Population: Manchester is the regional capital of the north west of England, which is the UK's largest economic region outside London. The northwest region has a population of over 6 million. The Greater Manchester area is populated by 2.5 million people living within 1,200 km. Manchester has a population of around 430,000 within the city center.

Area: 117 km

Country: England

Time Zone: Greenwich Mean Time (5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time) When it is noon in New York City, it is 5/00 PM in Manchester. However, due to differences in daylight saving practices between the US and England, there is a one week period in the Fall when Manchester is 4 hours ahead of New York; and a one week period in the Spring when Manchester is 6 hours ahead of New York.

Telephone Area Code: 0161 Average Temperatures (In Fahrenheit): High Low January - March 48 April - June 66 July - September 68 October - December 55

Useful measurements: Equivalent Weights And Measures 1 cm 0.39 inches 1 meter 3.28 feet / 1.09 yards 1 km 0.62 miles 1 liter 0.26 gallons 1 inch 2.54 cm 1 foot 0.39 meters 1 yard 0.91 meters 1 mile 1.60 km 1 gallon 3.78 liters

Holidays: January 1, 2 New Year's Day March or April (varies) Good Friday March or April (varies) Easter and Easter Monday First Monday in May Bank holiday Last Monday of May Spring Bank holiday Last Monday in August: Bank Holiday December 24-26, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Events: To find out what's on in the city, buy the fortnightly City Life listings and reviews magazine, from any newsstand.

Currency: Currency is the Euro (EUR). The notes are in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 euro. The denominations of coins are 2 euro, 1 euro, 50 euro cent, 20 euro cent, 10 euro cent, 5 euro cent, 2 euro cent, and 1 euro cent.

Dentist: Dental Hospital of Manchester Higher Cambridge St. 0161/275 6666

Hospital: Manchester Royal Infirmary 13 Oxford Rd 0161/276 1234

Internet: Cyberia Net-Works Center at the Central Library Tues. & Thurs. 10am-7:30pm Wed 1-7:30pm, Fri. & Sat 10am-4:30pm

Pharmacy: Cameolord Ltd 7 Oxford St. Daily 8am-midnight 0161/236 1445

Police: Greater Manchester PoliceBootle St. 0161/872 5050

Post Office: 26 Spring Gardens 63 Newton St The Spring Gardens office has a bureau de change and poste-restante section.

Arrival information: A direct rail link into the city makes Manchester Airport, ten miles south of the city, an increasingly popular point of entry into Britain. Trains to Piccadilly (every 15min 5:15am-10:15pm, reduced service through the night; 25min). It is slightly cheaper to take one of the buses from the airport to Piccadilly Gardens or Chorlton Street (every 15-30min, 6am-10:45pm), although these take almost twice as long as trains to reach the center in the rush hour. Taxis are also available from the airport to the city center.

Manchester's three main train stations form the points of a triangle that encloses much of the city center.

1. National mainline trains run from Piccadilly Station, facing London Road, on the east side. 2. Regional routes to points south, east and west call both here and at Oxford Road Station, south of the center 3. Victoria Station, in the north, services the northern hinterland and Bradford.

The city's Metrolink tram service connects Piccadilly station (the platform is underneath the train station) to Victoria and G-Mex. Most long-distance buses use Chorlton Street Coach Station, a few hundred yards west of Piccadilly train station.

City transport: The city center is compact enough to cover on foot, though buses will be needed for Oxford Road and its continuation Wilmslow Road, which runs to Rusholme. Stagecoach is the main operator, though fare wars are common among all carriers. Piccadilly Gardens Bus Station is the hub of the urban bus network, along with a new transport interchange at Shudehill (north of the Arndale Center) Call the GMPTE bus inquiry line 0161/228 7811 daily 8am-8pm) for details.

Travel passes offer seven-day Stagecoach unlimited travel on Stagecoach's city and local buses; the Wayfarer allows 24 hours' unlimited travel throughout Greater Manchester and into the Peak District. Metrolink: 0161/205 2000 The electric tram service travels through the city center and out to the suburbs, (every 6-15min 6am-11:30pm). An extension to the service runs to Salford Quays, with new stations underrway for the Shudehill transport interchange, the Eastlands Commonwealth Games stadium and the airport. There are stations at Piccadilly Station, Piccadilly Gardens, St. Peter's Square, G-Mex and Victoria Station.