Lanarkshire

Lanark
—  County (until circa 1890)  —
Country	Scotland
County town	Lanark (historic) Hamilton (modern)
Area
- Total	2,325 km2 (897.7 sq mi)
	Ranked 9th
Chapman code	LKS

Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark Scottish Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Glasgow, the neighbouring major city, was formerly included as part of Lanarkshire for administrative purposes and remains part of the registration county.

Historically, Lanarkshire was the most populous county in Scotland and, in earlier times, had considerably greater boundaries, including neighbouring Renfrewshire until 1402. ^[1] In modern times, it was bounded to the north by Stirlingshire and a detached portion of Dunbartonshire, to the northeast by Stirlingshire, West Lothian, to the east by Peeblesshire, to the southeast and south by Dumfriesshire, to the southwest by Dumfriesshire and Ayrshire and to the west by Ayrshire, Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire.

Lanarkshire was historically divided between two administrative areas then, in the mid-18th century, was divided again into three wards: the upper, middle and lower wards with their administrative centres at Lanark, Hamilton and Glasgow respectively and remained this way until the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889. Other significant settlements include East Kilbride, Motherwell, Airdrie, Coatbridge, Blantyre, Cambuslang, Rutherglen and Wishaw.^[2]

Local government

In 1975, the county council was abolished and the area absorbed into the larger Strathclyde region, which itself was divided into new Council Areas in 1996. The old area of Lanarkshire is now mainly occupied by the council areas of North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire.

North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire have a joint board for valuation and electoral registration. There is also a joint health board, which does not cover Rutherglen and the surrounding area in South Lanarkshire. Without the northern portion of North Lanarkshire, this is also a Lieutenancy area.

Geography

Events

Lanarkshire hosted the International Children's Games in August 2011 ^[3]. A total of 1,300 competitors and coaches, along with administrators and delegates, representing 77 cities from 33 countries worldwide attended.

Rivers

• North Medwin River
• South Medwin River
• River Clyde
• River Avon
• South Calder Water

References

1. ^ http://www.scottish-places.info/counties/countyhistory17.html
2. ^ http://www.abcounties.co.uk/counties/list.htm. Association of British Counties. Retrieved on 2009-09-04.
3. ^ "International Children's Games Lanarkshire 2011". http://www.icg-lanarkshire2011.com/. 

Coordinates: 55°35′N 3°50′W / 55.583°N 3.833°W / 55.583; -3.833