West Midlands is an area in the middle of England. It centers on the city of Birmingham and includes Coventry, Dudley, Wolverhampton, and a number of other large, well-known cities and towns. The area is almost entirely urban. Most of the area’s workers are employed in the manufacturing industry.
West Midlands is a metropolitan county. It was governed by a metropolitan county council from 1974 to 1986, when such councils were abolished. Most of the council’s powers transferred to the seven metropolitan districts within the area. These districts are Birmingham; Coventry; Dudley; Sandwell, which includes West Bromwich; Solihull; Walsall; and Wolverhampton.
