Midlands

The Midlands is the central part of England. It lies to the south of Northern England, to the north of Southern England, to the east of Wales and to the west of the North Sea. The Midlands includes many counties such as Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire.

For statistical reasons, the Midlands is split into two areas: the East and the West Midlands. Together, these areas are home to about 10.9 million people and cover an area of 28,622 km² (11,051 square miles).

Long ago, the Midlands was part of a kingdom called Mercia. During the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Midlands grew very important, especially in a place known as the Black Country. The largest city in the Midlands is Birmingham, which is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom. Other important cities include Coventry, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, and Worcester.

Definition and extent

The Midlands is the central part of England. It is found between Northern and Southern England, and between Wales and the North Sea. When people talk about the Midlands for counting and planning, they usually mean the East Midlands and West Midlands areas. These include many counties such as Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, and others.

Sometimes, the Midlands can be thought of a bit more broadly. Older descriptions from books include places like Gloucestershire and Bedfordshire as part of the Midlands. Even Cheshire is sometimes included. There are also informal ways to split the Midlands into a South Midlands and a North Midlands, but these do not have fixed borders.

Culture and identity

The Midlands, located in the center of England, has a mix of cultural traits from both Northern and Southern England. Because it is between these two areas, some feel the Midlands doesn't have a strong, clear identity of its own. Different parts of the Midlands have their own unique character, with many groups dedicated to preserving local history and industrial heritage.

Some areas of the Midlands are called the Heart of England, since they are close to the geographic center of the country. The Midlands has many famous foods, like the bakewell tart and the Staffordshire oatcake, as well as well-known brands such as Cadbury chocolate. Music has also flourished here, with famous bands like Black Sabbath starting in Birmingham.

Symbolism

A special symbol called a saltire, which is a diagonal cross, has been linked to the ancient kingdom of Mercia, which covered much of the Midlands. This symbol is used as a flag and appears on coats of arms for several Midlands towns.

Language and dialect

The Midlands has many different dialects, with some areas sounding more like Northern England and others more like Southern England. The Brummie dialect from Birmingham and the Black Country dialect are two well-known examples.

Food

The Midlands is home to many famous foods, such as the bakewell tart, Staffordshire oatcake, Melton Mowbray pork pie, Coventry godcake, Stilton cheese, and haslet. Birmingham has also helped popularize dishes like the local version of the Asian balti curry. Other famous Midlands products include Worcestershire sauce, Walkers crisps, and Cadbury chocolate.

Music

See also: Popular music of Birmingham and Music in Leicester

The Midlands has produced many famous musicians and bands. Birmingham's Black Sabbath helped start heavy metal music, while Coventry was important for ska music in the 1970s. Other influential groups include Discharge from Stoke-on-Trent and the Sleaford Mods, known for their strong local accent.

Geography and cities

The Midlands has many different kinds of land. Most of it is flat, but there are some hills. In the west and north, you can find higher areas like the Shropshire Hills and the Peak District. The Peak District’s highest point is Kinder Scout, and the Shropshire Hills include places like the Long Mynd and Wenlock Edge.

The Midlands has a mild climate with cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Temperatures usually stay between about −1 °C in winter and 24 °C in summer, but it can get much colder or hotter on special days. Some places in the Midlands have recorded the highest and lowest temperatures ever seen in England.

The table below shows the bigger towns and cities in the Midlands that have at least 250,000 people.

Divisions

The West Midlands and East Midlands are important parts of England. They used to be areas for voting in the European Parliament.

Local government in the Midlands includes many different areas called boroughs and counties. Some of the main cities are Birmingham, Coventry, Derby, Dudley, Leicester, Nottingham, Sandwell, Stoke-on-Trent, Solihull, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall, and Wolverhampton.

Other areas are called counties and have smaller districts inside them. These include Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, North Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Northamptonshire, and Worcestershire.

Some special areas like North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire are part of Lincolnshire but belong to a different region called Yorkshire and the Humber.

The Midlands has many people living there and covers a large area of land.

Historic counties

Main article: Historic counties of England

Historic counties used to be important for managing places, but they are not used for that anymore. Some people still care about them, especially for things like county cricket.

• Derbyshire
• Herefordshire
• Leicestershire
• Lincolnshire
• Northamptonshire
• Nottinghamshire
• Rutland
• Shropshire
• Staffordshire
• Warwickshire
• Worcestershire

Midlands named concepts

The name "midland" is used for several things:

• Midland Bank, which started in Birmingham and is now part of HSBC
• Midland Metro, now known as the West Midlands Metro
• Midlands Engine, a UK government plan to help improve the area
• Midland Main Line, a railway that goes from London through the East Midlands to Sheffield