Merseyside

Merseyside metropolitan county, NW England. Created in the 1974 local government reorganization, the county embraced the Greater Liverpool metropolitan area and comprised five metropolitan districts: Wirral, Sefton, Liverpool, Knowsley, and St. Helens. The Merseyside county council was abolished in 1986, and the districts became responsible for all services except police, fire, and civil defense, which are supervised jointly.

Merseyside Conurbation in north‐west England, centred on Liverpool, made a metropolitan county after local government reform in 1972. A distinctive local dialect (‘scouse’) and wry humour contribute to a regional identity, with Liverpool as the main cultural focus. The metropolitan council was abolished by the Local Government Act of 1985 but the term ‘Merseyside’ remains in use as a geographical expression.

Merseyside Metropolitan county in nw England, formed in 1974. It lies on both banks of the estuary of the River Mersey, and divides into five administrative districts. The major town is Liverpool. In the 19th century, shipbuilding and ship repair grew in importance, and Liverpool became one of Britain's leading ports. Industries: motor vehicles, chemicals, electrical goods. Area: 655sq km (253sq mi). Pop. (2000) 1,403,381.