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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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county
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The most ancient territorial division in the British Isles. The word itself is Norman in origin but the system is older (the earlier word being 'shire'). Three of the present counties – Essex, Kent and Sussex – are survivals from the *Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
In England the ancient counties remain the basis for *local government. The Local Government Act of 1972 brought into being (from 1974) six *metropolitan counties around the large cities; and it made minor modifications to the existing English counties, establishing the present number at 39.
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In Wales the same act created eight new counties in place of the previous 13. In Scotland the Local Government Act of 1973 introduced (from 16 May 1975) nine new *regions and three islands areas where there had previously been 33 counties. Northern Ireland, also known as 'the six counties', retains these original counties but since 1973 has had a different basis for its local government.
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