West Midlands (county)

The west Midlands is a geographical term describing the western half of central England. It has also been used to name a metropolitan county at the centre of this area and more recently to name one of the administrative regions of England.

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West Midlands

The West Midlands metropolitan county is a landlocked county in central England. It contains the cities of Birmingham. Wolverhampton and Coventry and also the Black Country.

The county has a population of around 2,552,000 and covers 89,941 hectares (222,250 acres). Birmingham, Wolverhampton and the Black country together form one of the largest urban conurbations in England outside London with a combined population of around 2.2 million.

The county was created in 1974. Coventry and Birmingham were formerly part of Warwickshire and Wolverhampton was formerly part of Staffordshire.

The county was originally run by the "West Midlands County Council" but this was broken up in 1986 and most of the powers given to metropolitan district councils. However some functions such as emergency services and public transport are still run on a West Midlands wide basis.

Towns and villages

• Aldridge
• Balsall Common
• Bloxwich
• Bilston
• Birmingham
• Blackheath
• Brierley Hill
• Coleshill
• Coventry
• Dorridge
• Dudley
• Halesowen
• Hampton-in-Arden
• Marston Green
• Merriden
• Oldbury
• Sedgley
• Smethwick
• Solihull
• Sutton Coldfield
• Tipton
• Walsall
• Wednesfield
• Wednesbury
• West Bromwich
• Wolverhampton

Places of interest

• Black Country Living Museum
• Coventry Cathedral
• Dudley Castle
• Museum of British Road Transport
• Netherton tunnel
• Perrot's Folly
• Sarehole Mill

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The West Midlands is also the name of one of the regions of England. Previously the name was used for the West Midlands metropolitan county, which contained the metropolitan districts listed below. The West Midlands is divided into the following local government areas:

Counties

• Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire

Unitary authority areas

• Herefordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin

Former Metropolitan Districts within West Midlands county, now Unitary Authorities

• Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, Wolverhampton

See also: Black Country