The name of a county often gives a clue to how it was formed, either as a division that took its name from a centre of administration, an ancient kingdom, or an area occupied by an ethnic group. The majority of English … See more

Origins
Great Britain was first divided into administrative areas by the Romans, most likely following major geographical features such as rivers. Before their arrival there were distinct tribal areas, but they were in a constant … See more

The vice counties, used for biological recording since 1852, are largely based on historic county boundaries. They ignore all exclaves and are … See more

• Note ^a : 1889 areas recorded in 1891 census. Accurate measurements were not available until the 19th century, as a by-product of the Ordnance Survey's boundary survey. … See more

By the late Middle Ages the county was being used as the basis of a number of functions.
Administration of justice and law enforcement See more

At the time of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, the ancient counties continue to form, with considerably … See more

• Counties of Northern Ireland
• Historic counties of Scotland
• Historic counties of Wales See more