About South Yorkshire
Country: England
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber
Established: 1 April 1974
Largest settlement: Sheffield
Area: 1,552 km2 (599 sq mi)Population: 1,402,918
Admin HQ: Sheffield
South Yorkshire is a county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire to the east, Nottinghamshire to the south-east, and Derbyshire to the south and west.
The county is largely urban and lies on the edge of the Pennines, and the west of the county contains part of the Peak District National Park. The River Don rises in these hills, and flows through Sheffield, Rotherham, and Doncaster before reaching the flat Humberhead Levels in the east of the county.
History:
The history of the area 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.
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.
In the 19th century the coal mines supplies and the arrival of railways stimulated the region’s industrial growth. The Don valley became the focus of a belt of ironworks and steelworks extending eastward from Sheffield.
Today South Yorkshire includes most of England’s main coalfield, but mining declined dramatically in the late 20th century.
A few highly mechanized mines still operate around Doncaster, Britain’s remaining coal industry. The iron and steel industry also declined during the late 20th century, but Sheffield is still known for its production of special steels and cutlery.
