Wikipedia:WikiProject UK geography/How to write about counties

At the WikiProject UK geography, we believe the counties of the United Kingdom are important subjects. In order to facilitate the development of these subdivisions of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the following guidance has been put together.

In the United Kingdom, the meaning of "county" can be confusing. There are several types of official administrative area that are described as counties due to historical modifications of the borders, and because the extent of the "administrative county boundaries" are often not exactly the same as the ceremonial and ancient county boundaries by of the same name; the counties of England and Wales have undergone vast geographic transformation in the last few centuries; the counties of Scotland were officially abolished but their territory (in some cases) exist with a ceremonial role; likewise the counties of Northern Ireland have no administrative role, but are used for geographic demarcation and lieutenancy.

In respect of England, Scotland and Wales, a fundamental part of this guide is to reaffirm the long established position that we do not take the view that the historic/ancient/traditional counties still exist with the former boundaries. Unless (using consensus) a good reason is made not to, the article should describe any administrative and ceremonial changes differences within one article, including any difference in the statistics between them. In England and Wales, where the historic county boundaries are different to modern boundaries the article should discuss these differences, and not be split into new "Historic county of Exampleshire" articles.

Where counties have been abolished or no longer serve any municipal role (such as Middlesex or Ross-shire) these should have their own articles, but maintain that they no longer function as contemporary counties/subdivisions of territory.

Guidance

As mentioned, there are several types of official administrative area that are described as counties. They differ from each other in significant ways; some have a county council, some are dominated by conurbations, others no longer function with any administrative, municipal or statistical role. Systems also differ between the United Kingdom's home nations. As such, the guidance is split according to type of county.

Hit [Show] in the upper box to reveal the guidance. Please widen your window if the display is distorted.

English, ceremonial, "Shire county", examples: Devon, Suffolk and Berkshire

NOTE: "Infobox" and "Lead" are not headings in their own right, and should not be included on articles as such. The order of sections is also optional, and sections may be moved around to a different order based on the needs of the county. Editors are strongly encouraged, however, to follow the first five sections outlined here. References are mandatory for any article however. Section titles should generally not start with the word "The" (see WP:HEAD). Infobox* Use Template:Infobox England county. For ceremonial counties, follow infobox image guideline. Do not include flags in the infobox, as they cannot be placed in context there. Lead* Lead (see also WP:LEAD): Include the following Name of county (including any official/unofficial names, abbreviations), type of county (i.e. Non-metropolitan county), its official region, and constituent country. Its county town (where applicable) and/or its centre of administration/largest centre of population. How many districts are within its boundaries (explain any differences with ceremonial boundaries) A brief paragraph about its geographic situation (e.g. is it landlocked? upland? lowland?) A brief paragraph about its historic significance Nicknames, if notable Notable unique characteristics and characteristics commonly associated with it. Lead sections must not exceed four paragraphs, per WP:LEAD. History {{main|History of _}} History: Include the following A note on the Toponymy of the county. A note on the earliest known history of the county (any Bronze Age or Roman artefacts for example), and the earliest known mentions of the county (e.g. in Domesday book, Heptarchy?). Consider the county through the ages, i.e. pre-Roman settlement, Roman occupation, Saxon, Norman, Middle and Modern ages. This section may include notable historic buildings, such as castles and monasteries, significant battles, etc. Avoid using headings that arrange the history of a county according to century or decade. Geography {{main|Geography of _}} Geography: Include the following Where the county is in relation to others. A note on the topography of the county, including its elevation above sea level, mentions of notable rivers, mountains or natural landmarks. A note on the geology of the territory. A note on the built environment of the county, including how the land is used, if there is any notable infrastructure (a heavy rail line, motorway etc.), and a note on how the urban structure of the county is shaped and lies in relation to county boundaries. A note on any districts, towns and cities of the county. A note/section on the county's climate (where figures are available) (include table if possible) Governance "Include the following Ceremonial county Lord Lieutenants High Sheriff Modern local government Non-metropolitan county & county council Districts & district councils Unitary authorities Combined Authorities or partnerships Political makeup of county council or county-wide combined authority Historic local government Former government structures Present historic government UK Parliament Number of constituencies General vote share Demography {{main|Demography of _}} Demography: Include the following only if data is available Current population and where the figure is taken from. The ethnic composition. The religious composition. Economic activity of the population. The population change over the last century. Population density, and any notable migration patterns. Age structure and distribution: retirement levels? urban areas with younger population than rural areas? Any notable or unusual census data. Economy {{main|Economy of _}} Economy: Include the following A note on major employment sectors. A note on major employers. A note on traditional or former sectors. Things to consider: GDP in relation to rest of region and rest of UK. Employment rate. Principal industries & employers. Agriculture. Tourism. Landmarks Landmarks: Include the following Note on especially notable war memorials. Notable buildings or architecture. Notable sites of tourism. Notable natural landmarks (such as a waterfall, or landform) Transport Transport: Include the following A note on the transportation infrastructure in place in and around the county. Any heavy rail or light rail stations and lines. Any airports/ferryports that are associated with the county. Settlements {{main|List of places in _}} A table of settlements within the county boundaries split between local government area. Avoid making lists in this section. Education {{seealso|List of schools in _}} Religious sites Religious sites (NOTE: May also use the alternative heading of "Religion" should the content extend to material beyond the places of worship themselves): Include the following Any churches or other such religious sites, and, where applicable, if and whom they are dedicated to (i.e. which saint). Sports Sports (NOTE: May also use the alternative heading of "Sports and recreation"): Include the following A note on notable sports teams or sports centres. Notable people {{main|List of people from _}} All persons under this section must satisfy Wikipedia:Notability (people). A note on what people from this county are called, (e.g. people from Lancashire are called Lancastrians). A note on any notable births in the county. A note on any notable residents in the county. Do not use a list format in this section. Please write this as prose, reference each person, and do not use the word "famous". Reserve this section for the most notable of people - suitable for a county, rather than city or town. See also See also (this heading is not mandatory): Include the following: Only list articles here that are directly related to the county. Do not list articles that have already been linked in the article. References NOTE: Reference sections may follow a number of styles, including separate "Footnote" and "Further reading" sections, please refer to WP:REF for more information. Every article of Wikipedia must provide reliable citation, and thus this section is mandatory per policy. Please use {{reflist}} for a standalone "Reference" section. Try to avoid over using citation in lead sections. Consider using an approved citation template to better organise and present references. When providing a reference, please note that the word or punctuation goes before the reference, with no space in between. Full stops should not appear after a reference (i.e. "this is a quote".<ref>Smith J. (1234), Example book</ref>) External links External links should be added only rarely, and in accordance with the guidelines found in WP:EL. Consequently, this section should only rarely be found in most articles. In particular, the use of links as described in WP:SPAM should always be avoided. If any links are deemed appropriate for this section, they should always be accompanied by an appropriate description of (a) what they are, (b) their justification, and (c) the date on which they were added in the form "Accessed: 07 July, 2007" (WP:EL#External links section gives some more information about this.) External links used as a form of verification for facts found in the text of the article should be treated as normal references, e.g., cited by enclosing them in <ref>...</ref> tags and conforming to the style of web-based references, which also includes a "Retrieval date" component. They should not be added to this section (see WP:EL#References and citation.) Wikipedia:Citation templates gives useful information about what should be entered and the order in which the separate components of a web-citation should appear.

English, ceremonial, Metropolitan county, examples: Greater Manchester, West Midlands (county)

NOTE: "Infobox" and "Lead" are not headings in their own right, and should not be included on articles as such. The order of sections is also optional, and sections may be moved around to a different order based on the needs of the county. Editors are strongly encouraged, however, to follow the first five sections outlined here. References are mandatory for any article however. Section titles should generally not start with the word "The" (see WP:HEAD). Infobox* Use Template:Infobox England county. For ceremonial counties, follow infobox image guideline. Lead* Lead (see also WP:LEAD): Include the following Name of county (including any official/unofficial names, abbreviations), type of county (i.e. metropolitan county), its official region, and constituent country. Its geographic situation (is it landlocked?) How many districts are within its boundaries and mention any cities within its boundaries. Mention the county council was abolished but is still an official division of land. Nicknames, if notable Notable unique characteristics and characteristics commonly associated with it. Lead sections must not exceed four paragraphs, per WP:LEAD. History {{main|History of _}} History: Include the following A note on the choice of name the county (what it alludes to). A brief note on the history of the county prior to its set up in 1974 A note on what brought on the urban expansion within the settlement (e.g. Textile industry?) Avoid using headings that arrange the history of a county according to century or decade. Geography {{main|Geography of _}} Geography: Include the following Where the county is in relation to others. A note on the topography of the county, including its elevation above sea level, mentions of notable rivers, mountains or natural landmarks. A note on the geology of the territory. A note on the built environment of the county, including how the land is used, if there is any notable infrastructure (a heavy rail line, motorway etc.), and a note on how the urban structure of the county is shaped and lies in relation to administrative boundaries. A note/section on the county's climate (where figures are available) Governance {{main|List of constituencies in _}} ''OR'' {{further|[[_ County Council]]}} Governance: Include the following How the settlement is governed today (e.g. is there a district council association like Association of Greater Manchester Local Authorities?). Explain the changes in governance made throughout the history of the county (since 1974) A note on the various tiers of government that a relevant to the county. Parliamentary representation including MPs. Demography {{main|Demography of _}} Demography: Include the following only if data is available Current population and where the figure is taken from. The ethnic composition. The religious composition. Economic activity of the population. The population change over the last century. Population density, and any notable migration patterns. Age structure and distribution: retirement levels? urban areas with younger population than rural areas? Any notable or unusual census data. Economy {{main|Economy of _}} Economy: Include the following A note on major employment sectors. A note on major employers. A note on traditional or former sectors. Things to consider: GDP in relation to rest of region and rest of UK. Employment rate. Principal industries & employers. Agriculture. Tourism. Settlements {{main|List of places in _}} A table of settlements within the county boundaries split between local government area. Avoid making lists in this section. Transport Transport: Include the following A note on the transportation infrastructure in place in and around the county. Any heavy rail or light rail stations and lines. Any airports/ferryports that are associated with the county. Sports Sports (NOTE: May also use the alternative heading of "Sports and recreation"): Include the following A note on notable sports teams or sports centres. Places of interest Include a note/table on museums, open spaces, landmarks etc. See also See also (this heading is not mandatory): Include the following: Only list articles here that are directly related to the county. Do not list articles that have already been linked in the article. References NOTE: Reference sections may follow a number of styles, including separate "Footnote" and "Further reading" sections, please refer to WP:REF for more information. Every article of Wikipedia must provide reliable citation, and thus this section is mandatory per policy. Please use {{reflist}} for a standalone "Reference" section. Try to avoid over using citation in lead sections. Consider using an approved citation template to better organise and present references. When providing a reference, please note that the word or punctuation goes before the reference, with no space in between. Full stops should not appear after a reference (i.e. "this is a quote".<ref>Smith J. (1234), Example book</ref>) External links External links should be added only rarely, and in accordance with the guidelines found in WP:EL. Consequently, this section should only rarely be found in most articles. In particular, the use of links as described in WP:SPAM should always be avoided. If any links are deemed appropriate for this section, they should always be accompanied by an appropriate description of (a) what they are, (b) their justification, and (c) the date on which they were added in the form "Accessed: 07 July, 2007" (WP:EL#External links section gives some more information about this.) External links used as a form of verification for facts found in the text of the article should be treated as normal references, e.g., cited by enclosing them in <ref>...</ref> tags and conforming to the style of web-based references, which also includes a "Retrieval date" component. They should not be added to this section (see WP:EL#References and citation.) Wikipedia:Citation templates gives useful information about what should be entered and the order in which the separate components of a web-citation should appear.

Former counties of England (those that no longer function with an administrative role), examples: Avon (county), Westmorland, Middlesex

NOTE: "Infobox" and "Lead" are not headings in their own right, and should not be included on articles as such. The order of sections is also optional, and sections may be moved around to a different order based on the needs of the county. Editors are strongly encouraged, however, to follow the first five sections outlined here. References are mandatory for any article however. Section titles should generally not start with the word "The" (see WP:HEAD). Editors must be mindful of fostering and/or introducing anachronism into former county articles. Use language that asserts past tense - We do not take the minority view that the historic counties still exist with the former boundaries. Continued use of the name of the county can be explained in the "Legacy" section. Infobox* Use Template:Infobox historic subdivision (see Westmorland for example) Lead* Name of county and any notable nicknames, official/unofficial names, abbreiviations. A note on where the county was in relation to others. A note on what counties succeeded the county. A note on what the county town was. History {{main|History of _}} History: Include the following A note on the Toponymy of the county. A note on the earliest known history of the county (any Bronze Age or Roman artefacts for example), and the earliest known mentions of the county (e.g. in Domesday book, Heptarchy?). Avoid using headings that arrange the history of a county according to century or decade. A note on former economic sectors. If the county is of historic origin, consider the county through the ages, i.e. pre-Roman settlement, Roman occupation, Saxon, Norman, Middle and Modern ages. This section may include notable historic buildings, such as castles and monasteries, significant battles, etc. Physical geography {{main|Geography of _}} Geography: Include the following A note on the topography of the county, including its elevation above sea level, mentions of notable rivers, mountains or natural landmarks. A note on the geology of the territory. A note on the built environment of the county, including how the land is used, if there is any notable infrastructure (a heavy rail line, motorway etc.), and a note on how the urban structure of the county is shaped and lies in relation to county boundaries. Politics Governance: Include the following A note on any divisions or hundreds of the county. Changes in governance made throughout the history of the county (what was its former status? Did it have a county council?) A note on the various tiers of government that a relevant to the county. A notable parliamentary representation it had. Demography Demography: Include the following only if data is available The population change from historic figures. Economic activity of the population. A note on any major centres of population Any notable migration patterns. Any notable or unusual census data. Industries Industries: Include the following only if data is available A note on former employment sectors (textile mills, agriculture, fisheries) Things to consider: Historic economic activity in relation to rest of region and rest of UK. Employment rate. Principal industries & employers. Agriculture. Landmarks Landmarks: Include the following Note on any war memorials. Notable buildings or architecture. Notable natural landmarks (such as a waterfall, or landform) Legacy Legacy: Include the following Note on how the name of the county is still used (Fire service? Newspaper?) A note on any divisions of land or institutions that use the county's name. Notable people {{main|List of people from _}} All persons under this section must satisfy Wikipedia:Notability (people). A note on what people from this county are called, (e.g. people from Lancashire are called Lancastrians). A note on any notable births in the county. A note on any notable residents in the county. Do not use a list format in this section. Please write this as prose, reference each person, and do not use the word "famous". Reserve this section for the most notable of people - suitable for a county, rather than city or town. See also See also (this heading is not mandatory): Include the following: Only list articles here that are directly related to the county. Do not list articles that have already been linked in the article. References NOTE: Reference sections may follow a number of styles, including separate "Footnote" and "Further reading" sections, please refer to WP:REF for more information. Every article of Wikipedia must provide reliable citation, and thus this section is mandatory per policy. Please use {{reflist}} for a standalone "Reference" section. Try to avoid over using citation in lead sections. Consider using an approved citation template to better organise and present references. When providing a reference, please note that the word or punctuation goes before the reference, with no space in between. Full stops should not appear after a reference (i.e. "this is a quote".<ref>Smith J. (1234), Example book</ref>) External links External links should be added only rarely, and in accordance with the guidelines found in WP:EL. Consequently, this section should only rarely be found in most articles. In particular, the use of links as described in WP:SPAM should always be avoided. If any links are deemed appropriate for this section, they should always be accompanied by an appropriate description of (a) what they are, (b) their justification, and (c) the date on which they were added in the form "Accessed: 07 July, 2007" (WP:EL#External links section gives some more information about this.) External links used as a form of verification for facts found in the text of the article should be treated as normal references, e.g., cited by enclosing them in <ref>...</ref> tags and conforming to the style of web-based references, which also includes a "Retrieval date" component. They should not be added to this section (see WP:EL#References and citation.) Wikipedia:Citation templates gives useful information about what should be entered and the order in which the separate components of a web-citation should appear.

Counties of Scotland, examples: Cromartyshire, Renfrewshire (historic)

NOTE: "Infobox" and "Lead" are not headings in their own right, and should not be included on articles as such. The order of sections is also optional, and sections may be moved around to a different order based on the needs of the county. Editors are strongly encouraged, however, to follow the first five sections outlined here. References are mandatory for any article however. Section titles should generally not start with the word "The" (see WP:HEAD). Editors must be mindful of fostering and/or introducing anachronism into former county articles. Use language that asserts past tense - We do not take the minority view that the historic counties still exist with the former boundaries. Continued use of the name of the county can be explained in the "Legacy" section. Infobox* Use Template:infobox Scotland county. Lead* Name of county and any notable nicknames, official/unofficial names, abbreiviations. A note on where the county was in relation to others. A note on what region and council areas succeeded the county. A note on what the county town was. If the county is still used for registration and/or lieutenancy, make this clear. History {{main|History of _}} History: Include the following A note on the Toponymy of the county. A note on the earliest known history of the county (any Bronze Age or Pictish artefacts for example), and the earliest known Scottish historiography of the county (e.g. as a former Kingdom or Mormaership?). Avoid using headings that arrange the history of a county according to century or decade. A note on former economic sectors. A note on major/notable Clan presence. If the county is of historic origin, consider the county through the ages, i.e. pre-Roman settlement, Roman occupation, Srathclyde/Alba, Middle and Modern ages. This section may include notable historic buildings, such as castles and monasteries, significant battles, etc. Physical geography {{main|Geography of _}} Geography: Include the following A note on the topography of the county, including its elevation above sea level, mentions of notable rivers, mountains or natural landmarks. A note on the geology of the territory. A note on the built environment of the county, including how the land was used, if there was any notable infrastructure (a heavy rail line, bridge, turnpike etc.), and a note on how the urban structure of the county was shaped and lies in relation to county boundaries. Settlements A table of settlements within the county boundaries showing with authority boundaries these places now form part of. Avoid making lists in this section. Politics Politics: Include the following A note on any divisions or hundreds of the county. Changes in governance made throughout the history of the county (what was its former status? Did it have a county council?) A note on the various tiers of government that a relevant to the county. A notable parliamentary representation it returned to Westminster. Demography Demography: Include the following only if data is available The population change from historic figures. Economic activity of the population. A note on any major centres of population Any notable migration patterns. Any notable or unusual census data. Industries Industries: Include the following only if data is available A note on former employment sectors (textile mills, agriculture, fisheries) Things to consider: Historic economic activity in relation to rest of Scotland and (where prevailent enough - such as Lanarkshire) the rest of UK. Employment rate. Principal industries & employers. Agriculture. Landmarks Landmarks: Include the following Note on any sites of historic interest. Note on any war memorials. Notable buildings or architecture. Notable natural landmarks (such as a waterfall, or landform) Legacy Legacy: Include the following Note on how the name of the county is still used (Newspaper? As a council area? Cultural groups?) A note on any divisions of land or institutions that use the county's name. Notable people {{main|List of people from _}} All persons under this section must satisfy Wikipedia:Notability (people). Do not include people born post-1975. A note on what people from this county are called. A note on any notable births in the county. A note on any notable residents in the county. Do not use a list format in this section. Please write this as prose, reference each person, and do not use the word "famous". Reserve this section for the most notable of people - suitable for a county, rather than city or town. See also See also (this heading is not mandatory): Include the following: Only list articles here that are directly related to the county. Do not list articles that have already been linked in the article. References NOTE: Reference sections may follow a number of styles, including separate "Footnote" and "Further reading" sections, please refer to WP:REF for more information. Every article of Wikipedia must provide reliable citation, and thus this section is mandatory per policy. Please use {{reflist}} for a standalone "Reference" section. Try to avoid over using citation in lead sections. Consider using an approved citation template to better organise and present references. When providing a reference, please note that the word or punctuation goes before the reference, with no space in between. Full stops should not appear after a reference (i.e. "this is a quote".<ref>Smith J. (1234), Example book</ref>) External links External links should be added only rarely, and in accordance with the guidelines found in WP:EL. Consequently, this section should only rarely be found in most articles. In particular, the use of links as described in WP:SPAM should always be avoided. If any links are deemed appropriate for this section, they should always be accompanied by an appropriate description of (a) what they are, (b) their justification, and (c) the date on which they were added in the form "Accessed: 07 July, 2007" (WP:EL#External links section gives some more information about this.) External links used as a form of verification for facts found in the text of the article should be treated as normal references, e.g., cited by enclosing them in <ref>...</ref> tags and conforming to the style of web-based references, which also includes a "Retrieval date" component. They should not be added to this section (see WP:EL#References and citation.) Wikipedia:Citation templates gives useful information about what should be entered and the order in which the separate components of a web-citation should appear.

Former counties of Wales (those that no longer function with an administrative role), examples: Glamorgan, Denbighshire (historic)

NOTE: "Infobox" and "Lead" are not headings in their own right, and should not be included on articles as such. The order of sections is also optional, and sections may be moved around to a different order based on the needs of the county. Editors are strongly encouraged, however, to follow the first five sections outlined here. References are mandatory for any article however. Section titles should generally not start with the word "The" (see WP:HEAD). Editors must be mindful of fostering and/or introducing anachronism into former county articles. Use language that asserts past tense - We do not take the minority view that the historic counties still exist with the former boundaries. Continued use of the name of the county can be explained in the "Legacy" section. Infobox* Use Template:infobox historic subdivision Lead* Name of county and any notable nicknames, official/unofficial names, abbreiviations. A note on where the county was in relation to others. A note on what region and council areas succeeded the county. A note on what the county town was. History {{main|History of _}} History: Include the following A note on the Toponymy of the county. A note on the earliest known history of the county (any Bronze Age or Celtic artefacts for example), and the earliest known mentions of the county (as part of Edward I of England's conquest?). Avoid using headings that arrange the history of a county according to century or decade. A note on former economic sectors. If the county is of historic origin, consider the county through the ages, i.e. pre-Roman settlement, Roman occupation, Celtic, Middle and Modern ages. This section may include notable historic buildings, such as castles and monasteries, significant battles, etc. Physical geography {{main|Geography of _}} Geography: Include the following A note on the topography of the county, including its elevation above sea level, mentions of notable rivers, mountains or natural landmarks. A note on the geology of the territory. A note on the built environment of the county, including how the land was used, if there was any notable infrastructure (a heavy rail line, bridge, motorway etc.), and a note on how the urban structure of the county was shaped and lies in relation to county boundaries. Politics Politics: Include the following A note on any divisions or hundreds of the county. Changes in governance made throughout the history of the county (what was its former status? Did it have a county council?) A note on the various tiers of government that a relevant to the county. A notable parliamentary representation it returned to Westminster. Demography Demography: Include the following only if data is available The population change from historic figures. Economic activity of the population. A note on any major centres of population Any notable migration patterns. Any notable or unusual census data. Industries Industries: Include the following only if data is available A note on former employment sectors (mining, agriculture, fisheries) Things to consider: Historic economic activity in relation to rest of Wales and the rest of UK. Employment rate. Principal industries & employers. Agriculture. Landmarks Landmarks: Include the following Note on any sites of historic interest. Note on any war memorials. Notable buildings or architecture. Notable natural landmarks (such as a waterfall, or landform) Legacy Legacy: Include the following Note on how the name of the county is still used (Newspaper? As a principal area?) A note on any divisions of land or institutions that use the county's name. Notable people {{main|List of people from _}} All persons under this section must satisfy Wikipedia:Notability (people). Do not include people born post-1889/1974 where appropriate. A note on what people from this county are called. A note on any notable births in the county. A note on any notable residents in the county. Do not use a list format in this section. Please write this as prose, reference each person, and do not use the word "famous". Reserve this section for the most notable of people - suitable for a county, rather than city or town. See also See also (this heading is not mandatory): Include the following: Only list articles here that are directly related to the county. Do not list articles that have already been linked in the article. References NOTE: Reference sections may follow a number of styles, including separate "Footnote" and "Further reading" sections, please refer to WP:REF for more information. Every article of Wikipedia must provide reliable citation, and thus this section is mandatory per policy. Please use {{reflist}} for a standalone "Reference" section. Try to avoid over using citation in lead sections. Consider using an approved citation template to better organise and present references. When providing a reference, please note that the word or punctuation goes before the reference, with no space in between. Full stops should not appear after a reference (i.e. "this is a quote".<ref>Smith J. (1234), Example book</ref>) External links External links should be added only rarely, and in accordance with the guidelines found in WP:EL. Consequently, this section should only rarely be found in most articles. In particular, the use of links as described in WP:SPAM should always be avoided. If any links are deemed appropriate for this section, they should always be accompanied by an appropriate description of (a) what they are, (b) their justification, and (c) the date on which they were added in the form "Accessed: 07 July, 2007" (WP:EL#External links section gives some more information about this.) External links used as a form of verification for facts found in the text of the article should be treated as normal references, e.g., cited by enclosing them in <ref>...</ref> tags and conforming to the style of web-based references, which also includes a "Retrieval date" component. They should not be added to this section (see WP:EL#References and citation.) Wikipedia:Citation templates gives useful information about what should be entered and the order in which the separate components of a web-citation should appear.

Optional extra sections

• Notable people – two or three paragraphs mentioning some of the notable current and former residents of the county and what they are notable for. This should preferably be prose, not a list. An alternative to this section is spread information about notable people throughout the article in other sections: historical figures in History, politicians in Politics, artists in Culture, etc.
• Culture – theatre, fine art, music, dance, architecture, food originating from the county, festivals, carnivals, etc

Additional sub-pages

• The county should come with a page List of places in Exampleshire which lists all of the settlements in the county, and in a separate section lists places of interest, such as tourist attractions. The list may additionally include a section listing other sub-divisions, such as districts and parliamentary constituencies). These pages should not be used for counties with no contemporary municipal, administrative or statistical role (i.e. former counties).
• The county should come with a page at WikiMedia Commons containing media (e.g. photographs, diagrams) relating to the county. This is linked with {{commons}} in the external links section.

Dos and Don'ts

• Per WP:TRIVIA, do not use a "trivia", "miscellaneous" or "other facts" section.
• Per WP:LIST, avoid using lists wherever possible (particularly for "notable people" or "subdivisions"), consider using tables, diagrams or prose.
• Per WP:DATE and WP:CONTEXT, do not link standalone years. Only link full dates or dates with a day and a month. The same applies to dates in the footnotes.
• Avoid describing named-areas that are verifiably part of a wider settlement as "districts" or "suburbs", unless citation supports this. Whilst these two terms have common usages, they also indicate a specific and technical geographic term to which an area may not actually conform.
• Per WP:EL and WP:SPAM, be reluctant to add external links unless they are essential, and always restrict them to the "External links" section, or to within an appropriately tagged reference.

Grammar and layout checklist

• The lead needs to adequately summarize the content of the article.
• There should not be anything in the lead not mentioned in the rest of the article.
• Only make wikilinks that are relevant to the context. Common words do not need wikilinking.
• A word only needs to be wikilinked once within each section.
• It is not recommended to specify the size of images. The sizes should be what readers have specified in their user preferences.
• Text should not be sandwiched between two adjacent images.
• All fair-use images need a fair use rationale.
• Image captions should not end with a full-stop if the caption does not form a complete sentence.
• Book references need the author, publisher, publishing date and page number.
• Web references need the author, publisher, publishing date, access date, language (if not English) and format (if a PDF file).
• Blogs and personal websites are not reliable sources.
• Inline citations belong immediately after punctuation marks.
• Each "notable resident" needs a reference.
• Portal links belong in the "see also" section.
• "Further info" links belong at the top of sections.
• Include lists only if they cannot be made into prose or their own article.
• Lists within prose should be avoided.
• Unspaced en dashes are used for ranges. Unspaced em dashes or spaced en dashes are used for punctuation. The same applies to dashes in the footnotes. See WP:MOS#Dashes.
• " " (non-breaking space) should be typed between numbers and units.
• Imperial measurements should be accompanied by the metric equivalent in brackets, and vice versa. If possible, use a conversion template, e.g. {{convert|5|mi|km|0}}.
• Whole numbers under ten should be spelled out as words, except when in lists, tables or infoboxes.
• Sentences should not start with a numeral. Either recast the sentence or spell the number out.
• Usually, only the first word in a section heading needs a capital letter.
• Short sections and paragraphs are discouraged.
• The words "current", "recent" & "to date" should be avoided as they become outdated.
• Ampersands should not be used, except when in a name, e.g., Marks & Spencer.
• Southeast is one word (and may or may not be hyphenated). This does not apply when it is the name of an area, e.g. South East England.
• In longer sentences, a comma may be needed before "and", "due to", "such as", "including", "as", "because" or "but".
• "Past few years" has a different meaning to "last few years".
• "Within" has a different meaning to "in".
• Full-stops are needed after each initial in someone's name.
• Hyphens should not be placed after words ending in ly, e.g. widely-used phrase (except if the ly word could also describe the noun, e.g. friendly-looking man)
• Do not use contractions, such as "can't" and "they're".
• "While" should only be used when emphasising that two events occur at the same time, or when emphasising contrast. It should not be used as an additive link.
• Using "with" as an additive link can lead to wordy and awkward prose, e.g. the town has ten councillors, with one being the district mayor → the town has ten councillors; one is the district mayor
• Beginning a sentence with "there", when it does not stand for anything, leads to wordy prose, e.g. There are ten houses in the village → The village has ten houses. The same applies to "it".
• Avoid weasel words, such as "it is believed that", "is widely regarded as", "some have claimed".
• Avoid peacock terms, such as "beautiful", "famous", "popular", "well-known", "significant", "important" and "obvious".
• Avoid informal or words, such as "carry out" and "pub".
• Avoid overly-formal or archaic words, such as "circa", "utilise", "whilst", "upon", "commence" and "prior".
• Avoid wordy terms, such as "the majority of" and "a number of".
• Avoid vague words, such as "various", "many", "several", "long" and "almost"
• Avoid phrases with redundant words, such as "is located in", "the two are both", "they brought along", "they have plans to", "they were all part of", "the last ones to form", "both the towns", "outside of the town", "all of the towns", "received some donations", "still exists today", "it also includes others", "many different towns", "available records show" and "in the year 2007".

English ceremonial county infobox images

Example collage

• Infoboxes may contain image collages, but they should consist of no more than four images in no more than three rows. These limits may be exceeded only if there is a compelling reason to do so, subject to local consensus. The images should be captioned beneath the collage.

• The images selected for the collage should represent the county thematically, for example by including prominent cultural, historic, or natural landmarks. It is desirable for at least one major settlement to be represented. Images should be carefully selected to ensure they are legible at small size, and where possible they should form a coherent whole.

• The example is taken from Devon. It shows two natural features, a landmark in a major city, and a distinctive breed of pony, therefore giving an overview of the county. The images are arranged so that they can be seen clearly and their colours complement each other.

Note: this guidance should also apply to Wales.

Local authorities

When a council becomes a unitary authority like Somerset Council but keeps the same boundaries it should be covered in a single article even if like Buckinghamshire Council the council was abolished and reformed with the same boundaries. If like Dorset County Council/Dorset Council (UK) there were boundary changes it should be considered on a case by case basis if separate articles should exist with the default to having separate articles. Factors that may also be taken into account if separate articles are needed or not as well as the difference in boundaries include the time gap between abolishment and formation, if one council was a 2 tier and the other was a unitary and if the names of the councils are identical of merely similar. When a council like Lancashire County Council was reformed in 1974 (1973 in Northern Ireland and 1975 in Scotland) with the same name it should not be split into separate articles for pre 1974 and post 1974. This applies even if there were boundary changes.

Resources

• Statistics: Office for National Statistics, Census related resources, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), Neighbourhood statistics (Parish data etc.)
  • Population data (see below for England): Ayrshire, East (PDF), Falkirk, Moray, Lanarkshire, North
  • 1997-2011 economic data, which includes gross value added (GVA) down to NUTS3 level as well as their industry sectors.
  • Church of England Resources, publications, and data including parish-level census and deprivation information.
• Maps:
  • Multimap (can't copy)
  • Ordnance Survey: OS Get a map (can't copy) | Ordnance Survey OpenData | OS Maps of Scotland (and England) | Ordnance Survey for Northern Ireland (can't copy) | OS (Out of copyright) (open licensed!)
  • OpenStreetMap (open licensed!) Community built maps which are incomplete, but good coverage of some areas/cities. See wikiproject
  • out of copyright ordnance survey scans. Commercial restriction for direct image copying.
  • Ordnance Survey® Election Maps–boundaries of civil parishes, wards, boroughs etc., up to street map scale. The draconian terms and conditions don't seem to prevent GFDL licensing of research by Wikipedia editors, as long as the editors themselves don't use the information for financial gain, and no-one copies actual extracts, mapping data or layers from the maps (so... can't copy)
• Books: There is a list of UK geography books and the Wikipedians who own them at Wikipedia:Library/Places#UK. You can request info from the owners of the relevant books. archive.org texts is a good source for copyright expired material.
• Websites: 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica [1], Historical Directories A Vision of Britain through Time OpenGeoscience (Geological data) NERC Soil Portal National Heritage Listed Buildings
• Photos
  • Geograph British Isles project
  • Geolocation.ws - Geotagged creative commons images from Wikimedia Commons, Panoramio, Picasa, Flickr
• Distance : GENUK&I distance gazetteer, Postcode distance calculator
• Archaeology: English Heritage Gateway 49 resources on England's historic sites and buildings. See also: Archaeological Data Services Search

England
Bedfordshire	Bedfordshire facts & figures
· Luton
Berkshire	West Berkshire 2001 Census data
Bristol	Ward finder
Buckinghamshire
· Milton Keynes
Cambridgeshire
· Peterborough	2001 Census Profile of Peterborough Cambridgeshire County Council, June 2003
Cheshire	*George Ormerod, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol. 1 2 3, (1819) (Historical & census)
· Halton
· Warrington
Cornwall	Parish population data
· Isles of Scilly
Cumbria	Census 2001
Derbyshire
· Derby
Devon	See the Devon WikiProject list of resources.
· Plymouth
· Torbay
Dorset	Parish population data (import should be complete)
· Bournemouth
· Poole
County Durham	Durham County Council 2001 Census data
· Darlington
· Hartlepool
· Stockton-on-Tees
East Riding of Yorkshire
· Kingston-upon-Hull
East Sussex
· Brighton and Hove
Essex	Epping Forest census data (includes 1961-2001)
· Southend-on-Sea
· Thurrock
Gloucestershire
· South Gloucestershire
Greater London
Greater Manchester
Hampshire	2001 census
· Southampton
· Portsmouth
Herefordshire	2001 census Population and demographics Excel sheet of Parish population histories
Hertfordshire	Population and census data
Isle of Wight
Kent	2001 Census Area Profiles
· Medway
Lancashire
· Blackburn with Darwen
· Blackpool
Leicestershire	Census 2001
· Leicester
Lincolnshire	Parish population profiles
· North Lincolnshire
· North East Lincolnshire
Merseyside
Norfolk	Census population (Excel speadsheet) South Norfolk: parish data and ward data Links to parish websites in Breckland Breckland further data
North Yorkshire
· York
· Middlesbrough
· Redcar and Cleveland
· Stockton-on-Tees
· Northamptonshire
Northumberland	Tynedale population data (PDF)
Nottinghamshire
· Nottingham
Oxfordshire
Rutland
Shropshire
· Telford and Wrekin
Somerset	Parish population data
· Bath and North East Somerset	Census Data
· North Somerset	Census Information
South Yorkshire
Staffordshire	Local government history
· Stoke-on-Trent
Suffolk
Surrey
Tyne and Wear
Warwickshire
West Midlands
West Sussex	Ward profiles
West Yorkshire
Wiltshire	Wiltshire Community History from Wiltshire County Council giving brief historical information and references for settlements including old maps and Population by community 1801–2001 census data
· Swindon	Population by community 1801–2001 census data at Wiltshire Community History from Wiltshire County Council
Worcestershire

See also

• Wikipedia:WikiProject UK geography/Counties (historical)