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Tyne and Wear


Tyne and Wear () is a metropolitan county in North East England, situated around the mouths of the rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, which also created the five metropolitan boroughs of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and the City of Sunderland which constitute the county. It is bordered to by Northumberland to the north and Durham to the south. Prior to the 1974 reforms, the area now covered by Tyne and Wear was split between the counties of Northumberland and Durham, the border being marked by the River Tyne. The county no longer has any local government powers, following the disbanding of Tyne and Wear County Council, so the county only exists for ceremonial purposes.
The former Tyne and Wear County Council, based at Sandyford House, was abolished in 1986 along with the other metropolitan county councils in England by the Local Government Act 1985, and so its districts (the metropolitan boroughs) have since functioned effectively as unitary authorities. However, the metropolitan county continues to exist in law and as a geographic frame of reference, and as a ceremonial county.


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