Wast Midlands (coonty)

The **Wast Midlands** () is a metropolitan coonty in wastren central Ingland wi a 2009 estimatit population o 2,638,700. It came intae existence as a metropolitan coonty in 1974 efter the passage o the Local Govrenment Act 1972, formed frae pairts o Staffordshire, Worcestershire an Warwickshire. The coonty itsel is a NUTS 2 region athin the wider NUTS 1 region o the same name. The county conseests o seiven metropolitan boroughs: the City of Birmingham, the City of Coventry an the City of Wolverhampton, plus Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull an Walsall. The Wast Midlands Coonty Cooncil wis abolished on 31 Mairch 1986, an sae its destricts (the metropolitan boroughs) are nou effectively unitary authorities. Houesomeivver, the metropolitan coonty continues tae exist in law an as a geographic frame o reference.

The coonty is whiles describit as the "Wast Midlands metropolitan aurie" or the "Wast Midlands conurbation", awtho thir hae different, an less clearly defined, bundaries. The main conurbation, or urban aurie, daes no include Coventry for example. The name "Wast Midlands" is an aa uised for the hintle lairger Wast Midlands region, which whiles causes confusion.

## Geografie

The Wast Midlands is a landlockit coonty that borders the coonties o Warwickshire tae the east, Worcestershire tae the sooth, an Staffordshire tae the north an wast.

The West Midlands Coonty is ane o the maist hivily urbanised coonties in the UK. Birmingham, Wolverhampton, the Black Country an Solihull thegither form the maist muckle conurbation in the Unitit Kinrick ootside Lunnon, wi a combined population o aroond 2.27 million. Housomeibver, the Wast Midlands is no entirely urban; Coventry is separatit frae the Wast Midlands conurbation bi a stretch o green belt land roughly 15 mile (24&nbsp;km) athort, kent as the "Meriden Gap", which retains a strangly rural character. A smawer piece o green belt atween Birmingham, Walsall an West Bromwich includes Barr Beacon an the Sandwell Valley.

The heichest pynt in the Wast Midlands is Turners Hill, wi a heicht o 271 m (889 ft). The hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Barr Beacon is anither hill in the Wast Midlands, locatit on the border o Birmingham an Walsall, wi a heicht o 227&nbsp;m (745&nbsp;ft).

Thare are 23 Steids o Special Scientific Interest in the coonty. Ane o thir SSSIs is Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield, which haes an aurie o 970 hectares (2,400 acres). As a result, it is ane o the lairgest urban pairks in Europe, an the lairgest ootside o a caipital ceety in Europe. The pairk an aa haes National Nature Reserve status.

Thare are numerous rivers that pass throu the coonty, includin the River Tame. The river basin is the maist urbanised basin in the Unitit Kinrick, wi approximately 42% o the basin bein urbanised. The River Tame is fed bi the River Rea, River Anker, an the River Blythe, which in turn is fed bi the River Cole. The River Sowe an River Sherbourne baith flow throu Coventry. The River Stour flows throu the wast o the Wast Midlands coonty.

### Touns an ceeties

* Aldridge
* Bloxwich
* Bilston
* Birmingham *
* Blackheath
* Brierley Hill
* Chelmsley Wood
* Brownhills
* Coseley
* Coventry *
* Cradley Heath
* Darlaston
* Dudley
* Fordbridge
* Halesowen
* Longbridge
* Netherton
* Oldbury
* Rowley Regis
* Quarry Bank
* Rubery
* Sedgley
* Smethwick
* Solihull
* Stourbridge
* Sutton Coldfield
* Tipton
* Walsall
* Wednesfield
* Wednesbury
* West Bromwich
* Willenhall
* Wolverhampton *

 = ceety

## Sport
The Wast Midlands is hame tae numerous sports teams. In fitbaa, thare are sax Fitbaa League teams in the coonty o which fower, Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Wolverhampton Wanderers an West Bromwich Albion, play in the Premiership. Aston Villa, Wast Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Coventry City an Walsall are aften referred tae as the Wast Midlands "big sax".

The Wast Midlands is an aa hame tae Warwickshire County Cricket Club, who are based at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, which an aa hosts Test matches an One Day Internationals. The Birmingham Panthers basketbaw team replaced the Birmingham Bullets an are currently based at a facility providit bi the Varsity o Wolverhampton in Walsall. In rugby union, the Wast Midlands is hame tae Moseley Rugby Football Club, Birmingham & Solihull RFC, Dudley Kingswinford RFC, Stourbridge RFC, Walsall RFC an Coventry RFC.

## Freemit airtins

* Photographs o Birmingham an the Wast Midlands 
* Identity in the Wast Midlands 
* Wast Midlands Joint Committee 
*