrial heart of Manchester continues at breathtaking pace, successfully transforming the area into Europe’s fastest growing business location. Home to over 1300 companies, which employ 43,000 people, Trafford Park’s success is endorsed by the continued investment and development undertaken by companies relocating to or expanding the area. In just nine years, the park has attracted over 1.3M pounds of private sector investment from companies including US-based Phototronics and Omega Engineering and Japanese owned Kratos Analytical and Manchester Tobacco.