The West Midlands is one of the newer counties of England and despite being among the smallest counties it is particularly urbanised, with many inhabitants living in its cities. Once the industrial heartland of England, it is in the West Midlands that you will find the expansive city of Birmingham, a city that is second in size only to national capital London. There are two other cities in the county, namely Coventry and Wolverhampton while well known towns include Walsall, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield and West Bromwich.

It was in 1974 that the West Midlands was first formed under the Local Government Act of 1972, bringing together parts of Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire; it is these three counties that form borders with the West Midlands to this day, home to some 2.5 million people. Other counties to be introduced with this act were West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Tyne and Wear, Merseyside and South Yorkshire. The fairly small West Midlands takes up a position in the centre of England and welcomes parts of the M5, M6, M42 and M54 through the area as well as Birmingham International Airport and plenty of train stations.

Geographically, Coventry is split from the rest of the West Midlands by the Meridien gap, a rare piece of rural land in the county. Several rivers run through the land, with the River Tarne among them, while there are also canals, with the canal making its way through the centre of Birmingham carrying cargo to the destination in years gone by. There are also a number of site of Special Scientific Interest in the West Midlands such as the 970-hectare Sutton Park.

Though the West Midlands has existed as an entity since only 1974 its various sub-sections have been prominent for many years. Its cities have been important in UK industry and commerce, most notably during the Industrial Revolution. During the Middle Ages Coventry was particularly high-profile in the wool and cloth industries while in the 16th century Birmingham and Wolverhampton were at the forefront of the metal working sector. Later on coal and iron ore deposits were found in the Black Country while the manufacturing of bikes and cars became key during the first part of the 20th century.

There are many attractions and businesses in this part of England, with the ICC, NEC and NIA used for all sorts of events. Further, the setting has a whole host of sports stadia, with major football and cricket grounds in the vicinity.