| 释义 |
county
n. A first-tier local government area in England (outside Greater London) or Wales. The Local Government Act 1972 created 45 counties for England and 8 for Wales, dividing the former into 6 metropolitan and 39 non-metropolitan counties. The metropolitan counties—Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands, and West Yorkshire—were abolished and their functions transferred generally to district councils by the Local Government Act 1985. The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 reorganized local government areas in Wales; on 1 April 1996 all the existing counties and districts were replaced by 11 counties and 11 county boroughs, each administered by a single-tier (unitary) council. In many parts of England unitary authorities have replaced county councils, and this has resulted in the reorganization of certain county areas. See also preserved county. |