English counties

England is divided into counties.
The counties have been used as administrative areas in England since Anglo-Saxon times.

1 Northumberland

/ˌnɔːˈθʌmbələnd/

2 Tyne and Wear

/ˌtaɪn ən ˈwɪə/

3 Durham

/ˈdʌrəm/

4 Cumbria

/ˈkʌmbriə/

5 North Yorkshire

/ˌnɔːθ ˈjɔːkʃə/

6 Lancashire

/ˈlænkəʃə/

7 East Riding

/iːstˈraɪdɪŋ/

8 West Yorkshire

/ˌwest ˈjɔːkʃə/

9 Lincolnshire

/ˈlɪŋkənʃə/

10 South Yorkshire

/ˌsaʊθ ˈjɔːkʃə/

11 Manchester

/ˈmæntʃestə/

Merseyside

/ˈmɜːzisaɪd/

12

13 Cheshire

/ˈtʃeʃə/

14 Derbyshire

/ˈdɑːbɪʃə/

16 Shropshire

/ˈʃrɒpʃə/

15 Nottinghamshire

/ˈnɒtɪŋəmʃə/

17 Staffordshire

/ˈstæfədʃə/

18 Leicestershire

/ˈlestəʃə/

19 Rutland

/ˈrʌtlənd/

20 Norfolk

/ˈnɔːfək/

21 Suffolk

/ˈsʌfək/

22 Cambridgeshire

/ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒʃə/

23 Northamptonshire

/nɔːˈθæmptənʃə/

24 West Midlands

/west ˈmɪdləndz/

25 Herefordshire

/ˈherədfədʃə/

26 Worcestershire

/ˈwʊstəʃə/

27 Warwickshire

/ˈwɒrɪkʃə/

28 Gloucestershire

/ˈɡlɒstəʃə/

29 Oxfordshire

/ˈɒksfədʃə/

30 Buckinghamshire

/ˈbʌkɪŋəmʃə/

Bedfordshire

/ˈbedfədʃə/

32 Hertfordshire

/ˈhɑːtfədʃə/

33 Essex

/ˈesɪks/

34 Greater London

/ˌɡreɪtə ˈlʌndən/

35 Berkshire

/ˈbɑːkʃə/

36 Wiltshire

/ˈwɪltʃə/

37 Kent

/kent/

38 East Sussex

/ˌiːst ˈsʌsɪks/

39 Surrey

/ˈsʌri/

40 West Sussex

/ˌwest ˈsʌsɪks/

41 Hampshire

/ˈhæmpʃə/

42 Dorset

/ˈdɔːsɪt/

43 Somerset

/ˈsʌməset/

44 Devon

/ˈdevn/

31

45 Cornwall

/ˈkɔːnwəl/

46 Isle of wight

/ði ˌaɪl əv ˈwaɪt/

1 Northumberland

/ˌnɔːˈθʌmbələnd/

Located on the Scottish border. It has a number of castles and Roman remains, including Hadrian's Wall. Its administrative centre is Morpeth.

2 Tyne and Wear

/ˌtaɪn ən ˈwɪə(r)/

A small county in the north-east, formed in 1974 from parts of Durham and Northumberland.

3 Durham

/ˈdʌrəm/

A county in north-east that used to be a major centre of coal mining, shipbuilding and steel making.

4 Cumbria

/ˈkʌmbriə/

A county in north-west England, on the border with Scotland. It contains the Lake District and Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England.

5 North Yorkshire

/ˌnɔːθ ˈjɔːkʃə/

A county in north-east England, formed in 1974 from parts of the former county of Yorkshire. Its administrative centre is Northallerton.

6 Lancashire

/ˈlænkəʃə/

A county in north-east that used to be a major centre of coal mining, shipbuilding and steel making.

7 East Riding of Yorkshire

/iːst ˈraɪdɪŋ ɒv ˈjɔːkʃə/

A county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. The city of Kingston upon Hull is the largest settlement.

8 West Yorkshire

/ˌwest ˈjɔːkʃə/

A county in the north of England, created in 1974 and consisting of five districts which were previously part of the West Riding of Yorkshire.

9 Lincolnshire

/ˈlɪŋkənʃə(r)/

A county on the east coast of England. Its administrative centre is Lincoln.

10 South Yorkshire

/ˌsaʊθ ˈjɔːkʃə/

The southern part of Yorkshire, in northern England, where there are many industrial towns. Formed in 1974. Its administrative centre is Sheffield.

11 Greater Manchester

/ˌɡreɪtə ˈmæntʃestə/

A county in north-west England consisting of Manchester and parts of the towns and counties that surround it.

12 Merseyside

/ˈmɜːzisaɪd/

A county in north-west England that includes Liverpool.

13 Cheshire

/ˈtʃeʃə/

A county in north-west England. Its administrative centre is Chester.

14 Derbyshire

/ˈdɑːbɪʃə/

A county in north central England. It contains the Peak District national park. Its administrative centre is the town of Matlock.

15 Nottinghamshire

/ˈnɒtɪŋəmʃə/

A county in the Midlands of England, famous for Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest. Its administrative centre is Nottingham.

16 Shropshire

/ˈʃrɒpʃə/

A county in the Midlands of England, on the Welsh border. Its administrative centre is Shrewsbury.

17 Staffordshire

/ˈstæfədʃə/

A county in western central England. An important centre of the pottery industry (making objects such as pots and plates) since the 17th century. Its administrative centre is the town of Stafford.

18 Leicestershire

/ˈlestəʃə/

A county in the English Midlands. Its administrative centre is Glenfield.

19 Rutland

/ˈrʌtlənd/

A small county in eastern central England. It became part of Leicestershire in 1974. Many local people opposed this and in 1997 the people of Rutland chose to become a separate county again.

20 Norfolk

/ˈnɔːfək/

A county in the east of England, part of East Anglia. The largest settlement is the city of Norwich.

21 Suffolk

/ˈsʌfək/

A county in East Anglia, eastern England. The administrative centre is Ipswich.

22 Cambridgeshire

/ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒʃə/

A county in south-east England. Its administrative centre is Cambridge.

23 Northamptonshire

/nɔːθˈhæmptənʃə/

A county in the Midlands. Its administrative centre is Northampton.

24 The West Midlands

/ðə ˌwest ˈmɪdləndz/

A county in central England, created in 1974 and consisting of seven districts which were previously parts of the counties of Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire, including the cities of Birmingham and Coventry.

25 Herefordshire

/ˈherədfədʃə/

A county famous for its cider and the natural beauty of the Malverns, the Wye Valley and the Golden Valley of the river Dore.

26 Worcestershire

/ˈwʊstəʃə/

A county in west central England. Its administrative centre is Worcester. The Malvern Hills are on its western border and the Cotswolds on its southern border.