About West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a county in England. It is located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region and had a population of 2.2 million in 2015. The largest city in the county is Leeds and other major towns include Wakefield, Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale.
The county of West Yorkshire was created in 1974 from parts of the historic counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire. The county town is Leeds, although the county's administrative headquarters are in Wakefield.
West Yorkshire consists of five metropolitan boroughs: Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield. The metropolitan boroughs of Leeds and Wakefield are unitary authorities, while the other three are metropolitan districts within the ceremonial county.
The county is landlocked and bordered by Lancashire to the north west, South Yorkshire to the south west, North Yorkshire to the north east and East Riding of Yorkshire to the east. The West Yorkshire Urban Area, which includes Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield and Halifax, has a population of 1.8 million, making it the third-largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
The county is home to several large towns and cities including Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Halifax. The landscape is varied with green belt land in the west and Airedale and Pennine hills in the north and east. There are several rivers including the River Aire which flows through Leeds.
The economy of West Yorkshire is diverse with sectors such as manufacturing, financial services, retail and tourism all playing a role. The region is home to some of Britain's biggest companies including Marks & Spencer, Asda and Morrisons. Tourism is also important to the economy with attractions such as Harewood House and York Minster drawing visitors from across the country.
West Yorkshire has a long history with evidence of human habitation dating back over 10,000 years. The county was originally home to the Celtic tribe of the Brigantes who controlled much of northern England. The Romans also had a presence in the region with forts such as Adel near present-day Leeds.
After the Romans left Britain, the area was settled by Anglo-Saxons and became part of the Kingdom of Northumbria. The name West Yorkshire first appeared in writing in 838 when King Egbert of Wessex granted land to St Wilfrid's Abbey in York.
The Normans conquered England in 1066 and West Yorkshire became part of the vast estates of William the Conqueror. The county saw much conflict during the medieval period with battles such as those at Towton during the Wars of the Roses.
West Yorkshire continued to be largely rural until the Industrial Revolution when it became one of the most heavily industrialised parts of Britain with coal mining and textile manufacture being major industries. The industrialisation led to a huge growth in population with towns such as Leeds and Bradford becoming major cities.
The 20th century saw further changes with heavy industry declining and service industries becoming increasingly important. This trend has continued into the 21st century with West Yorkshire now being home to many successful businesses across a range of sectors.
