Manchester

Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in North West England with an estimated population of 512,000. It is located in the south-central part of North West England, surrounded at the edge by the Cheshire Plain to the south and the Pennines to the north and east, and an arc of towns with which it forms a continuous conurbation.

The history of Manchester dates back to c. 79 CE when civilians settled around the Roman fort of Mamucium, built on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the rivers Medlock and Irwell. Historically, Manchester was in Lancashire, although areas of Cheshire to the south of the River Mersey were added into the city during the 20th century. Throughout the Middle Ages Manchester remained a manorial township but began to expand "at an astonishing rate" around the turn of the 19th century and became an important industrial town.

5 problems in the settlement:

1. The rapid rate of growth in the city led to unplanned development. Manchester had to provide housing and basic services at a very fast pace.

2. Most of the work force was consisting of migrant labour. Their influx into the city put more pressure on the basic services in Manchester.

3. Over-population led to high pollution. The industries were already affecting the air and water because of effluents. But the lack of sanitation also added to the pollution levels.

4. There was a lot of pressure on demand for the limited resources like electric power, public transport, etc. This causes competition and social unrest. Scarcity also led to the increase in prices. The costs of living went up substantially.