West Midlands | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:West_Midlands_UK_locator_map_2010.svg) West Midlands within England | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Established | 1 April 1974 |
| Established by | Local Government Act 1972 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| UK Parliament | 28 MPs |
| Police | West Midlands Police |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Lord Lieutenant | John Crabtree, OBE |
| High Sheriff | Wade Lyn, CBE[1] (2020–21) |
| Area | 902 km2 (348 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 42nd of 48 |
| Population (2022)[2] | 2,953,816 |
| • Rank | 2nd of 48 |
| Density | 3,276/km2 (8,480/sq mi) |
| Ethnicity |
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| Metropolitan county | |
| Government | West Midlands Combined Authority |
| Mayor | Richard Parker (L) |
| Admin HQ | Birmingham |
| GSS code |
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| ITL | TLG3 |
| Website | wmca |
| Districts | |
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:West_Midlands_numbered_districts.svg) Districts of West Midlands Metropolitan districts | |
| Districts | |
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West Midlands is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the larger West Midlands region of England. A landlocked county, it is bordered by Staffordshire to the north and west, Worcestershire to the south, and is surrounded by Warwickshire to the east. The largest settlement is the city of Birmingham.
The county is almost entirely urban, with an area of 902 km2 (348 sq mi) and a population of 2,919,600, making it the second most populous county in England after Greater London. After Birmingham (1,144,919) the largest settlements are the cities of Coventry (345,324) and Wolverhampton (263,700), Solihull (126,577), and Sutton Coldfield (109,899). Nearly all of the county's settlements belong to the West Midlands and Coventry built-up areas, though the 'Meriden Gap' between them is rural. For local government purposes West Midlands comprises seven metropolitan boroughs: Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton. They collaborate through the West Midlands Combined Authority. The county was historically part of Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire.
The west of the county encloses the valley of the River Tame and its tributaries; the highest point of the surrounding area is Turners Hill, at 271 metres (889 ft). West Midlands contains the Sutton Park Site of Special Scientific Interest, which has an area of 970 hectares (2,400 acres) and is one of the largest urban parks in Europe. The area between Solihull and Coventry is part of the Forest of Arden, and the rivers Sowe and Sherbourne flow through Coventry.
- ^ "No. 62943". The London Gazette. 13 March 2020. p. 5161.
- ^ "Mid-2022 population estimates by Lieutenancy areas (as at 1997) for England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ^ "West Midlands County Demographics | Age, Ethnicity, Religion, Wellbeing". Varbes. Retrieved 10 February 2023.