Cheshire

Cheshire has a population of approximately 950,000 and covers 901 square miles and is a county in the north west central region of England The county seat is Chester.

Geography

The main rivers are the Mersey and the Dee and the Dee forms the boundary between Cheshire and Wales. The Wirral peninsula divides the estuaries of the two rivers. The countryside is generally low, flat, and fertile.

Industry

The principal industrial centres include Northwich, Crewe, and Macclesfield. The county is important agriculturally and industrially. It produces dairy products and grows potatoes and wheat. Chief industries are engineering, salt mining, shipbuilding, oil refining, and the manufacture of railroad cars, textiles, textile machinery, soap, paper, and chemicals.

History

Cheshire was part of the Kingdom of Mercia and in the late 19th century the Wirral was settled by Vikings from Ireland and was an independent kingdom. Cheshire was created a palatinate by King William the Conqueror and enjoyed special privileges until 1830. In the last century the population of the county greatly increased with the industrialization and development of the Wirral peninsula and the part of Cheshire just South of Manchester.