See soorce fer Wigan

{{Infobox UK place
|country =                 Ingland
|official_name=            Wigan
|coordinates = {{coord|53.5448|-2.6318|display=inline,title}}
| population =             81,203
| population_ref = ([[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 Census]])
|metropolitan_borough=     [[Metropolitan Borough of Wigan|Wigan]]
|metropolitan_county=      [[Greater Manchester]]
|region=                   North Wast Ingland
|constituency_westminster= [[Wigan (UK Pairlament constituency)|Wigan]]
|post_town=                WIGAN
|postcode_area=            WN
|postcode_district=        WN1-WN3,WN5,WN6, WN8
|dial_code=                01942
|os_grid_reference=        SD583055
|london_distance= {{convert|176|mi|km|0}}&nbsp;[[Boxing the compass|SE]]
|static_image_name=Wigan Pier and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.jpg
|static_image_caption=<small>[[Wigan Pier]], a umwhile wharf on the [[Leeds and Liverpool Canal]]</small>
}}

'''Wigan''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɪ|g|ən}} is a toun in [[Greater Manchester]], Ingland. It staunds on the [[River Douglas (Lancashire)|River Douglas]], {{convert|7.9|mi|km|0}} sooth-wast o [[Bolton]], {{convert|10|mi|km|0}} north o [[Warrington]] an {{convert|16|mi|km|1}} wast-northwast o [[Manchester]]. Wigan is the lairgest dounset in the [[Metropolitan Borough of Wigan]] an is its admeenistrative centre. The toun o Wigan haed a total population o 81,203 in 2001,<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-211152|title=Census 2001 Key Statistics&nbsp;– Urban area results by population size of urban area|publisher=Office for National Statistics |accessdate=18 November 2008|date=22 July 2004|work=ons.gov.uk|at=[http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/census-2001-key-statistics/urban-area-results-by-population-size-of-urban-area/urban-area-results-by-population-size-of-urban-area-ks01-usual-resident-population.xls KS01 Usual resident population] {{XLSlink}}}}</ref> whilst the wider burgh haes a population o 305,600. 
[[Historic coonties o Ingland|Historically]] in the coonty o [[Lancashire]], Wigan durin [[clessical antiquity]] wis in the territory o the [[Brigantes]], a auncient [[Celtic tribe]] that ruled hintle o [[northren Ingland]]. The Brigantes wur subjugatit in the [[Roman conquest o Breetain]] durin the 1st century, an it is assertit that the Roman dounset o ''Coccium'' wis established whaur Wigan lees. Wigan is believit tae hae been incorporatit as a [[Burgh status in the Unitit Kinrick|burgh]] in 1246 follaein the issue o a [[chairter]] bi [[Henry III o Ingland|Keeng Henry III o Ingland]]. At the end o the [[Middle Ages]] it wis ane o fower burghs in Lancashire possessin [[Ryal chairter]]s; the ithers wur [[Lancaster, Lancashire|Lancaster]], Liverpool, an [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]].

Durin the [[Industrial Revolution]] Wigan experiencit dramatic economic expansion an a rapid rise in the population. Awtho porcelain manufactur an clock makkin haed been major industries in the toun, Wigan subsequently became kent as a major [[mill toun]] an coal minin destrict. The first coal mine wis established at Wigan in 1450 an at its peak thare wur 1,000 pit shafts athin {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} o the toun centre.<ref name="Evo">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Frangopulo|1977|p=139.}}</ref> Minin was so extensive that one town councillor remarked that "a coal mine in the backyard was not uncommon in Wigan".<ref>{{Citation|title=The County Borough of Wigan: Official Handbook|year=1972|author=Wigan County Borough Council|authorlink=County Borough of Wigan}}</ref> Coal minin ceased durin the latter pairt o the 20t century.

[[Wigan Pier]], a wharf on the [[Leeds and Liverpool Canal]], wis made famous bi the writer [[George Orwell]]. In his beuk, ''[[The Road to Wigan Pier]]'', Orwell heichlichtit the poor wirkin an livin condeetions o the local inhabitants durin the 1930s. Follaein the decline o industrial activities in the region, Wigan Pier's collection o warehooses an wharfs became a local heritage centre an cultural quairter. The [[DW Stadium]] is hame tae baith [[Wigan Athletic F.C.|Wigan Athletic Football Club]] an [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club]], baith teams bein highly successful in their sports wi the umwhile bein the current FA Cup haulders an the latter bein the maist successful Rugby League side o aw time.

==Twin touns==
Wigan is [[Twin touns an sister ceeties|twinned]] wi:

*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Angers]], Fraunce<ref name="Archant twinning">{{cite web|url=http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|title=British towns twinned with French towns|accessdate = 2013-07-11|work=Archant Community Media Ltd}}</ref>

== References ==
'''Notes'''
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== Freemit airtins ==
{{Commons category|Wigan}}
* [http://www.littlewigan.co.uk/ www.littlewigan.co.uk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109165010/http://littlewigan.co.uk/ |date=2016-01-09 }}, Little Wigan.
* [http://www.wigantoday.net/ www.wigantoday.net],&nbsp;– Wigan Observer, Wigan Recorder, Wigan Evening Post.
* [http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/ www.wiganworld.co.uk], Wigan World.
* [http://www.wiganarchsoc.co.uk/ www.wiganarchsoc.co.uk], The Wigan Archaeological Society.
{{Greater Manchester}}

[[Category:Wigan|*]]
[[Category:Mercat touns in Greater Manchester]]
[[Category:Touns in Greater Manchester]]
[[Category:Post touns in the WN postcode aurie]]