Counties of the United Kingdom

Counties of the United Kingdom

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Counties of the United Kingdom

The counties of the United Kingdom are a type of subnational division of historical origin; by the Middle Ages they 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]

England
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
See also
References

England

The current ceremonial 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 or historic counties.

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.

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.

Scotland

Scottish counties in 1975

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.)

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]

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.

Scotland has also registration counties, which are in current use. The areas of Scotland that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant are called lieutenancy areas.

Wales

Historic 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 called the Principal areas of Wales.

The areas of Wales that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant are the preserved counties of Wales; based on the counties constituted in 1974.

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.

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.