West Midlands (region)

West Midlands
West Midlands, highlighted in red on the map of England
West Midlands, highlighted in red on the map of England
Coordinates: 52°28′43.9″N 2°15′22.7″W / 52.478861°N 2.256306°W / 52.478861; -2.256306
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryEngland
Combined authoritiesWest Midlands
Districts
Counties
Government
 • TypeLeaders' board
 • BodyWest Midlands Councils
 • House of Commons59 MPs (of 650)
Area
 • Total5,021 sq mi (13,004 km2)
 • Land5,019 sq mi (12,998 km2)
 • Water2 sq mi (5 km2)
 • Rank7th
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Total5,954,240
 • Rank5th
 • Density1,190/sq mi (458/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
 • Religion
List
GSS codeE12000005
ITL codeTLG
GVA2021 estimate[4]
 • Total£146.1 billion
 • Rank6th
 • Per capita£24,530
 • Rank6th
GDP (nominal)2021 estimate[5]
 • Total£164.6 billion
 • Rank6th
 • Per capita£27,649
 • Rank7th

The West Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of International Territorial Level for statistical purposes. It covers the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. The region consists of the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire. The region has seven cities; Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton and Worcester.

The West Midlands region is geographically diverse, from the urban central areas of the West Midlands conurbation to the rural counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire which border Wales. The region is landlocked. However, the longest river in the UK, the River Severn, traverses the region southeastwards, flowing through the county towns of Shrewsbury and Worcester, and the Ironbridge Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Staffordshire is home to the industrialised Potteries conurbation, including the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and the Staffordshire Moorlands area, which borders the southeastern Peak District National Park near Leek. The region also encompasses five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Wye Valley, Shropshire Hills, Cannock Chase, Malvern Hills, and parts of the Cotswolds. Warwickshire is home to the towns of Stratford upon Avon, birthplace of writer William Shakespeare, Rugby, the birthplace of Rugby football and Nuneaton, birthplace to author George Eliot.

  1. ^ "Standard Area Measurements (Latest) for Administrative Areas in the United Kingdom (V2)". Open Geography Portal. Office for National Statistics. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  2. ^ Park, Neil (21 December 2022). "Estimates of the population for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – West Midlands Region (E12000005)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  4. ^ Fenton, Trevor (25 April 2023). "Regional gross value added (balanced) per head and income components". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  5. ^ Fenton, Trevor (25 April 2023). "Regional gross domestic product: all ITL regions". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 15 August 2023.

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