Map of England Counties: UK County Maps

Is there a list of all the counties?

It's important to note that the United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Each has its own system of administrative and geographic divisions.

England

Here are the 48 ceremonial counties in England:

1. Bedfordshire

2. Berkshire

3. Buckinghamshire

4. Cambridgeshire

5. Cheshire

6. Cornwall

7. Cumbria

8. Derbyshire

9. Devon

10. Dorset

11. Durham

12. East Riding of Yorkshire

13. East Sussex

14. Essex

15. Gloucestershire

16. Greater London

17. Greater Manchester

18. Hampshire

19. Herefordshire

20. Hertfordshire

21. Isle of Wight

22. Kent

23. Lancashire

24. Leicestershire

25. Lincolnshire

26. Merseyside

27. Norfolk

28. North Yorkshire

29. Northamptonshire

30. Northumberland

31. Nottinghamshire

32. Oxfordshire

33. Rutland

34. Shropshire

35. Somerset

36. South Yorkshire

37. Staffordshire

38. Suffolk

39. Surrey

40. Tyne and Wear

41. Warwickshire

42. West Midlands

43. West Sussex

44. West Yorkshire

45. Wiltshire

46. Worcestershire

Scotland

Scotland is divided into 32 council areas, but for historical and ceremonial reasons, it is also often divided into traditional counties or shires:

1. Aberdeenshire

2. Angus

3. Argyll

4. Ayrshire

5. Banffshire

6. Berwickshire

7. Bute

8. Caithness

9. Clackmannanshire

10. Dumfriesshire

11. Dunbartonshire

12. East Lothian

13. Fife

14. Inverness-shire

15. Kincardineshire

16. Kinross-shire

17. Kirkcudbrightshire

18. Lanarkshire

19. Midlothian

20. Moray

21. Nairnshire

22. Orkney

23. Peeblesshire

24. Perthshire

25. Renfrewshire

26. Ross-shire

27. Roxburghshire

28. Selkirkshire

29. Shetland

30. Stirlingshire

31. Sutherland

32. West Lothian

33. Wigtownshire

Wales

Wales is divided into 22 unitary authority areas, often referred to as "counties" or "principal areas":

1. Anglesey

2. Blaenau Gwent

3. Bridgend

4. Caerphilly

5. Cardiff

6. Carmarthenshire

7. Ceredigion

8. Conwy

9. Denbighshire

10. Flintshire

11. Gwynedd

12. Merthyr Tydfil

13. Monmouthshire

14. Neath Port Talbot

15. Newport

16. Pembrokeshire

17. Powys

18. Rhondda Cynon Taf

19. Swansea

20. Torfaen

21. Vale of Glamorgan

22. Wrexham

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is traditionally divided into six counties:

1. Antrim

2. Armagh

3. Down

4. Fermanagh

5. Londonderry

6. Tyrone

Please note that these divisions are for ceremonial and traditional purposes and may not necessarily represent the current administrative setup, especially in Scotland and Wales.

Understanding English Counties

Major Counties in the UK

Metropolitan Counties

Map of England Counties: UK County Maps

A map of England's counties offers a detailed view of the administrative and geographic divisions that make up England, which is a country within the United Kingdom. England is divided into 48 ceremonial counties, which are also known as geographic or historic counties. In addition, there are 39 administrative counties and six metropolitan counties.

Understanding English Counties

Ceremonial Counties

Ceremonial counties are areas for which a Lord Lieutenant is appointed. They correspond to the historic counties and are used mainly for cultural and geographic identification. Examples include Lancashire, Kent, and Cornwall.

Administrative Counties

These are the regions governed by county councils and are the primary unit of local government. Administrative counties often align with ceremonial counties but may have some differences due to changes in borders or governance structures. Examples include Surrey, Hampshire, and Northumberland.

Unitary Authorities

Some areas are not part of administrative counties but instead are governed as unitary authorities. These have a single tier of local government that takes on the roles typically divided between county and district councils. Examples include Bristol, Herefordshire, and Isle of Wight.

Non-Metropolitan Counties

Also known as "shire counties," these are usually rural areas that have a county council and several district councils. Examples include Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Dorset.

Major Counties in the UK

1. Yorkshire - Known for its natural beauty, Yorkshire is often referred to as "God's Own County."

2. Lancashire - Famous for its industrial past and cultural heritage.

3. Kent - Known as the "Garden of England" for its lush landscapes.

4. Cornwall - Known for its beautiful coastline and Celtic history.

5. Surrey - One of the wealthiest counties, bordering London to the south.

6. Devon - Famous for its beautiful beaches and moorland.

7. Hampshire - Home to the New Forest and several historic cities.

8. Essex - Known for its proximity to London and diverse population.

Metropolitan Counties

Metropolitan counties were introduced in 1974 to provide a level of government for large urban areas. These counties consist of multiple metropolitan boroughs and are generally more urbanized than their non-metropolitan counterparts.

1. Greater Manchester - Includes Manchester and its surrounding areas.

2. West Midlands - Includes Birmingham, Coventry, and Wolverhampton.

3. West Yorkshire - Includes Leeds, Bradford, and Wakefield.

4. Merseyside - Includes Liverpool and its surrounding areas.

5. South Yorkshire - Includes Sheffield and its surrounding areas.

6. Tyne and Wear - Includes Newcastle, Sunderland, and other nearby towns.

Metropolitan counties don't have county councils; instead, each borough has its own council that takes on the roles traditionally performed by both county and district councils. In some cases, like Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, there are combined authorities that take on some roles across the whole metropolitan county.

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