South Yorkshire
Geography
Status:	Ceremonial and Administrative County (no county council)
Region:	Yorkshire and the Humber
Area: - Total	Ranked 38th 1,552 km²
ONS code:	2C
NUTS 2:	UKE3
Demographics
Population: - Total (2002 est.) - Density	Ranked 10th 1,366,023 817 / km²
Ethnicity:	95.2% White 2.6% S.Asian
Politics
Members of Parliament
Richard Allan, Kevin Barron, Clive Betts, David Blunkett, Richard Caborn, Michael Clapham, Jeff Ennis, Caroline Flint, John Healey, Kevin Hughes, Eric Illsley, Helen Jackson, Denis MacShane, Meg Munn, Rosie Winterton
Districts
Sheffield Rotherham Doncaster Barnsley

South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in England. It borders onto Derbyshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

It was created as a metropolitan county in 1974 the southern part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, as a result of the Local Government Act 1972.

The principal settlements of South Yorkshire are:

• Sheffield, an industrial city known for steel and cutlery - England's fourth city and the only one in the county;
• Doncaster, a large town, bigger than most cities in England, and traditionally a central hub of the nation's rail network;
• Rotherham, an industrial town that lies between Sheffield and Doncaster, on the River Don;
• Barnsley, a market town on the river Dearne, and the administrative centre of the county.

Each of these settlements gives its name to a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire - the City of Sheffield, the borough of Doncaster, the borough of Barnsley and the borough of Rotherham.

In 1986, the metropolitan county councils were abolished, with control devolving to the boroughs. These metropolitan districts are now part of the larger region of Yorkshire and the Humber.

Because Yorkshire as a whole covers some 15,000 sq km, it is naturally desirable to break the region up into more manageable localities. While it is true that most inhabitants of the area who were around before 1974 will tend to be nostalgic for the old Ridings system, there is also a sense of independence in the region, if only by virtue of the shared industries and the shared valley. That said, this independence is perhaps confined to the Don Valley area, at the expense of Barnsley (which sits more at ease with its former West Riding neighbours to the north).

Although the county council was abolished, South Yorkshire still exists as a ceremonial county - there is a Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire and also a High Sheriff. In addition there are four governmental functions that are run at the South Yorkshire level despite the abolition of the county council. These are police, public transport, fire & rescue and council pensions.

As one of the least prosperous areas in Western Europe, South Yorkshire has been targeted for funding from the European Regional Development Fund .

Towns and villages

• Adwick le Street, Anston, Askern, Aston
• Barnsley, Bawtry, Bentley , Bolton-upon-Dearne , Bradfield, Brampton
• Chapeltown, Conisbrough, Cudworth
• Dalton , Dinnington, Dodworth, Doncaster
• Goldthorpe, Greenmoor
• Maltby, Mexborough
• New Rossington
• Penistone
• Rawmarsh , Rotherham
• Sheffield, Stainforth, Stocksbridge, Swinton
• Thorne
• Worsborough

Places of Interest

• Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, Sheffield
• Cannon Hall Museum, Park & Gardens, Barnsley
• Chapel of Our Lady of Rotherham Bridge ("Chapel on the Bridge"), Rotherham
• Clifton Park Museum , Rotherham
• Conisbrough Castle
• Cusworth Hall
• Earth Centre
• Magna Centre
• Roche Abbey
• Rother Valley Country Park
• Howden Moors
• St Lawrence Church, Adwick le Street
• Wentworth Castle & Gardens, Barnsley
• Wentworth Woodhouse
• Weston Park Museum & Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield