Salford City Council is the unitary authority responsible for the City of Salford, a council area with city status. Named after Salford, which is the council area's largest settlement, the towns of Eccles, Swinton, Pendlebury and Walkden also lie within the council area. The council area lies almost entirely within the county Lancashire, but contains a tiny area that is south of the River Mersey and therefore in Cheshire. The council area lies immediately west of central Manchester and forms a part of Greater Manchester, a county for the purposes of lieutenancy and combined authority.