Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire (nôrthămp`tənshĭr) or Northants (nôrth-hănts`), county (1991 pop. 568,900), 914 sq mi (2,367 sq km), central England. The county seat is Northampton. The terrain is undulating agricultural country, devoted to pasture and forests. The principal river is the Nene. The iron and steel industry, which flourished on the basis of local ore from the start of the 20th cent., has dwindled in significance. The county's specialization in boot and shoe production has also withered in the face of competition. The Roman roads Ermine Street and Watling Street crossed the county. In Anglo-Saxon times the area was part of the kingdom of Mercia and was probably organized as a shire in Danish times. In 1974, Northamptonshire was reorganized as a nonmetropolitan county.

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Northamptonshire

Administrative (pop., 2001: 629,676) and historic county of the East Midlands region, England. It has remains of early settlements, including pre-Celtic and Roman. Norman and early English building styles coexist with mansions and country houses from as early as the 13th century. The county was largely pro-Parliament during the English Civil Wars. It combines traditional rural life with a modern economy of varied industries in centres such as Northampton, the county seat, and Corby.