Counties of The United Kingdom

The counties of the United Kingdom are subnational divisions of the United Kingdom, used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. By the Middle Ages counties had become established as a unit of local government, at least in England. By the early 17th century all of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland had been divided into counties. The older term "shire" was historically equivalent to "county". In Scotland shire was the only term used until after the Act of Union 1707.

Since the early 19th century, counties have been adapted to meet new administrative and political requirements, and the word "county" (often with a qualifier) has been used in different senses for different purposes. In some areas of England and Wales, counties are still used to perform the functions of modern local government, while in other parts of the United Kingdom they have been replaced with alternative, unitary, systems; which are considered 'county level' authorities.