Manchester () is a major city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 547,627 as of 2018 (5th most populous English district). It lies within the United Kingdom's second-most populous urban area, with a population of 2.9 million, and second-most populous metropolitan area, with a population of 3.3 million. It is fringed by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and an arc of towns with which it forms a continuous conurbation. The local authority for the city is Manchester City Council.