The
Midlands represent the manufacturing heartland of England. As the old shire borders became less relevant to the modern geography of the region, the West Midlands County was created from parts of several old counties. It is centered around
Birmingham and includes 2.5 million people in an area that spreads 30 miles across at its great dimension. It is surrounded by
Staffordshire,
Warwickshire,
Worcestershire, and
Shropshire.
