South Yorkshire
Locator map for the English administrative region of South Yorkshire.
Metropolitan county of northeast England, created in 1974; in 1986, most of the functions of the former county council were transferred to the metropolitan borough councils.
Area
1,560 sq km/602 sq mi
Towns
Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield (all administrative centres for the districts of the same name)
Physical
River Don; part of Peak District National Park; the county contains a rich diversity of rural landscapes between the barren Pennine moors in the southwest and the very low, flat carr-lands (a mixture of marsh and copses) in the east
Features
the Earth Centre for Environmental Research
Agriculture
sheep; dairy and arable farming
Industries
metal-work, coal (in significant decline), engineering, iron, and steel
Population
(2001) 1,266,300
Famous people
Ian Botham, Arthur Scargill
Population and industry The population in the South Yorkshire area fell by 1.1% between 1981 and 1999 due to outward migration. Over 90% of the population resides in the urban areas, which are concentrated along the valley of the River Don, which runs from southwest to northeast, and along the valleys of the Don's main tributaries, the Dearne and the Rother. There is a high level of unemployment. Steel manufacturing and processing, sheet metal, and various engineering industries are important employers. Sheffield is especially noted for its high-quality alloy steels, machine tools, heavy engineering, and cutlery. |
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