Cleveland

A relatively small county, covering just 224 square miles, which started life in it's own right in 1974 following the division of the North Riding of Yorkshire.

The administrative headquarters for the county is to be found in the town of Middlesbrough with other major towns being Stockton on Tees, Billingham and Hartlepool.

The county is dominated by the river Tees and the North Sea. The county boasts Europe's largest steel complex (at Redcar) and chemical site, which relies on the locally available potash and gas. Unsurprisingly the most commercial of activities in Cleveland are steel working and chemical production.