Manchester is a city and metropolitan district in the Greater Manchester region of England, with a current population of 514,414 as of 2013. The city is part of the UK's second-largest urban region, with inhabitants of 2.55 million people. Manchester is bounded on the south by the Cheshire Plain, on the north and east by the Pennines, and on the west by a ring of settlements that create a continuous conurbation. Manchester City Council is the local authority.