Wikipedia:WikiProject UK geography/How to write about counties/Guidelines

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.