West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in northern England. It includes Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees, and is part of the wider Yorkshire and the Humber region.
The county combines major urban centres, former industrial towns, Pennine valleys, market towns, universities, transport corridors and rural edges.
Geography
West Yorkshire lies inland, west of the historic East Riding and south-west of North Yorkshire. Its landscape includes the Pennines, the Aire and Calder valleys, urban conurbations and moorland edges.
Leeds is the largest city and an important centre for finance, education, retail, law, digital work and culture. Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Halifax and other towns have their own industrial and civic histories.
History
West Yorkshire's modern identity is strongly linked to the textile industry, coal mining, engineering, railways, canals and the growth of industrial towns during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
The metropolitan county was created in 1974 as part of local government reorganisation. Although the former county council was abolished in 1986, West Yorkshire remains a ceremonial and metropolitan county and is used for policing, transport, combined-authority work and regional identity.
Government
The five local authority districts are Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield. The West Yorkshire Combined Authority works across the county on transport, economic development, skills and wider regional strategy.
The combined authority is led by a directly elected mayor, while local services remain split across the district councils.
Economy
West Yorkshire's economy includes finance, education, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, retail, public services, media, creative industries and digital work.
The county's universities and transport links support a large labour market, while its older industrial towns still carry the legacy of mills, factories, canals and rail infrastructure.
Culture
West Yorkshire has a strong literary, musical, sporting and industrial heritage. Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield and Wakefield all contain museums, theatres, galleries, historic buildings and music venues.
The area is also associated with rugby league, football, cricket, brass bands, textile heritage and South Asian British culture, especially in Bradford and parts of Leeds.
See Also
References
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