In the United Kingdom a county is a historic type of subnational division; which by the Middle Ages had become established as a unit of local government. ^[1] In some areas the ancient counties have been adapted to perform the functions of modern local government while in others they have been replaced with alternative, unitary, systems; which are considered 'county level' authorities. ^[2] A county is generally a sub-unit of regional self-government within a sovereign jurisdiction. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

England

This map shows the Domesday Book counties in 1086

Main article: Counties of England

In England, counties are a current level of subnational division and are broadly based on the historic counties of England. ^[3] Acts of Parliament in the last two centuries altered county boundaries ^[4] and, in addition to these changes, in 1889 created administrative counties and county boroughs. ^[5] The counties and their boundaries existing prior to these changes are known variously as the ancient counties, historic counties or traditional counties. Download high resolution version (642x802, 9 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Traditional counties of England Categories: GFDL images ... Download high resolution version (642x802, 9 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Traditional counties of England Categories: GFDL images ... A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... The traditional counties as usually portrayed. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... For local government purposes, England is divided into three types of areas - non-unitary authorities, unitary authorities, and London boroughs. ... The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. ... An administrative county is an administrative area in the British Isles. ... County borough was a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom to refer to a borough or a city independent of county administration. ...

The changes which formed the current structure began in 1965 with the London Government Act 1963 and the creation of Greater London. In 1974 the administrative counties and county boroughs were abolished and replaced with metropolitan counties and non-metropolitan counties (also known as shire counties) ^[6] with much altered borders. ^[7] In the 1990s unitary authorities were also created which combine functions of county and district. The London Government Act 1963 was an Act of the UK parliament which led to the official recognition of the conurbation known as Greater London. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... The six metropolitan counties shown within England The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level subnational entity in current use in England. ... A shire county or non-metropolitan county in England, is a county level entity which is not a metropolitan county. ... 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ...

Unlike Scotland and Wales, England now has a mixed pattern of county level subnational division: ^[2]

The areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant are the Ceremonial counties of England. Administrative divisions of England. ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ... Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... The six metropolitan counties shown within England The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level subnational entity in current use in England. ... A shire county or non-metropolitan county in England, is a county level entity which is not a metropolitan county. ... A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... A metropolitan borough (or metropolitan district) is a type of local government district in England, covering urban areas within metropolitan counties. ... Non-metropolitan districts or commonly Shire districts are a type of local government district in England. ... The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. ... A civil parish (usually just parish) in England is a subnational entity forming the lowest unit of local government, lower than districts or counties. ... Flag of a Lord Lieutenant The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarchs personal representatives around the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. ... The Ceremonial counties 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. ...

Scotland

Scottish counties in 1975

Main article: Counties of Scotland

In Scotland, local government counties, created under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, were abolished in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, in favour of regions and districts and islands council areas. The regions and districts were themselves abolished in 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994,^[8] in favour of unitary Scottish council areas. (The islands areas had been created as unitary council areas, and their boundaries were unaffected.) Image File history File links ScotlandCountiesNumbered. ... Image File history File links ScotlandCountiesNumbered. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... Before 1975 local government in Scotland was organised on the county system. ... The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1888 (52 & 53 Vict. ... The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (1973 c. ... The local government regions and districts of Scotland were established under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as a two-tier system of local government in Scotland. ... There are three islands council areas of Scotland: Orkney Shetland Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) The islands council areas are unitary council areas dating from 1975, created under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and notably the only unitary authorities created by the local government reforms of the 1970s... The Local Government Act etc. ... The council areas of Scotland form the local government areas of Scotland, all of them unitary authorities. ...

The 1889 legislation created county councils, turned each civil county (with one exception) into a contiguous area (without separate fragments) and adjusted boundaries where civil parishes straddled county boundaries, or had fragments in more than one county. The counties of Ross and Cromarty were merged to form Ross and Cromarty. ^[9] In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ... A civil parish (usually just parish) in England is a subnational entity forming the lowest unit of local government, lower than districts or counties. ... Ross-shire, or the County of Ross, (Siorrachd Rois in Scottish Gaelic) is a former county of Scotland. ... Cromartyshire (Siorrachd Chromba in Gaelic) was a county in the north of Scotland, consisting of a series of enclaves within Ross-shire. ... Ross and Cromarty: administrative county (1889-1975) Image:RossCromDistrict. ...

One region and various districts, created in 1975, had areas similar to those of earlier counties, and various council areas, created in 1996, are also similar. Two of the three islands areas - Orkney and Shetland - have boundaries identical to those of earlier counties. Orkney (sometimes known as the Orkney Islands) is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles north of the coast of Caithness. ... Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from etland) formerly called Hjaltland, is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ...

Scotland has also registration counties, which are in current use. The areas of Scotland that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant are called lieutenancy areas. A registration county was, in the United Kingdom, a statistical unit used for the output of census information. ... Flag of a Lord Lieutenant The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarchs personal representatives around the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. ... The Lieutenancy areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial lords-lieutenant, the monarchs representatives, in Scotland. ...

Wales

Historic counties of Wales

Main article: Counties of Wales

The thirteen historic counties of Wales were fixed by statute in 1535 (although counties such as Pembrokeshire date from 1138). The administrative counties of Wales created in 1889 were based on these. In 1974 a new system was created using vastly different entities. These were abolished in 1996 and since then Wales has been entirely divided into a system of unitary authorities. Image File history File links numbered map of the traditional counties of Wales File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links numbered map of the traditional counties of Wales File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Counties of Wales can variously refer to: the 13 traditional counties of Wales the 8 preserved counties of Wales, used for ceremonial purposes such as Lord-Lieutenancy the modern administrative counties of Wales This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... Wales has thirteen historic counties. ... Pembrokeshire (Welsh: Sir Benfro) is a county in the southwest of Wales in the United Kingdom. ... For local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 unitary authorities. ... A unitary authority is a term used in a two-tier local government system to describe a unit of local government that operates as a single tier. ...

The areas of Wales that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant are the preserved counties of Wales; based on the counties constituted in 1974. Flag of a Lord Lieutenant The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarchs personal representatives around the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. ... The Preserved counties of Wales are the current areas used in Wales for ceremonial purposes such as Lieutenancy. ...

Northern Ireland

Historic counties of Northern Ireland

Main article: Counties of Northern Ireland

The six historic counties of Northern Ireland are no longer strictly in use for administrative purposes. Combined with the boroughs of Belfast and Derry, the counties do serve for organisational purposes within government, and often with private businesses and sporting clubs. Image File history File links Nicounties. ... Image File history File links Nicounties. ... Northern Ireland is one of the four regions of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... Motto:  (Latin for Who will separate us?)[1] Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official language(s) English (de facto), Ulster Scots, Irish3, Northern Ireland Sign Language, Irish Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ...

The counties of Northern Ireland are all fully contained within the historic province of Ulster. One county has changed its name from that of County Coleraine to County Londonderry. Statistics Area: 24,481 km² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... The County of Coleraine, also known as County Coleraine, was a county of Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Derry Area: 2,074 km² Population (est. ...

References

1. ^ Bryne, T., Local Government in Britain, (1994)
2. ^ ^{a b} Jones, B. et al, Politics UK, (2004)
3. ^ Hampton, W., Local Government and Urban Politics, (1991)
4. ^ Her Majesty's Stationary Office, Aspects of Britain: Local Government, (1996)
5. ^ Kingdom, J., Local Government and Politics in Britain, (1991)
6. ^ Arnold-Baker, C., Local Government Act 1972, (1973)
7. ^ Redcliffe-Maud & Wood, B., English Local Government Reformed, (1974)
8. ^ OPSI - Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994
9. ^ Boundaries of Counties and Parishes in Scotland, Hay Shennan, 1892