Midlands

Midlands, region of central England. It is usually considered to include the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire, as well as Birmingham and the surrounding metropolitan districts (the former West Midlands). The region is highly industrialized. See also Black Country; Potteries, the.

Metropolitan county (pop., 2001: 2,555,596), west-central England. Its main centre is Birmingham. From 1974 to 1986 West Midlands was an administrative metropolitan county; in 1986 its administrative functions were dispersed, and it is now a geographic and ceremonial county without administrative authority. Early settlement was sparse until Saxon colonists arrived; Coventry was the region's only significant town by the late 14th century. Small metalworking industries began in Birmingham in the 16th century, and by the 18th century the area's coalfields were important for ironworking. Many of the West Midlands' traditional metallurgical and manufacturing industries persisted into the 21st century, alongside the growth of electrical engineering and the manufacture of motor vehicles, aircraft, and synthetic fibres. The West Midlands name is also applied to the western portions of the Midlands region comprising Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire; this combined area constitutes one of England's so-called standard regions.

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This article is mainly about the English Midlands. For other uses, see Midlands (disambiguation).

Midlands can refer to the central region of any territory or country. In Britain and Ireland, the term seems to be reserved for the "middle" in the vertical (North–South) direction—but countries oriented more E–W might use "Mid" with a horizontal meaning (i.e. between East and West).

UK and Ireland

In the UK, Scotland and England both have areas distinct enough to warrant the use of a capital M (i.e., The Midlands as a name, not just a description).

In recent times, in Scotland, the terms "Midlands" or "Scottish Midlands" have fallen out of fashion somewhat and the term "Central Belt" is more commonly applied.

As used in England, if a country is not specified then "Midlands" usually refers to the English Midlands.

Wales has "Mid Wales" (not "The Welsh Midlands").

The Republic of Ireland has its own "Midlands".

Zimbabwe

• Midlands (Zimbabwe)