Staffordshire

Map of the Staffordshire Area

Staffordshire is located in the west midlands of the UK. It is borded by Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Cheshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, West Midlands and Shropshire. The county spans and area of 1047 square miles and is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county. It has a population of 1062500 (source: link) and a density of 1013 people per square mile. The county is completely landlocked and Stafford is its county town. A portion of the national Forest lies within Staffordshire and its largest city is Stoke-on-Trent.

The south and north of Staffordshire are predominately covered in wild moorlands and are elevated in geography, being spanned with hills. The south of the county is Channock Chase which is designated as an Area of Natural Beauty. The county is also home to some of the most extensive and important coal fields in the UK and in the south there are iron ore deposits. Trent is the largest river in Staffordshire and as the soil is mainly clay agriculture was not very developed until farms were mechanised in modern times.

However, farming is a substantial economic activity of the county with oats and barley being the main crops in the area. The industrial district in the south is commonly known as the Black Country and is one of the main centres in the UK of iron and steel manufacture. There are also chemical works and brick and tile manufacturers in the region. Other industries that the county is involved in include glass making, peppermills and boot making.

The highest village in the UK is situated in the county in the Staffordshire Moorlands (source: Margary, Harry (1992). Old Series Ordnance Survey Maps of England and Wales. Unknown. ISBN 0-903541-01-7.). The village, which is called Flash, is at an elevation point of 463 metres above sea level.

One of the major attractions of the county is Alton Towers which is one of the largest amusement parks in the UK. Leek is the home to the Britannia Building Society and JCB are based near Uttoxeter. The county is the original breeding place of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier which is a hunting dog that is now bred all over the country.