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2 Shires in the United Kingdom 3 Shires in England 4 Shires in Scotland 5 Shires in Wales 6 Administration 7 See also |
The suffix -shire was also included in the name of some areas subsequently incorporated into administrative counties, for instance Hallamshire in South Yorkshire, Richmondshire and Cravenshire in North Yorkshire, and Bedlingtonshire, Norhamshire and Islandshire, exclaves of County Durham which were incorporated Northumberland in 1844. The term shire thus predates the creation of England's counties, referring originally to a more local jurisdiction.
In local government terms, the phrase 'Shire county' refers to the non-metropolitan administrative counties of England outside London. The term is often used by political commentators to describe the areas of England outside London and the 'metropolitan counties' created for the principal conurbations in 1974.