Facts about South Yorkshire
History
The county of South Yorkshire was created in 1974, the history of its constituent settlements and parts goes back centuries. Prehistoric remains include a Mesolithic “house” (a circle of stones in the shape of a hut-base) dating to around 8000 BC, found at Deepcar, in the northern part of Sheffield.[2] Evidence of even earlier inhabitation in the wider region exists about 3 miles (5 km) over the county boundary at Creswell Crags in Derbyshire, where artefacts and rock art found in caves have been dated by archaeologists to the late Upper Palaeolithic period, at least 12,800 years ago.[3] The region was on the frontier of the Roman Empire during the Roman period.
The main settlements of South Yorkshire grew up around the industries of mining and steel manufacturing. The main mining industry was coal which was concentrated to the north and east of the county. There were also iron deposits which were mined in the area. The rivers running off the Pennines to the west of the county supported the steel industry that is concentrated in Sheffield, Stocksbridge and Rotherham. The proximity of the iron and coal also made this an ideal place for steel manufacture.
General Info
The county is largely urban, with an area of 1,552 km2 (599 sq mi) and a population of 1,402,918. The largest settlements after Sheffield (556,500) are the city of Doncaster (113,566), Rotherham (109,697), and Barnsley (96,888). The east and west of the county are more rural. The county is governed by four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, City of Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield. They collaborate through South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
In terms of neighbouring local government administration, the East Riding of Yorkshire unitary authority adjoins North Yorkshire to the north, north-west and to the west, South Yorkshire metropolitan area to the south-west and Lincolnshire across the Humber Estuary to the south. The City of Kingston upon Hull is a separate unitary authority immediately to the south and forms part of the ceremonial county area. Other councils areas adjacent to the unitary authority include North East Lincolnshire, beyond the Humber Estuary; North Lincolnshire, beyond the Humber and on land; Hull, Doncaster, North Yorkshire and York.
