In general, the midlands of a territory are its central regions. The Midlands (with a capital M) usually means the English Midlands, which broadly correspond to the early-medieval kingdom of Mercia. Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the British Isles Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK... Mercia, sometimes spelled Mierce, was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy, in what is now England, in the region of the Midlands, with its heart in the valley of the River Trent and its tributary streams. ...

The area lies between Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales, and is generally considered to include the counties of Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, the West Midlands and Worcestershire. Southern England is a vague term referring to the south of England. ... The three northern Regions Northern England (The north country, cf. ... Norfolk and Suffolk, the core area of East Anglia. ... For an explanation of often confusing terms such as Great Britain, Britain, United Kingdom and England, see British Isles (terminology). ... Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count. ... Derbyshire (pronounced Dar-bee-shur) is a county in the East Midlands of England, which boasts some of Englands most attractive scenery. ... Herefordshire is a traditional and ceremonial county and unitary district in the West Midlands region of England in the United Kingdom. ... Leicestershire (abbreviated Leics) is a landlocked county in central England. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the East Midlands of England. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ... Nottinghamshire (abbreviated Notts) is an English county in the East Midlands, which borders South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. ... Rutland is traditionally Englands smallest county and is bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire, and southeast by Northamptonshire. ... Shropshire (abbreviated Salop or Shrops) is a traditional, ceremonial and administrative county in the West Midlands region of England. ... Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. ... Warwickshire (pronounced either /ˈwɔːɹɪkˌʃə/ or /ˈwɔːɹɪkˌʃɪə/) is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in central England. ... The County of West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England, the United Kingdom, formed in 1974. ... Worcestershire (pronounced ; abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. ...

The two Government Office Regions of West and East Midlands.

The Midlands is often divided into the West Midlands and East Midlands. These are both administrative regions of England, but do not fully cover the traditional region of the Midlands. They exclude parts of northern Lincolnshire, now part of Yorkshire and the Humber, and Peterborough, which was once part of Northamptonshire but is now included with Cambridgeshire in the East of England Region. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2165x2670, 99 KB) Summary Map showing the two Government Office regions of West Midlands and East Midlands. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2165x2670, 99 KB) Summary Map showing the two Government Office regions of West Midlands and East Midlands. ... The West Midlands is a geographical term describing the western half of central England, known as the Midlands. ... The East Midlands is one of the regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the tradional region of the Midlands. ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity in England. ... Yorkshire and The Humber is one of the regions of England. ... Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority in the East of England. ... Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... East of England is one of the official regions of England. ...

Its largest conurbation, including the cities of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Coventry, is approximately covered by the West Midlands metropolitan county, although confusingly this is a much smaller area than the West Midlands region. Parts of the East Midlands are also densely populated, particularly the triangle formed by the cities of Leicester, Nottingham and Derby. A conurbation is an urban area comprising a number of cities or towns which, through population growth and expansion, have physically merged to form one continuous built up area. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... Wolverhampton is an industrial, commercial and university city and metropolitan borough in the English West Midlands, traditionally part of the county of Staffordshire. ... The Precinct in Coventry city centre. ... The County of West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England, the United Kingdom, formed in 1974. ... The six metropolitan counties shown within England The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level subnational entity in current use in England. ... Leicester city centre, looking towards the clock tower Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city in the English East Midlands. ... Nottingham is a city and county town of Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands of England. ... Derby (pronounced dar-bee ) is a city in the East Midlands of England. ...

Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire are also sometimes considered to be part of the Midlands, albeit at the far southern edge (the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica describes Gloucestershire as "west midland", Bedfordshire as "south midland", and Huntingdonshire as "east midland" counties respectively.) Cheshire is not generally considered to be in the Midlands, but rather a part of the North West. Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in South West England. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in south-east England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ... Bedfordshire is a county in England and forms part of the East of England region. ... Huntingdonshire (abbreviated Hunts) is a part of England around Huntingdon, which is currently administered as a local government district of Cambridgeshire. ... This article is about the English county. ... North West England is one of the regions of England. ...

The South Midlands is an area identified by the government for development, consisting of Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire with northern Buckinghamshire. Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire are not usually considered part of the Midlands and are in the administrative regions of the South East and the East of England respectively—a further illustration of the fluidity of the perceived boundaries of the Midlands. The South Midlands and Milton Keynes area The South Midlands is an area of England. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ... Bedfordshire is a county in England and forms part of the East of England region. ... Map of Bucks (1904) Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is a county in South East England. ... South East England is one of the official regions of England. ... East of England is one of the official regions of England. ...

Important cities and towns

• Birmingham, Boston, Burton upon Trent
• Chesterfield, Corby, Coventry
• Derby, Dudley
• Gainsborough, Gloucester, Grantham
• Hereford
• Kettering, Kidderminster
• Leamington Spa, Leicester, Lichfield, Lincoln, Loughborough
• Mansfield
• Newark, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Northampton, Nottingham, Nuneaton
• Oxford
• Peterborough
• Redditch, Rugby
• Shrewsbury, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Stratford-on-Avon
• Tamworth, Telford
• Walsall, Warwick, Wolverhampton, Worcester