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<span>Origins</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Origins-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Shires_in_the_United_Kingdom" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Shires_in_the_United_Kingdom"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Shires in the United Kingdom</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Shires_in_the_United_Kingdom-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Shires in the United Kingdom subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Shires_in_the_United_Kingdom-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Shire_names_in_England" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Shire_names_in_England"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Shire names in England</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Shire_names_in_England-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Shire_names_in_Scotland" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Shire_names_in_Scotland"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.2</span> <span>Shire names in Scotland</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Shire_names_in_Scotland-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Shire_names_in_Wales" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Shire_names_in_Wales"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.3</span> <span>Shire names in Wales</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Shire_names_in_Wales-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Non-county_"shires"" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Non-county_"shires""> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.4</span> <span>Non-county "shires"</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Non-county_"shires"-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-"The_Shires"" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#"The_Shires""> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.5</span> <span>"The Shires"</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-"The_Shires"-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Shires_in_the_United_States" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Shires_in_the_United_States"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Shires in the United States</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Shires_in_the_United_States-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Shires in the United States subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Shires_in_the_United_States-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-New_York_and_New_England" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#New_York_and_New_England"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1</span> <span>New York and New England</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-New_York_and_New_England-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Virginia" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Virginia"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.2</span> <span>Virginia</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Virginia-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Shires_in_Australia" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Shires_in_Australia"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Shires in Australia</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Shires_in_Australia-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div 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class="mw-page-title-main">Shire</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 20 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-20" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">20 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-als mw-list-item"><a href="https://als.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire" title="Shire – Alemannic" lang="gsw" hreflang="gsw" data-title="Shire" data-language-autonym="Alemannisch" data-language-local-name="Alemannic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Alemannisch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ast mw-list-item"><a href="https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire" title="Shire – Asturian" lang="ast" hreflang="ast" data-title="Shire" data-language-autonym="Asturianu" data-language-local-name="Asturian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Asturianu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Eir_(inzibati_vahid)" title="Şir (inzibati vahid) – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Şir (inzibati vahid)" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-min-nan mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-min-nan.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire" title="Shire – Minnan" lang="nan" hreflang="nan" data-title="Shire" data-language-autonym="閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú" data-language-local-name="Minnan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire_(administrativ_enhed)" title="Shire (administrativ enhed) – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Shire (administrativ enhed)" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire_(Verwaltungseinheit)" title="Shire (Verwaltungseinheit) – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Shire (Verwaltungseinheit)" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire" title="Shire – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Shire" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B4%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1" title="شایر – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="شایر" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire_(division_administrative)" title="Shire (division administrative) – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Shire (division administrative)" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%85%94" title="셔 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="셔" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-la mw-list-item"><a href="https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scira" title="Scira – Latin" lang="la" hreflang="la" data-title="Scira" data-language-autonym="Latina" data-language-local-name="Latin" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-my mw-list-item"><a href="https://my.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%80%9B%E1%80%BE%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8%E1%80%9A%E1%80%AC%E1%80%B8" title="ရှိုင်းယား – Burmese" lang="my" hreflang="my" data-title="ရှိုင်းယား" data-language-autonym="မြန်မာဘာသာ" data-language-local-name="Burmese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>မြန်မာဘာသာ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A3%E3%82%A4%E3%82%A2" title="シャイア – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="シャイア" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nn mw-list-item"><a href="https://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire" title="Shire – Norwegian Nynorsk" lang="nn" hreflang="nn" data-title="Shire" data-language-autonym="Norsk nynorsk" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Nynorsk" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk nynorsk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condado_(divis%C3%A3o_administrativa)" title="Condado (divisão administrativa) – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Condado (divisão administrativa)" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A8%D0%B8%D1%80" title="Шир – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Шир" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire" title="Shire – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Shire" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%8C" title="ไชร์ – Thai" lang="th" hreflang="th" data-title="ไชร์" data-language-autonym="ไทย" data-language-local-name="Thai" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ไทย</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shire" title="Shire – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Shire" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A8%D0%B8%D1%80_(%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B9)" title="Шир (край) – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Шир (край)" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q662296#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> 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class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Traditional term for a division of land, found in some English-speaking countries</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">This article is about the administrative unit. For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Shire_(disambiguation)" class="mw-disambig" title="Shire (disambiguation)">Shire (disambiguation)</a>.</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Three_Shire.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Three_Shire.jpg/240px-Three_Shire.jpg" decoding="async" width="240" height="161" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Three_Shire.jpg/360px-Three_Shire.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Three_Shire.jpg/480px-Three_Shire.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3872" data-file-height="2592" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Three_Shire_Heads" title="Three Shire Heads">Three Shire Heads</a> bridge, where three shires in England (Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire) meet.</figcaption></figure> <p><b>Shire</b> (<span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ʃ/: 'sh' in 'shy'">ʃ</span><span title="/aɪər/: 'ire' in 'fire'">aɪər</span></span>/</a></span></span>, also <span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ʃ/: 'sh' in 'shy'">ʃ</span><span title="/ɪər/: 'ear' in 'near'">ɪər</span></span>/</a></span></span>) is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in <a href="/wiki/Great_Britain" title="Great Britain">Great Britain</a> and some other English-speaking countries. It is generally synonymous with <a href="/wiki/County" title="County">county</a> (such as <a href="/wiki/Cheshire" title="Cheshire">Cheshire</a> and <a href="/wiki/Worcestershire" title="Worcestershire">Worcestershire</a>). British counties are among the oldest extant national divisions in the world. </p><p>It was first used in <a href="/wiki/Wessex" title="Wessex">Wessex</a> from the beginning of <a href="/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_settlement_of_Britain" title="Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain">Anglo-Saxon settlement</a>, and spread to most of the rest of <a href="/wiki/England" title="England">England</a> in the 10th century. Today, 23 counties bear the "-shire" suffix in England, 23 in <a href="/wiki/Scotland" title="Scotland">Scotland</a>, and 10 in <a href="/wiki/Wales" title="Wales">Wales</a>. In some rural parts of <a href="/wiki/Australia" title="Australia">Australia</a>, a shire is a local government area; however, in Australia, it is not synonymous with a "county", which is a <a href="/wiki/Lands_administrative_divisions_of_Australia" title="Lands administrative divisions of Australia">lands administrative division</a>. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Etymology">Etymology</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Etymology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237032888/mw-parser-output/.tmulti">.mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner{display:flex;flex-direction:column}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{display:flex;flex-direction:row;clear:left;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{margin:1px;float:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .theader{clear:both;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;align-self:center;background-color:transparent;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbcaption{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-left{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-right{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-center{text-align:center}@media all and (max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbinner{width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:none!important;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{justify-content:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{float:none!important;max-width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle .thumbcaption{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow>.thumbcaption{text-align:center}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner img{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner img{background-color:white}}</style><div class="thumb tmulti tright"><div class="thumbinner multiimageinner" style="width:328px;max-width:328px"><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:172px;max-width:172px"><div class="thumbimage"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scire_(British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI,_folio_11v).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Handwritten word "scire"" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scire_%28British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI%2C_folio_11v%29.jpg/170px-Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scire_%28British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI%2C_folio_11v%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="98" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scire_%28British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI%2C_folio_11v%29.jpg/255px-Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scire_%28British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI%2C_folio_11v%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scire_%28British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI%2C_folio_11v%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="300" data-file-height="173" /></a></span></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:152px;max-width:152px"><div class="thumbimage"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scira_(British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI,_folio_9v).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Handwritten word "scira"" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scira_%28British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI%2C_folio_9v%29.jpg/150px-Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scira_%28British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI%2C_folio_9v%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="98" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scira_%28British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI%2C_folio_9v%29.jpg/225px-Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scira_%28British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI%2C_folio_9v%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scira_%28British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI%2C_folio_9v%29.jpg/300px-Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle_-_scira_%28British_Library_Cotton_MS_Tiberius_A_VI%2C_folio_9v%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="322" data-file-height="211" /></a></span></div></div></div><div class="trow" style="display:flex"><div class="thumbcaption">The <i><a href="/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle" title="Anglo-Saxon Chronicle">Anglo-Saxon Chronicle</a></i> mentions locations ending or beginning with 'scire' or 'scira'.</div></div></div></div> <p>The word <i>shire</i> derives from the <a href="/wiki/Old_English_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Old English language">Old English</a> <span title="Old English (ca. 450-1100)-language text"><i lang="ang">sċir</i></span>, from the <a href="/wiki/Proto-Germanic_language" title="Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic</a> <span title="Proto-Germanic-language text">*<i lang="gem">skizo</i></span> (<a href="/wiki/Old_High_German_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Old High German language">Old High German</a>: <i lang="goh">scira</i>), denoting an 'official charge' a 'district under a governor', and a 'care'.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the UK, <i>shire</i> became synonymous with <i><a href="/wiki/County" title="County">county</a></i>, an administrative term introduced to England through the <a href="/wiki/Norman_Conquest" title="Norman Conquest">Norman Conquest</a> in the later part of the eleventh century. In contemporary British usage, the word <i>counties</i> also refers to shires, mainly in places such as <a href="/wiki/Shire_Hall" class="mw-redirect" title="Shire Hall">Shire Hall</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In regions with <a href="/wiki/Rhoticity_in_English" title="Rhoticity in English">rhotic</a> pronunciation, such as <a href="/wiki/Scotland" title="Scotland">Scotland</a>, the word <i>shire</i> is pronounced <span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ʃ/: 'sh' in 'shy'">ʃ</span><span title="/aɪər/: 'ire' in 'fire'">aɪər</span></span>/</a></span></span>; in areas of non-rhotic pronunciation, the final <i>R</i> is silent, unless the next word begins in a vowel sound. In England and Wales, when <i>shire</i> is a place-name suffix, the vowel is unstressed and usually shortened (<a href="/wiki/Monophthongized" class="mw-redirect" title="Monophthongized">monophthongized</a>); the pronunciations include <span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ʃ/: 'sh' in 'shy'">ʃ</span><span title="/ər/: 'er' in 'letter'">ər</span></span>/</a></span></span> and <span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ʃ/: 'sh' in 'shy'">ʃ</span><span title="/ɪər/: 'ear' in 'near'">ɪər</span></span>/</a></span></span>, with the final <i>R</i> pronunciation depending on rhoticity. The vowel is normally reduced to a single <a href="/wiki/Schwa" class="mw-redirect" title="Schwa">schwa</a>, as in <i><a href="/wiki/Leicestershire" title="Leicestershire">Leicestershire</a></i> <span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="'l' in 'lie'">l</span><span title="/ɛ/: 'e' in 'dress'">ɛ</span><span title="'s' in 'sigh'">s</span><span title="'t' in 'tie'">t</span><span title="/ər/: 'er' in 'letter'">ər</span><span title="/ʃ/: 'sh' in 'shy'">ʃ</span><span title="/ər/: 'er' in 'letter'">ər</span></span>/</a></span></span> or <span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="'l' in 'lie'">l</span><span title="/ɛ/: 'e' in 'dress'">ɛ</span><span title="'s' in 'sigh'">s</span><span title="'t' in 'tie'">t</span><span title="/ər/: 'er' in 'letter'">ər</span><span title="/ʃ/: 'sh' in 'shy'">ʃ</span><span title="/ɪər/: 'ear' in 'near'">ɪər</span></span>/</a></span></span> and <i><a href="/wiki/Berkshire" title="Berkshire">Berkshire</a></i> <span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="'b' in 'buy'">b</span><span title="/ɑːr/: 'ar' in 'far'">ɑːr</span><span title="'k' in 'kind'">k</span><span title="/ʃ/: 'sh' in 'shy'">ʃ</span><span title="/ər/: 'er' in 'letter'">ər</span></span>/</a></span></span> or <span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="'b' in 'buy'">b</span><span title="/ɑːr/: 'ar' in 'far'">ɑːr</span><span title="'k' in 'kind'">k</span><span title="/ʃ/: 'sh' in 'shy'">ʃ</span><span title="/ɪər/: 'ear' in 'near'">ɪər</span></span>/</a></span></span>.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Origins">Origins</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Origins"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The system was first used in the kingdom of <a href="/wiki/Wessex" title="Wessex">Wessex</a> from the beginning of <a href="/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_settlement_of_Britain" title="Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain">Anglo-Saxon settlement</a>, and spread to most of the rest of England in the 10th century, along with the West Saxon kingdom's political domination. In <a href="/wiki/Domesday" class="mw-redirect" title="Domesday">Domesday</a> (1086) the city of <a href="/wiki/York" title="York">York</a> was divided into shires.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The first shires of Scotland were created in English-settled areas such as <a href="/wiki/Lothian" title="Lothian">Lothian</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Scottish_Borders" title="Scottish Borders">Borders</a>, in the 9th century. <a href="/wiki/David_I_of_Scotland" title="David I of Scotland">King David I</a> more consistently created shires and appointed <a href="/wiki/Sheriff" title="Sheriff">sheriffs</a> across lowland <i>shores</i> of Scotland.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Three_Shire_Stones,_2_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3750888.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Three_Shire_Stones%2C_2_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3750888.jpg/220px-Three_Shire_Stones%2C_2_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3750888.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Three_Shire_Stones%2C_2_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3750888.jpg/330px-Three_Shire_Stones%2C_2_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3750888.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Three_Shire_Stones%2C_2_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3750888.jpg/440px-Three_Shire_Stones%2C_2_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3750888.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="600" /></a><figcaption>Three Shire Stones (with smaller interior engraved stones dated to 1736), in <a href="/wiki/Batheaston" title="Batheaston">Batheaston</a>, marking where the historic counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset (then Somersetshire) meet</figcaption></figure> <p>The shire in early days was governed by an <i><a href="/wiki/Ealdorman" title="Ealdorman">ealdorman</a></i> and in the later Anglo-Saxon period by a royal official known as a "shire <a href="/wiki/Reeve_(England)" title="Reeve (England)">reeve</a>" or <a href="/wiki/Sheriff#Term" title="Sheriff">sheriff</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The shires were divided into <a href="/wiki/Hundred_(county_subdivision)" class="mw-redirect" title="Hundred (county subdivision)">hundreds</a> or <a href="/wiki/Hundred_(country_subdivision)#Wapentake" class="mw-redirect" title="Hundred (country subdivision)">wapentakes</a>, although other less common sub-divisions existed. An alternative name for a shire was a "sheriffdom" until <a href="/wiki/Sheriff_court" title="Sheriff court">sheriff court</a> reforms separated the two concepts. The phrase "shire county" applies, unofficially, to <a href="/wiki/Non-metropolitan_county" title="Non-metropolitan county">non-metropolitan counties</a> in England, specifically those that are not local <a href="/wiki/Unitary_authority" title="Unitary authority">unitary authority</a> areas. In Scotland the word "county" was not adopted for the shires. Although "county" appears in some texts, "shire" was the normal name until counties for statutory purposes were created in the 19th century. In Ireland "shire" was not used for the counties. </p><p>In most cases, the "shire town" is the seat of the shire's government, or was historically. Sometimes the nomenclature exists even where "county" is used in place of "shire" as in, for instance, <a href="/wiki/Kentville" title="Kentville">Kentville</a> in <a href="/wiki/Nova_Scotia" title="Nova Scotia">Nova Scotia</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Shires_in_the_United_Kingdom">Shires in the United Kingdom</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Shires in the United Kingdom"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>"Shire" also refers, in a narrower sense, to ancient counties with names that ended in "shire". These counties are typically (though not always) named after their <a href="/wiki/County_town" title="County town">county town</a>. The suffix <i>-shire</i> is attached to most of the names of English, Scottish and Welsh counties. It tends not to be found in the names of shires that were pre-existing divisions. <a href="/wiki/Essex" title="Essex">Essex</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kent" title="Kent">Kent</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Sussex" title="Sussex">Sussex</a>, for example, have never borne a <i>-shire</i>, as each represents a former <a href="/wiki/Heptarchy" title="Heptarchy">Anglo-Saxon kingdom</a>. Similarly <a href="/wiki/Cornwall" title="Cornwall">Cornwall</a> was a <a href="/wiki/Britons_(historical)" class="mw-redirect" title="Britons (historical)">British</a> kingdom before it became an English county. The term "shire" is not used in the names of the <a href="/wiki/Counties_of_Northern_Ireland" title="Counties of Northern Ireland">six traditional counties</a> of <a href="/wiki/Northern_Ireland" title="Northern Ireland">Northern Ireland</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Shire_names_in_England">Shire names in England</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Shire names in England"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:EnglandTraditionalShires.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/EnglandTraditionalShires.png/220px-EnglandTraditionalShires.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="275" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/EnglandTraditionalShires.png/330px-EnglandTraditionalShires.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/EnglandTraditionalShires.png/440px-EnglandTraditionalShires.png 2x" data-file-width="642" data-file-height="802" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/Historic_counties_of_England" title="Historic counties of England">historic counties of England</a> — red indicates "-shire" counties, orange indicates where the "-shire" suffix is occasionally used</figcaption></figure> <p>Counties in England bearing the "-shire" suffix comprise: <a href="/wiki/Bedfordshire" title="Bedfordshire">Bedfordshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Berkshire" title="Berkshire">Berkshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Buckinghamshire" title="Buckinghamshire">Buckinghamshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Cambridgeshire" title="Cambridgeshire">Cambridgeshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Cheshire" title="Cheshire">Cheshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Derbyshire" title="Derbyshire">Derbyshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Gloucestershire" title="Gloucestershire">Gloucestershire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hampshire" title="Hampshire">Hampshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Herefordshire" title="Herefordshire">Herefordshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hertfordshire" title="Hertfordshire">Hertfordshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Huntingdonshire" title="Huntingdonshire">Huntingdonshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lancashire" title="Lancashire">Lancashire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lincolnshire" title="Lincolnshire">Lincolnshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Leicestershire" title="Leicestershire">Leicestershire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Northamptonshire" title="Northamptonshire">Northamptonshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Nottinghamshire" title="Nottinghamshire">Nottinghamshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Oxfordshire" title="Oxfordshire">Oxfordshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Shropshire" title="Shropshire">Shropshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Staffordshire" title="Staffordshire">Staffordshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Warwickshire" title="Warwickshire">Warwickshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Wiltshire" title="Wiltshire">Wiltshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Worcestershire" title="Worcestershire">Worcestershire</a> and <a href="/wiki/Yorkshire" title="Yorkshire">Yorkshire</a>. These counties, on their <a href="/wiki/Historic_counties_of_England" title="Historic counties of England">historical boundaries</a>, cover a little more than half the area of England. The counties that do not use "-shire" are mainly in three areas, in the south-east, south-west and far north of England. Several of these counties no longer exist as administrative units, or have had their administrative boundaries reduced by local government reforms. Several of the successor authorities retain the "-shire" county names, such as <a href="/wiki/North_Yorkshire" title="North Yorkshire">North</a> <a href="/wiki/Yorkshire" title="Yorkshire">Yorkshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/East_Riding_of_Yorkshire" title="East Riding of Yorkshire">East</a> <a href="/wiki/Yorkshire" title="Yorkshire">Yorkshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/South_Yorkshire" title="South Yorkshire">South</a> <a href="/wiki/Yorkshire" title="Yorkshire">Yorkshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/West_Yorkshire" title="West Yorkshire">West</a> <a href="/wiki/Yorkshire" title="Yorkshire">Yorkshire</a>, and <a href="/wiki/South_Gloucestershire" title="South Gloucestershire">South Gloucestershire</a>. </p><p>The county of <a href="/wiki/Devon" title="Devon">Devon</a> was historically known as Devonshire, although this is no longer the official name.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Indeed, it was retained by the <a href="/wiki/Devonshire_and_Dorset_Regiment" title="Devonshire and Dorset Regiment">Devonshire and Dorset Regiment</a> until amalgamation in 2007. Similarly, <a href="/wiki/Dorset" title="Dorset">Dorset</a>, <a href="/wiki/Rutland" title="Rutland">Rutland</a> and <a href="/wiki/Somerset" title="Somerset">Somerset</a> were formerly known as Dorsetshire, Rutlandshire and Somersetshire, but these terms are no longer official, and are rarely used outside the local populations. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Hexhamshire" title="Hexhamshire">Hexhamshire</a> was a county in the north-east of England from the early 12th century until 1572, when it was incorporated into <a href="/wiki/Northumberland" title="Northumberland">Northumberland</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Shire_names_in_Scotland">Shire names in Scotland</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Shire names in Scotland"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Shires_of_Scotland" title="Shires of Scotland">Shires of Scotland</a></div> <p>In Scotland, barely affected by the <a href="/wiki/Norman_conquest_of_England" class="mw-redirect" title="Norman conquest of England">Norman conquest of England</a>, the word "shire" prevailed over "county" until the 19th century. Earliest sources have the same usage of the "-shire" suffix as in England (though in Scots this was oftenmost "schyr"). Later the "Shire" appears as a separate word. </p><p>"Shire" names in Scotland comprise <a href="/wiki/Aberdeenshire_(traditional)" class="mw-redirect" title="Aberdeenshire (traditional)">Aberdeenshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ayrshire" title="Ayrshire">Ayrshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Banffshire" title="Banffshire">Banffshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Berwickshire" title="Berwickshire">Berwickshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Clackmannanshire" title="Clackmannanshire">Clackmannanshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Cromartyshire" title="Cromartyshire">Cromartyshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Dumfriesshire" title="Dumfriesshire">Dumfriesshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Dunbartonshire" title="Dunbartonshire">Dunbartonshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Inverness-shire" title="Inverness-shire">Inverness-shire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kincardineshire" title="Kincardineshire">Kincardineshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kinross-shire" title="Kinross-shire">Kinross-shire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kirkcudbrightshire" title="Kirkcudbrightshire">Kirkcudbrightshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lanarkshire" title="Lanarkshire">Lanarkshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Morayshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Morayshire">Morayshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Nairnshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Nairnshire">Nairnshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Peeblesshire" title="Peeblesshire">Peeblesshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Perthshire" title="Perthshire">Perthshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Renfrewshire" title="Renfrewshire">Renfrewshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ross-shire" title="Ross-shire">Ross-shire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Roxburghshire" title="Roxburghshire">Roxburghshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Selkirkshire" title="Selkirkshire">Selkirkshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Stirlingshire" title="Stirlingshire">Stirlingshire</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Wigtownshire" title="Wigtownshire">Wigtownshire</a>. </p><p>In Scotland four shires have alternative names with the "-shire" suffix: <a href="/wiki/Angus,_Scotland" title="Angus, Scotland">Angus</a> (Forfarshire), <a href="/wiki/East_Lothian" title="East Lothian">East Lothian</a> (Haddingtonshire), <a href="/wiki/Midlothian" title="Midlothian">Midlothian</a> (Edinburghshire) and <a href="/wiki/West_Lothian" title="West Lothian">West Lothian</a> (Linlithgowshire). </p><p><a href="/wiki/Sutherland" title="Sutherland">Sutherland</a> is occasionally still referred to as Sutherlandshire. Similarly, <a href="/wiki/Argyllshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Argyllshire">Argyllshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Buteshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Buteshire">Buteshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Caithness-shire" class="mw-redirect" title="Caithness-shire">Caithness-shire</a> and <a href="/wiki/Fifeshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Fifeshire">Fifeshire</a> are sometimes found. Also, Morayshire was previously called Elginshire. There is debate about whether Argyllshire was ever really used. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Shire_names_in_Wales">Shire names in Wales</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Shire names in Wales"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Shires in <a href="/wiki/Wales" title="Wales">Wales</a> bearing the "-shire" suffix (<i>Sir</i> preceding the name in Welsh) comprise: <a href="/wiki/Brecknockshire" title="Brecknockshire">Brecknockshire</a> (or Breconshire), <a href="/wiki/Caernarfonshire" title="Caernarfonshire">Caernarfonshire</a> (historically Carnarvonshire), <a href="/wiki/Ceredigion" title="Ceredigion">Cardiganshire</a> (in Welsh- Ceredigion), <a href="/wiki/Carmarthenshire" title="Carmarthenshire">Carmarthenshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Denbighshire_(historic)" title="Denbighshire (historic)">Denbighshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Flintshire_(historic)" title="Flintshire (historic)">Flintshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Monmouthshire_(historic)" title="Monmouthshire (historic)">Monmouthshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Montgomeryshire" title="Montgomeryshire">Montgomeryshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Pembrokeshire" title="Pembrokeshire">Pembrokeshire</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Radnorshire" title="Radnorshire">Radnorshire</a>. In Wales, the counties of <a href="/wiki/Merioneth" class="mw-redirect" title="Merioneth">Merioneth</a> and <a href="/wiki/Glamorgan" title="Glamorgan">Glamorgan</a> are occasionally referred to with the "shire" suffix. The only traditional Welsh county that never takes "shire" in English is <a href="/wiki/Isle_of_Anglesey" class="mw-redirect" title="Isle of Anglesey">Anglesey</a>; in Welsh it is referred to as 'Sir Fôn'. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Non-county_"shires""><span id="Non-county_.22shires.22"></span>Non-county "shires"</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Non-county "shires""><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The suffix "-shire" could be a generalised term referring to a district. It did not acquire the strong association with <a href="/wiki/County" title="County">county</a> until later. Other than these, the term was used for several other districts. <a href="/wiki/Bedlingtonshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Bedlingtonshire">Bedlingtonshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Craikshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Craikshire">Craikshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Norhamshire" title="Norhamshire">Norhamshire</a> and <a href="/wiki/Islandshire" title="Islandshire">Islandshire</a> were <a href="/wiki/Exclave" class="mw-redirect" title="Exclave">exclaves</a> of County Durham, which were incorporated into Northumberland or <a href="/wiki/Yorkshire" title="Yorkshire">Yorkshire</a> in 1844. The suffix was also used for many <a href="/wiki/Hundred_(division)" class="mw-redirect" title="Hundred (division)">hundreds</a>, <a href="/wiki/Wapentake" class="mw-redirect" title="Wapentake">wapentakes</a> and liberties such as <a href="/wiki/Allertonshire" title="Allertonshire">Allertonshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Blackburnshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Blackburnshire">Blackburnshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Halfshire" title="Halfshire">Halfshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Howdenshire" title="Howdenshire">Howdenshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Leylandshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Leylandshire">Leylandshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Powdershire" class="mw-redirect" title="Powdershire">Powdershire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Pydarshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Pydarshire">Pydarshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Richmondshire" title="Richmondshire">Richmondshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Liberty_of_Ripon" title="Liberty of Ripon">Riponshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Salfordshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Salfordshire">Salfordshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Triggshire" title="Triggshire">Triggshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tynemouthshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Tynemouthshire">Tynemouthshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/West_Derby_(hundred)" class="mw-redirect" title="West Derby (hundred)">West Derbyshire</a> and <a href="/wiki/Wivelshire" title="Wivelshire">Wivelshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/County_corporate" title="County corporate">counties corporate</a> such as <a href="/wiki/Hullshire" title="Hullshire">Hullshire</a>, and other districts such as <a href="/wiki/Applebyshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Applebyshire">Applebyshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bamburghshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Bamburghshire">Bamburghshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Carlisle,_Cumbria" class="mw-redirect" title="Carlisle, Cumbria">Carlisleshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Coldinghamshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Coldinghamshire">Coldinghamshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Cravenshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Cravenshire">Cravenshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hallamshire" title="Hallamshire">Hallamshire</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mashamshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Mashamshire">Mashamshire</a> and <a href="/wiki/Yetholmshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Yetholmshire">Yetholmshire</a>. <a href="/wiki/Richmondshire" title="Richmondshire">Richmondshire</a> was until 2023 the name of a <a href="/wiki/Districts_of_England" title="Districts of England">local government district</a> of <a href="/wiki/North_Yorkshire" title="North Yorkshire">North Yorkshire</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Non-county shires were very common in Scotland. <a href="/wiki/Kinross-shire" title="Kinross-shire">Kinross-shire</a> and <a href="/wiki/Clackmannanshire" title="Clackmannanshire">Clackmannanshire</a> are arguably survivals from such districts. Non-county "shires" in Scotland include <a href="/wiki/Coldinghamshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Coldinghamshire">Coldinghamshire</a> and <a href="/wiki/Yetholmshire" class="mw-redirect" title="Yetholmshire">Yetholmshire</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id=""The_Shires""><span id=".22The_Shires.22"></span>"The Shires"</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: "The Shires""><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Colloquially, the term "the Shires" has become used to refer to those counties, particularly of the southern <a href="/wiki/Midlands" title="Midlands">Midlands</a>, which are still largely rural and which are stereotypically thought of as being where a more <a href="/wiki/Bucolic" class="mw-redirect" title="Bucolic">bucolic</a> lifestyle is possible.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Shires_in_the_United_States">Shires in the United States</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Shires in the United States"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="New_York_and_New_England">New York and New England</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: New York and New England"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Before the <a href="/wiki/Province_of_New_York" title="Province of New York">Province of New York</a> was granted county subdivisions and a greater royal presence in 1683, the early ducal colony consisted of <a href="/wiki/Yorkshire_County,_New_York" class="mw-redirect" title="Yorkshire County, New York">York Shire</a>, as well as <a href="/wiki/Albany_County,_New_York" title="Albany County, New York">Albany</a> and <a href="/wiki/Ulster_County,_New_York" title="Ulster County, New York">Ulster</a>, after the three titles held by <a href="/wiki/James_II_of_England" title="James II of England">Prince James</a>: <a href="/wiki/Duke_of_York" title="Duke of York">Duke of York</a>, <a href="/wiki/Duke_of_Albany" title="Duke of Albany">Duke of Albany</a>, <a href="/wiki/Earl_of_Ulster" title="Earl of Ulster">Earl of Ulster</a>. While these were basically renamed Dutch core settlements, they were quickly converted to English purposes, while the Dutch remained within the colony, as opposed to later practice of the <a href="/wiki/Acadian_Expulsion" class="mw-redirect" title="Acadian Expulsion">Acadian Expulsion</a>. Further Anglo-Dutch synthesis occurred when Prince James enacted the <a href="/wiki/Dominion_of_New_England" title="Dominion of New England">Dominion of New England</a> and later when <a href="/wiki/William_III_of_England" title="William III of England">William III of England</a> took over through the <a href="/wiki/Glorious_Revolution" title="Glorious Revolution">Glorious Revolution</a>. </p><p>The word also survives in the name of the <a href="/wiki/U.S._state" title="U.S. state">state</a> of <a href="/wiki/New_Hampshire" title="New Hampshire">New Hampshire</a>, whose co-founder, <a href="/wiki/John_Mason_(governor)" title="John Mason (governor)">John Mason</a>, named his <a href="/wiki/Province_of_New_Hampshire" title="Province of New Hampshire">Province of New Hampshire</a> after the English county of <a href="/wiki/Hampshire" title="Hampshire">Hampshire</a>. </p><p>Vermont has 14 counties – each has one county seat or Shire, except the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://exploretheshires.com/">Shire Towns of Southwestern Vermont</a> where there is a South Shire – Bennington and a North Shire – Manchester. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Virginia">Virginia</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Virginia"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In 1634, eight "shires" were created in the <a href="/wiki/Virginia_Colony" class="mw-redirect" title="Virginia Colony">Virginia Colony</a> by order of <a href="/wiki/Charles_I_of_England" title="Charles I of England">Charles I</a>, King of England. They were renamed as <a href="/wiki/County_(United_States)" title="County (United States)">counties</a> only a few years later. They were: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Accomac_Shire" title="Accomac Shire">Accomac Shire</a> (since 1642 <a href="/wiki/Northampton_County,_Virginia" title="Northampton County, Virginia">Northampton County, Virginia</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Charles_City_Shire" title="Charles City Shire">Charles City Shire</a> (since 1637 <a href="/wiki/Charles_City_County,_Virginia" title="Charles City County, Virginia">Charles City County, Virginia</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Charles_River_Shire" title="Charles River Shire">Charles River Shire</a> (since 1643 <a href="/wiki/York_County,_Virginia" title="York County, Virginia">York County, Virginia</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Elizabeth_City_Shire" title="Elizabeth City Shire">Elizabeth City Shire</a> (became <a href="/wiki/Elizabeth_City_County,_Virginia" title="Elizabeth City County, Virginia">Elizabeth City County, Virginia</a> in 1643)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Henrico_Shire" class="mw-redirect" title="Henrico Shire">Henrico Shire</a> (later became <a href="/wiki/Henrico_County,_Virginia" title="Henrico County, Virginia">Henrico County, Virginia</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/James_City_Shire" title="James City Shire">James City Shire</a> (about 1642-43 <a href="/wiki/James_City_County,_Virginia" title="James City County, Virginia">James City County, Virginia</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Warwick_River_Shire" title="Warwick River Shire">Warwick River Shire</a> (became consolidated with the City of <a href="/wiki/Newport_News,_Virginia" title="Newport News, Virginia">Newport News, Virginia</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Warrosquyoake_Shire" title="Warrosquyoake Shire">Warrosquyoake Shire</a> (became <a href="/wiki/Isle_of_Wight_County,_Virginia" title="Isle of Wight County, Virginia">Isle of Wight County, Virginia</a>)</li></ul> <p>Today, the concept of a "Shire" still exists in Virginia code. It is defined as a semi-autonomous subdivision of a consolidated City-County. Currently no Shires exist in the commonwealth and the administrative provision is largely unknown.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Shires_in_Australia">Shires in Australia</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Shires in Australia"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>"Shire" is the most common word in <a href="/wiki/Australia" title="Australia">Australia</a> for rural <a href="/wiki/Local_government_in_Australia" title="Local government in Australia">local government areas (LGAs)</a>. <a href="/wiki/New_South_Wales" title="New South Wales">New South Wales</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Northern_Territory" title="Northern Territory">Northern Territory</a>, <a href="/wiki/Queensland" title="Queensland">Queensland</a>, <a href="/wiki/Victoria_(Australia)" class="mw-redirect" title="Victoria (Australia)">Victoria</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Western_Australia" title="Western Australia">Western Australia</a>, use the term "shire" for this unit; the territories of the <a href="/wiki/Shire_of_Christmas_Island" title="Shire of Christmas Island">Christmas Island</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Shire_of_Cocos_(Keeling)_Islands" title="Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands">Cocos (Keeling) Islands</a> are also shires. In contrast, <a href="/wiki/South_Australia" title="South Australia">South Australia</a> uses <a href="/wiki/District" title="District">district</a> and <a href="/wiki/Region" title="Region">region</a> for its rural LGA units, while <a href="/wiki/Tasmania" title="Tasmania">Tasmania</a> uses <a href="/wiki/Municipality" title="Municipality">municipality</a>. Shires are generally functionally indistinguishable from <a href="/wiki/Town" title="Town">towns</a>, <a href="/wiki/Borough" title="Borough">boroughs</a>, <a href="/wiki/Municipality" title="Municipality">municipalities</a>, or <a href="/wiki/City" title="City">cities</a>. </p><p>Three LGAs in outer metropolitan <a href="/wiki/Sydney" title="Sydney">Sydney</a> and four in outer metropolitan <a href="/wiki/Melbourne" title="Melbourne">Melbourne</a> have populations exceeding that of towns or municipalities, but retain significant bushlands and/or semi-rural areas, and most have continued to use "shire" in their titles whilst others have dropped it from theirs. These "city-shires" are: </p><p>Melbourne: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shire_of_Cardinia" title="Shire of Cardinia">Shire of Cardinia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shire_of_Mornington_Peninsula" title="Shire of Mornington Peninsula">Shire of Mornington Peninsula</a> (which is locally known as "The Peninsula")</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shire_of_Nillumbik" title="Shire of Nillumbik">Shire of Nillumbik</a> ("The Green Wedge Shire")</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shire_of_Pakenham" title="Shire of Pakenham">Shire of Pakenham</a> (1862–1994)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yarra_Ranges_Shire" title="Yarra Ranges Shire">Shire of Yarra Ranges</a></li></ul> <p>Sydney: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hornsby_Shire" title="Hornsby Shire">Hornsby Shire</a> ("The Bushland Shire")</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sutherland_Shire" title="Sutherland Shire">Sutherland Shire</a> (which is locally referred to as "The Shire")</li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Hills_Shire" title="The Hills Shire">The Hills Shire</a> ("The Garden Shire", previously "Baulkham Hills Shire")</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Comarca" title="Comarca">Comarca</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Comarcas_of_Spain" title="Comarcas of Spain">Comarcas of Spain</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Comarques_of_Catalonia" title="Comarques of Catalonia">Comarques of Catalonia</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Counties_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="Counties of the United Kingdom">Counties of the United Kingdom</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Counties_of_England" title="Counties of England">Counties of England</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Historic_counties_of_Wales" title="Historic counties of Wales">Historic counties of Wales</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shires_of_Scotland" title="Shires of Scotland">Shires of Scotland</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gau_(territory)" title="Gau (territory)">Gau</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Shire&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFHarper" class="citation web cs1">Harper, Douglas. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.etymonline.com/?term=Shire">"Shire"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Online_Etymology_Dictionary" title="Online Etymology Dictionary">Online Etymology Dictionary</a></i><span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Onions, Ed., p. 821.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Gareth Dean, <i>Medieval York</i> 2008:21.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWallace1890" class="citation book cs1">Wallace, James (1890). <i>The Sheriffdom of Clackmannan. A sketch of its history with a list of its sheriffs and excerpts from the records of court compiled from public documents and other authorities with preparatory notes on the office of Sheriff in Scotland, his powers and duties</i>. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">19 November</span> 2024</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=The+Anglo-Saxon+origins+of+the+English+counties&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.bl.uk%2Fdigitisedmanuscripts%2F2019%2F01%2Fthe-anglo-saxon-origins-of-the-english-counties.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AShire" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="Coleman" class="citation news cs1">Coleman, Ed (19 May 2015). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.saltwire.com/opinion/ed-coleman-history-how-kentville-became-the-shiretown-72178/?location=annapolis-valley">"How Kentville became the shiretown"</a>. <i>Annapolis Valley Register</i>. SaltWire<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">3 November</span> 2020</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Annapolis+Valley+Register&rft.atitle=How+Kentville+became+the+shiretown&rft.date=2015-05-19&rft.aulast=Coleman&rft.aufirst=Ed&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.saltwire.com%2Fopinion%2Fed-coleman-history-how-kentville-became-the-shiretown-72178%2F%3Flocation%3Dannapolis-valley&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AShire" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~genmaps/genfiles/COU_files/ENG/DEV/bill_dev_1626.html">"RootsWeb.com Home Page"</a>. <i>freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160603173043/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~genmaps/genfiles/COU_files/ENG/DEV/bill_dev_1626.html">Archived</a> from the original on 3 June 2016.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com&rft.atitle=RootsWeb.com+Home+Page&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Ffreepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com%2F~genmaps%2Fgenfiles%2FCOU_files%2FENG%2FDEV%2Fbill_dev_1626.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AShire" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/next-steps-for-new-unitary-councils-in-cumbria-north-yorkshire-and-somerset">"Next steps for new unitary councils in Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Somerset"</a>. <i>GOV.UK</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">20 November</span> 2024</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=GOV.UK&rft.atitle=Next+steps+for+new+unitary+councils+in+Cumbria%2C+North+Yorkshire+and+Somerset&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fnews%2Fnext-steps-for-new-unitary-councils-in-cumbria-north-yorkshire-and-somerset&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AShire" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/new-council-0">"The new council"</a>. <a href="/wiki/North_Yorkshire_County_Council" class="mw-redirect" title="North Yorkshire County Council">North Yorkshire County Council</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">20 November</span> 2024</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+new+council&rft.pub=North+Yorkshire+County+Council&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.northyorks.gov.uk%2Fnew-council-0&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AShire" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/shires">Cambridge Dictionary definition</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title15.2/chapter35/section15.2-3534/">"§ 15.2-3534. Optional provisions of consolidation agreement"</a>. <i>law.lis.virginia.gov</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">5 October</span> 2021</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=law.lis.virginia.gov&rft.atitle=%C2%A7+15.2-3534.+Optional+provisions+of+consolidation+agreement&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Flaw.lis.virginia.gov%2Fvacode%2Ftitle15.2%2Fchapter35%2Fsection15.2-3534%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AShire" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237033735">@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox{display:none!important}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}</style><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/40px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/60px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/80px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="512" /></span></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Look up <i><b><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Special:Search/shire" class="extiw" title="wiktionary:Special:Search/shire">shire</a></b></i> in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.</div></div> </div> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output 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href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Types_of_administrative_division" title="Template:Types of administrative division"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Types_of_administrative_division" title="Template talk:Types of administrative division"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Types_of_administrative_division" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Types of administrative division"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Designations_for_types_of_administrative_division" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Designations for types of <a href="/wiki/Administrative_division" title="Administrative division">administrative division</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="English_terms" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/List_of_terms_for_administrative_divisions" title="List of terms for administrative divisions">English terms</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Common_English_terms" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Common English terms</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Area</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Insular_area" title="Insular area">Insular area</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Local_government_area" title="Local government area">Local government area</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Special_Areas_Board" title="Special Areas Board">Special area</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Unincorporated_area" title="Unincorporated area">Unincorporated area</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Unorganized_area" title="Unorganized area">Unorganized area</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Borough" title="Borough">Borough</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/County_borough" title="County borough">County borough</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metropolitan_borough" title="Metropolitan borough">Metropolitan borough</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Canton_(administrative_division)" title="Canton (administrative division)">Canton</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><a href="/wiki/Half-canton" class="mw-redirect" title="Half-canton">Half-canton</a></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Capital_city" title="Capital city">Capital</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Federal_capital" title="Federal capital">Federal capital</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Capital_city#Origins" title="Capital city">Imperial capital</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/City" title="City">City</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Autonomous_city" title="Autonomous city">Autonomous city</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Charter_city" class="mw-redirect" title="Charter city">Charter city</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Independent_city" title="Independent city">Independent city</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Incorporated_city" class="mw-redirect" title="Incorporated city">Incorporated city</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Imperial_city" class="mw-redirect" title="Imperial city">Imperial city</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Free_imperial_city" title="Free imperial city">Free imperial city</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Royal_free_city" title="Royal free city">Royal free city</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Community_(administrative_division)" title="Community (administrative division)">Community</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Autonomous_communities_of_Spain" title="Autonomous communities of Spain">Autonomous community</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Residential_community" title="Residential community">Residential community</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/County" title="County">County</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Administrative_county" title="Administrative county">Administrative county</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Autonomous_county" title="Autonomous county">Autonomous county</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Consolidated_city-county" title="Consolidated city-county">Consolidated city-county</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/County_seat" title="County seat">County seat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/County_town" title="County town">County town</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metropolitan_county" title="Metropolitan county">Metropolitan county</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Non-metropolitan_county" title="Non-metropolitan county">Non-metropolitan county</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Regional_county_municipality" title="Regional county municipality">Regional county municipality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Viscountcy" class="mw-redirect" title="Viscountcy">Viscounty</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Country" title="Country">Country</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Overseas_country" class="mw-redirect" title="Overseas country">Overseas country</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Department_(administrative_division)" title="Department (administrative division)">Department</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Overseas_department" class="mw-redirect" title="Overseas department">Overseas department</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/District" title="District">District</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Capital_district" class="mw-redirect" title="Capital district">Capital district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/City_district" title="City district">City district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Congressional_district" title="Congressional district">Congressional district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electoral_district" title="Electoral district">Electoral district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federal_district" title="Federal district">Federal district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Indian_government_district" class="mw-redirect" title="Indian government district">Indian government district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Land_district" title="Land district">Land district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_municipalities_in_Manitoba#Local_government_districts" title="List of municipalities in Manitoba">Local government district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metropolitan_district" class="mw-redirect" title="Metropolitan district">Metropolitan district</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Non-metropolitan_district" title="Non-metropolitan district">Non-metropolitan district</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Military_district" title="Military district">Military district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Municipal_district" title="Municipal district">Municipal district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Police_district" title="Police district">Police district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Regional_district" title="Regional district">Regional district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rural_district" title="Rural district">Rural district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sanitary_district" title="Sanitary district">Sanitary district</a></li> <li>Service district <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Educational_service_district_(disambiguation)" class="mw-redirect mw-disambig" title="Educational service district (disambiguation)">Educational service district</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Local_service_district" title="Local service district">Local service district</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/School_district" title="School district">School district</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Intermediate_school_district" title="Intermediate school district">Intermediate school district</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Special_district_(United_States)" title="Special district (United States)">Special district</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Special_district_(United_States)" title="Special district (United States)">in the US</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Urban_district" title="Urban district">Urban district</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Division_(political_geography)" title="Division (political geography)">Division</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Census_division" title="Census division">Census division</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Police_division" title="Police division">Police division</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Revenue_division" class="mw-redirect" title="Revenue division">Subdivision of India</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Indian reserve/reservation</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Indian_reservation" title="Indian reservation">Indian reservation</a> (United States)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Indian_reserve" title="Indian reserve">Indian reserve</a> (Canada)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Municipality" title="Municipality">Municipality</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/City_municipality" class="mw-redirect" title="City municipality">City municipality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/County_municipality" title="County municipality">County municipality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Direct-controlled_municipality" title="Direct-controlled municipality">Direct-controlled municipality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/District_municipality" title="District municipality">District municipality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Neutral_municipality" class="mw-redirect" title="Neutral municipality">Neutral municipality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Regional_municipality" title="Regional municipality">Regional municipality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Resort_municipality" title="Resort municipality">Resort municipality</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mountain_resort_municipality" class="mw-redirect" title="Mountain resort municipality">Mountain resort municipality</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rural_municipality" title="Rural municipality">Rural municipality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Specialized_municipality" class="mw-redirect" title="Specialized municipality">Specialized municipality</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Prefecture" title="Prefecture">Prefecture</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Autonomous_prefecture" title="Autonomous prefecture">Autonomous prefecture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Subprefecture" title="Subprefecture">Subprefecture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Super-prefecture" class="mw-redirect" title="Super-prefecture">Super-prefecture</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Praetorian_prefecture" title="Praetorian prefecture">Praetorian prefecture</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Province" title="Province">Province</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Autonomous_province" title="Autonomous province">Autonomous province</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Overseas_province" title="Overseas province">Overseas province</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Roman_province" title="Roman province">Roman province</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Region" title="Region">Region</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Administrative region <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Special_administrative_region" title="Special administrative region">Special administrative region</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Autonomous_region" class="mw-redirect" title="Autonomous region">Autonomous region</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Capital_region" title="Capital region">Capital region</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/National_capital_region" class="mw-redirect" title="National capital region">National capital region</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Development_region" title="Development region">Development region</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mesoregion_(geography)" title="Mesoregion (geography)">Mesoregion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microregion" title="Microregion">Microregion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Overseas_region" class="mw-redirect" title="Overseas region">Overseas region</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Subregion_(administrative_division)" title="Subregion (administrative division)">Subregion</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Federated_state" title="Federated state">State</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Proto-state" class="mw-redirect" title="Proto-state">Proto-state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/City-state" title="City-state">City-state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federal_state" class="mw-redirect" title="Federal state">Federal state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Free_state_(polity)" title="Free state (polity)">Free state</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Sovereign_state" title="Sovereign state">Sovereign state</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Territory" title="Territory">Territory</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Capital_territory" class="mw-redirect" title="Capital territory">Capital territory</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Federal_capital_territory" class="mw-redirect" title="Federal capital territory">Federal capital territory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_capital_territory" class="mw-redirect" title="National capital territory">National capital territory</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dependent_territory" title="Dependent territory">Dependent territory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federal_territory" title="Federal territory">Federal territory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Incorporated_territory" class="mw-redirect" title="Incorporated territory">Incorporated territory</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Organized_incorporated_territory" class="mw-redirect" title="Organized incorporated territory">Organized incorporated territory</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Overseas_territory" class="mw-redirect" title="Overseas territory">Overseas territory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Union_territory" title="Union territory">Union territory</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Town" title="Town">Town</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Census_town" title="Census town">Census town</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Market_town" title="Market town">Market town</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Township" title="Township">Township</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Charter_township" title="Charter township">Charter township</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Civil_township" title="Civil township">Civil township</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Paper_township" title="Paper township">Paper township</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Survey_township" title="Survey township">Survey township</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Urban_township" title="Urban township">Urban township</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Unit</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Regional_unit" class="mw-redirect" title="Regional unit">Regional unit</a></li> <li>Territorial unit <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Autonomous_territorial_unit" title="Autonomous territorial unit">Autonomous territorial unit</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Zone</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Economic zone <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Exclusive_economic_zone" title="Exclusive economic zone">Exclusive economic zone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Free_economic_zone" title="Free economic zone">Free economic zone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Special_economic_zone" title="Special economic zone">Special economic zone</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Exclusion_zone" title="Exclusion zone">Exclusion zone</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Military_exclusion_zone" title="Military exclusion zone">Military exclusion zone</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Free_speech_zone" title="Free speech zone">Free speech zone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Neutral_zone_(territorial_entity)" title="Neutral zone (territorial entity)">Neutral zone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Self-administered_zone" title="Self-administered zone">Self-administered zone</a></li> <li>Trade zone <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Free-trade_zone" title="Free-trade zone">Free-trade zone</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Other_English_terms" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Other English terms</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Current</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Local_government_in_Victoria#Alpine_resorts" title="Local government in Victoria">Alpine resort</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bailiwick" title="Bailiwick">Bailiwick</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Banner_(administrative_division)" title="Banner (administrative division)">Banner</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Banners_of_Inner_Mongolia" title="Banners of Inner Mongolia">Autonomous</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Block_(district_subdivision)" title="Block (district subdivision)">Block</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cadastre" title="Cadastre">Cadastre</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Circle_(administrative_division)" title="Circle (administrative division)">Circle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Circuit_(administrative_division)" title="Circuit (administrative division)">Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Colony" title="Colony">Colony</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Municipality" title="Municipality">Commune</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Condominium_(international_law)" title="Condominium (international law)">Condominium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Constituency_(administrative_division)" class="mw-redirect" title="Constituency (administrative division)">Constituency</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Duchy" title="Duchy">Duchy</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/District_duchy" title="District duchy">District</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Elderships_of_Lithuania" title="Elderships of Lithuania">Eldership</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Emirate" title="Emirate">Emirate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Enclave_and_exclave" title="Enclave and exclave">Enclave and exclave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federal_Dependencies_of_Venezuela" title="Federal Dependencies of Venezuela">Federal dependency</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Governorate" title="Governorate">Governorate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hamlet_(place)" title="Hamlet (place)">Hamlet</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Manorialism" title="Manorialism">Manor</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Royal_manor" class="mw-redirect" title="Royal manor">Royal</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Muftiate" title="Muftiate">Muftiate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Neighbourhood" title="Neighbourhood">Neighbourhood</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Parish_(administrative_division)" title="Parish (administrative division)">Parish</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electoral_precinct" title="Electoral precinct">Precinct</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Principality" title="Principality">Principality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protectorate" title="Protectorate">Protectorate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quarter_(urban_subdivision)" title="Quarter (urban subdivision)">Quarter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_regencies_and_cities_of_Indonesia" class="mw-redirect" title="List of regencies and cities of Indonesia">Regency</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Autonomous_republic" title="Autonomous republic">Autonomous republic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Riding_(division)" title="Riding (division)">Riding</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sector_(administrative_division)" title="Sector (administrative division)">Sector</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Autonomous_sector" class="mw-redirect" title="Autonomous sector">Autonomous</a></li></ul></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Shire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sultanate" class="mw-redirect" title="Sultanate">Sultanate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Suzerainty" title="Suzerainty">Suzerainty</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Townland" title="Townland">Townland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Village" title="Village">Village</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_summer_villages_in_Alberta" title="List of summer villages in Alberta">Summer</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ward_(electoral_subdivision)" title="Ward (electoral subdivision)">Ward</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Historical</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Agency_(administrative_division)" title="Agency (administrative division)">Agency</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Barony_(county_division)" title="Barony (county division)">Barony</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Burgh" title="Burgh">Burgh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Exarchate" title="Exarchate">Exarchate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hide_(unit)" title="Hide (unit)">Hide</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hundred_(county_division)" title="Hundred (county division)">Hundred</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Imperial_Circle" class="mw-redirect" title="Imperial Circle">Imperial Circle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/March_(territorial_entity)" class="mw-redirect" title="March (territorial entity)">March</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Monthon" title="Monthon">Monthon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Presidency_(administrative_division)" class="mw-redirect" title="Presidency (administrative division)">Presidency</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Residency_(administrative_division)" title="Residency (administrative division)">Residency</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Roman_diocese" title="Roman diocese">Roman diocese</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seat_(administrative_division)" title="Seat (administrative division)">Seat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tenth_(administrative_division)" title="Tenth (administrative division)">Tenth</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tithing" title="Tithing">Tithing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Viceroyalty" title="Viceroyalty">Viceroyalty</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Non-English_terms_or_loanwords" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Non-English terms or loanwords</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Current</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Amt" title="Amt">Amt</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apskritis" class="mw-redirect" title="Apskritis">Apskritis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bakhsh" title="Bakhsh">Bakhsh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Barangay" title="Barangay">Barangay</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bashki" class="mw-redirect" title="Bashki">Bashki</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bezirk" title="Bezirk">Bezirk</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Regierungsbezirk" title="Regierungsbezirk">Regierungsbezirk</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Comarca" title="Comarca">Comarca</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Comune" title="Comune">Comune</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Frazione" title="Frazione">Frazione</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Freguesia" title="Freguesia">Freguesia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fu_(administrative_division)" title="Fu (administrative division)">Fu</a></li> <li>Gemeinde <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Gemeinde_(Austria)" class="mw-redirect" title="Gemeinde (Austria)">Austria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gemeinde_(Germany)" class="mw-redirect" title="Gemeinde (Germany)">Germany</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gemeinde_(South_Tyrol)" class="mw-redirect" title="Gemeinde (South Tyrol)">South Tyrol</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gemeinde_(Switzerland)" class="mw-redirect" title="Gemeinde (Switzerland)">Switzerland</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gemeente_(disambiguation)" class="mw-redirect mw-disambig" title="Gemeente (disambiguation)">Gemeente</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gmina" title="Gmina">Gmina</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hromada" title="Hromada">Hromada</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jude%C8%9B" title="Județ">Județ</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kampong" title="Kampong">Kampong</a></li> <li>Kommun/Kunta <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Municipalities_of_Finland" title="Municipalities of Finland">Finland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Municipalities_of_Sweden" title="Municipalities of Sweden">Sweden</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/L%C3%A4n" title="Län">Län (Sweden)</a></li> <li>Landskap <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Regions_of_Finland" title="Regions of Finland">Finland</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Localit%C3%A0" title="Località">Località</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Regions_of_Finland" title="Regions of Finland">Maakunta</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Counties_of_Hungary" title="Counties of Hungary">Megye</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Muban" title="Muban">Muban</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mukim" title="Mukim">Mukim</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nj%C3%ABsi_administrative" class="mw-redirect" title="Njësi administrative">Njësi administrative</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oblast" title="Oblast">Oblast</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Autonomous_oblast" title="Autonomous oblast">Autonomous</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Okrug" title="Okrug">Okrug</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Provinces_of_Iran" title="Provinces of Iran">Ostān</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poblacion" title="Poblacion">Poblacion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Purok" title="Purok">Purok</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Qark" class="mw-redirect" title="Qark">Qark</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Raion" title="Raion">Raion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Savivaldyb%C4%97" class="mw-redirect" title="Savivaldybė">Savivaldybė</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Selsoviet" title="Selsoviet">Selsoviet</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sitio" title="Sitio">Sitio</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seni%C5%ABnija" class="mw-redirect" title="Seniūnija">Seniūnija</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Counties_of_Iran" title="Counties of Iran">Shahrestān</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sum_(administrative_division)" title="Sum (administrative division)">Sum</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Sums_of_Inner_Mongolia" title="Sums of Inner Mongolia">China</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/S%C3%BDsla" title="Sýsla">Sýsla</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tehsil" title="Tehsil">Tehsil</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Urban-type_settlement" title="Urban-type settlement">Townlet</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vingtaine" title="Vingtaine">Vingtaine</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Historical</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Commote" title="Commote">Commote</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gau_(territory)" title="Gau (territory)">Gau</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Heerlijkheid" title="Heerlijkheid">Heerlijkheid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Komun%C3%AB" title="Komunë">Komunë</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/K%C3%B6ping" title="Köping">Köping</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Korale" title="Korale">Korale</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Provinces_of_Finland" title="Provinces of Finland">Län/Lääni</a></li> <li>Landskap <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Provinces_of_Sweden" title="Provinces of Sweden">Sweden</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maalaiskunta" title="Maalaiskunta">Landskommun</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maalaiskunta" title="Maalaiskunta">Maalaiskunta</a></li> <li>Nome <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Nome_(Egypt)" title="Nome (Egypt)">Egypt</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prefectures_of_Greece" title="Prefectures of Greece">Greece</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pagus" title="Pagus">Pagus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pargana" title="Pargana">Pargana</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Plas%C4%83" title="Plasă">Plasă</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rreth" class="mw-redirect" title="Rreth">Rreth</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Satrap" title="Satrap">Satrapy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Socken" title="Socken">Socken</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Subah" title="Subah">Subah</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Syssel" title="Syssel">Syssel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zhou_(administrative_division)" title="Zhou (administrative division)">Zhou</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div>Used by ten or more countries or having derived terms. Historical derivations in <i>italics</i>. <dl><dt>See also</dt> <dd><a href="/wiki/Template:Autonomous_types_of_first-tier_administration" title="Template:Autonomous types of first-tier administration">Autonomous administration</a></dd> <dd><a href="/wiki/Census_division" title="Census division">Census division</a></dd> <dd><a href="/wiki/Electoral_district" title="Electoral district">Electoral district</a></dd> <dd><a href="/wiki/List_of_administrative_divisions_by_country" title="List of administrative divisions by country">List of administrative divisions by country</a></dd> <dd><a href="/wiki/Template:Slavic-language_terms_for_administrative_divisions" title="Template:Slavic-language terms for administrative divisions">Slavic administrative divisions</a></dd></dl></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shire&oldid=1258502456">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shire&oldid=1258502456</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:English_suffixes" title="Category:English suffixes">English suffixes</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Place_name_element_etymologies" title="Category:Place name element etymologies">Place name element etymologies</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Types_of_administrative_division" title="Category:Types of administrative division">Types of administrative division</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_matches_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description matches Wikidata">Short description matches Wikidata</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Use_dmy_dates_from_February_2017" title="Category:Use dmy dates from February 2017">Use dmy dates from February 2017</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_Old_English_(ca._450-1100)-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing Old English (ca. 450-1100)-language text">Articles containing Old English (ca. 450-1100)-language text</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_Proto-Germanic-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing Proto-Germanic-language text">Articles containing Proto-Germanic-language text</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_containing_Old_High_German_(ca._750-1050)-language_text" title="Category:Articles containing Old High German (ca. 750-1050)-language text">Articles containing Old High German (ca. 750-1050)-language text</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 20 November 2024, at 02:47<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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