Northamptonshire
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Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire (nôrthămpˈtənshĭr) or Northants (nôrth-hăntsˈ), county (1991 pop. 568,900), 914 sq mi (2,367 sq km), central England. The county seat is Northampton. The county comprises seven districts: South Northamptonshire, Northampton, Daventry, Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby, and East Northamptonshire. The terrain is undulating agricultural country, devoted to pasture and forests. The principal river is the Nene. The iron and steel industry, which flourished on the basis of local ore from the start of the 20th cent., has dwindled in significance. The county's specialization in boot and shoe production has also withered in the face of competition. The Roman roads Ermine Street and Watling Street crossed the county. In Anglo-Saxon times the area was part of the kingdom of Mercia and was probably organized as a shire in Danish times. In 1974, Northamptonshire was reorganized as a nonmetropolitan county.
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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Northamptonshire
a county in central England, in the basin of the Nene River. Area, 2,400 sq km. Population, 467,800 (1971). Northampton is the county seat.
Northamptonshire constitutes the southern part of the East Midlands economic region. It has a food-processing industry and is also known for the manufacture of shoes, thread, knitted goods, and lace. The mining of iron ore, ferrous metallurgy (in Corby), and machine construction are the leading heavy industries. Agriculture is dominated by animal husbandry.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Northamptonshire
a county of central England: agriculture, food processing, engineering, and footwear industries. Administrative centre: Northampton. Pop.: 642 700 (2003 est.). Area: 2367 sq. km (914 sq. miles)
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005