Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear is a ceremonial county in North East England. It borders Northumberland to the north and County Durham to the south, and the largest settlement is the city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The county is heavily urbanised, with a population of 1.14 million in 2021. After Newcastle (300,125) the largest settlements are Sunderland (170,134), Gateshead (120,046), and South Shields (75,337). Nearly all of the county's settlements belong to either the Tyneside or Wearside conurbations, the latter of which also extends into County Durham. The county was created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972. The Tyne and Wear County Council was abolished in 1986, and its area is now governed by five metropolitan boroughs: Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland, North Tyneside and South Tyneside. The boroughs collaborate through two combined authorities: North of Tyne consists of Newcastle, North Tyneside, and Northumberland, and North East consists of the remaining boroughs and County Durham. Tyne and Wear straddles the historic county boundary of Northumberland and County Durham, with the River Tyne forming the border between the two. The most notable geographic features of the county are the River Tyne and River Wear, after which it is named and along which its major settlements are placed. The county is also notable for its coastline to the North Sea in the east, which is characterised by tall limestone cliffs and wide beaches.