Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester, former metropolitan county, 497 sq mi (1,288 sq km), W central England. It comprised ten administrative districts: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan. The county, which was created in the 1974 local government reorganization, was abolished in 1986, and the districts became responsible for all services except police, fire, and civil defense, which are supervised jointly.

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Greater Manchester

Metropolitan county (pop., 2001: 2,482,352), northwestern England, one of the major conurbations of the country. It consists of the cities of Manchester and Salford and several metropolitan boroughs (including Stockport and Wigan). In 1986 the metropolitan county lost its administrative powers, and its constituent boroughs became autonomous administrative units.