The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 [1] (http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1994/Ukpga_19940019_en_1.htm) abolished the 8 administrative counties created by the Local Government Act 1972.
However, it created the concept of preserved counties based on their areas, to be used for purposes such as Lieutenancy. [2] (http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1997/1997023.htm)
The preserved counties were originally almost identical to the 1974-1996 administrative counties, but with a few minor changes intended to ensure preserved counties were composed of whole principal areas. Llanrhaedr-ym-Mochant, Llansilin and Llangedwyn were transferred from Clwyd to Powys, and Wick, St Bride's Major, Ewenny and Pentyrch were transferred from Mid Glamorgan to South Glamorgan. However, these changes still left two county boroughs, Conwy and Caerphilly split between preserved counties.
In order to rectify this, the Preserved Counties (Amendment to Boundaries) (Wales) Order 2003[3] (http://www.hmso.gov.uk/legislation/wales/wsi2003/20030974e.htm) made two changes of substance to the boundaries. These changes came into effect on April 2, 2003. The part of the local government area of Conwy which had been in Gwynedd was transferred to Clwyd, and the part of the local government area of Caerphilly which had been in Mid Glamorgan was transferred to Gwent. The boundary between Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan was also re-aligned to reflect small changes in local government boundaries. Each Preserved County now encompasses between 1 and 5 whole local government areas.
The county of Oslo is equivalent to the municipality of Oslo.
At the county level there is a county administrative board led by a governor appointed by the central government of Sweden, as well as an elected county council that handles a separate set of issues, notably hospitals and public transportation.
The thirteen traditional counties of Wales were fixed by Statute in 1539 (although counties such as Pembrokeshire date from 1138) and most of those of Scotland are of at least this age.
The Ceremonialcounties of England are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England.
For example, The administrative counties of East Suffolk and West Suffolk, along with the county borough of Ipswich were considered to make up a single ceremonialcounty of Suffolk, and the administrative county of the Isle of Wight was part of the ceremonialcounty of Hampshire.
This led to a resurrection of a distinction between the local government counties and the ceremonial or geographic counties used for Lieutenancy, and also to the adoption of the term 'ceremonialcounties', which although not used in statute was used in the House of Commons prior to the arrangements coming into effect.
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