Cleveland, England
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Cleveland [ˈkliːvlənd] is an area in the north-east of England and was a county from 1974 to 1996.
The name literally means "cliff-land" and refers to the hilly southern part of Cleveland with elevations of up to 500m. Cleveland lies south of the River Tees; the largest town is Guisborough.
Between 1974 and 1996 Cleveland was a county formed from parts of the North Riding of Yorkshire and County Durham. The county was not identical to the area known as Cleveland, esp. it did not include the southernmost parts of traditional Cleveland including the Cleveland Hills. Its territory lay around the mouth of the River Tees into the North Sea.
The four districts of the county were Hartlepool, Langbaurgh-on-Tees, Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough, where the administrative seat was also located. The county was 583 km² in size. It bordered County Durham to the north; North Yorkshire to the south and the North Sea to the east.
In 1996 the county was dissolved. The district of Langbaurgh-on-Tees was renamed Redcar and Cleveland and this and the other districts became Unitary Authorities. Unlike South Yorkshire, for example, Cleveland was dissolved as a county entirely, rather than being retained as a ceremonial county. Nevertheless, the name is still used today, so there are for example the Cleveland Police, Cleveland Fire Brigade or BBC Radio Cleveland.
In the 19th century, Cleveland played a central role in the growth of the iron processing industry. Middlesbrough grew into a major industrial town within a few decades. The mines in the Cleveland Hills were the main suppliers of iron ore, which was needed in the blast furnaces on the Tees. The port of Middlesbrough remains one of the most important in the UK and the area between Middlesbrough and Redcar is still home to many heavy industry companies today.
Geographically, the area is extremely varied. Around the mouth of the Tees, the landscape is dominated by industry and largely urbanized. Large parts of the lowlands are used for agriculture. The southern part is very hilly.
Cleveland as a county (1974-1996)
The districts of the former county of Cleveland: 1. Hartlepool2 . Stockton-on-Tees3 . Middlesbrough4 . Langbaurgh-on-Tees
Cities and towns
- Billingham
- Guisborough
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Redcar
- Saltburn
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Thornaby-on-Tees
- Yarm
