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'''Wigan''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɪ|ɡ|ən}} {{respell|WIG|ən}}) is a town in [[Greater Manchester]], England, on the [[River Douglas, Lancashire|River Douglas]]. The town is midway between the two cities of [[Manchester]], {{convert|16|mi|km|1}} to the south-east, and [[Liverpool]], {{convert|17|mi|km|0}} to the south-west. [[Bolton]] lies {{convert|10 |mi|km|0}} to the north-east and [[Warrington]] {{convert|12|mi|km|0}} to the south. It is the largest settlement in the [[Metropolitan Borough of Wigan]] and is its administrative centre. The town has a population of 107,732<ref>{{Cite web |title=Understanding towns in England and Wales: Population and demography - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/understandingtownsinenglandandwalespopulationanddemography}}</ref> and the wider borough of 330,714.<ref>{{United Kingdom district population citation}}</ref> Wigan is part of the [[Historic counties of England|historic county]] of [[Lancashire]].
Wigan was in the territory of the [[Brigantes]], an ancient [[List of ancient Celtic peoples and tribes|Celtic tribe]] that ruled much of what is now [[Northern England]]. The Brigantes were subjugated in the [[Roman conquest of Britain]] and the Roman settlement of ''Coccium'' was established where Wigan lies. Wigan was incorporated as a [[Borough status in the United Kingdom|borough]] in 1246, following the issue of a [[charter]] by [[Henry III of England|King Henry III of England]]. At the end of the [[Middle Ages]], it was one of four boroughs in Lancashire established by [[royal charter]]. The [[Industrial Revolution]] saw a dramatic economic expansion and rapid rise in population. Wigan became a major [[mill town]] and coal mining district; at its peak, there were 1,000 pit shafts within {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} of the town centre.<ref name="Evo">{{Harvard citation no brackets|Frangopulo|1977|p=139.}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Wigan County Borough Council |title=The County Borough of Wigan: Official Handbook |year=1972 |author-link=County Borough of Wigan}}</ref> Coal mining ceased in the later 20th century.
[[Wigan Pier]], a wharf on the [[Leeds and Liverpool Canal]], was made famous by the writer [[George Orwell]]. In his book ''[[The Road to Wigan Pier]]'' (1937), Orwell highlighted the poor working and living conditions of inhabitants in the 1930s. Following the decline of [[heavy industry]], Wigan Pier's warehouses and wharves became a local heritage centre and cultural quarter. The [[DW Stadium]] is home to [[Wigan Athletic F.C.|Wigan Athletic Football Club]] and [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club]].
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