Editing Merseyside (section)

{{Short description|County of England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{infobox English county
| official_name           = Merseyside
| other_name              = 
| image_main              = {{multiple image
| border = infobox | perrow = 1/2 | total_width = 270
| image1 = Pier Head, Liverpool - geograph.org.uk - 3059094.jpg
| image2 = Crosby Beach, Another Place - geograph.org.uk - 4943623 (cropped).jpg
| image3 = Roman pavilion, Birkenhead Park 2019-2.jpg
}}
| image_caption           = Left to right: {{ubl|[[Pier Head]], Liverpool|[[Another Place (sculpture)|''Another Place'']] at [[Crosby Beach]]|Roman pavilion at [[Birkenhead Park]]}}
| flag_image              = 
| flag_link               = 
| arms_image              = 
| arms_link               = 
| motto                   = <!--for non-English motto, use: ''Motto in italics''<br />("English translation")-->
| locator_map             = Merseyside UK locator map 2010.svg
| map_caption             = Location of Merseyside within England
| coordinates             = {{coord|53|25|N|3|00|W|region:GB_type:adm1st|display=title, inline}}
| region                  = [[North West England]]
| established_date        = 1 April 1974
| established_by          = [[Local Government Act 1972]]
| preceded_by             = 
| origin                  = 
| MPs                     = [[List of parliamentary constituencies in Merseyside|15 MPs]]
| police                  = [[Merseyside Police]]
| largest_city            = [[Liverpool]]
| largest_town            = <!-- only shown if largest_city is not set -->
<!-- Ceremonial county -->
| lord_lieutenant_office  = Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside
| lord_lieutenant_name    = Mark Blundell
| high_sheriff_office     = High Sheriff of Merseyside
| high_sheriff_name       = Nigel Lanceley
| mayor_office            = 
| mayor_name              = 
| area_total_km2          = {{English cerem counties|ARE=Merseyside}}
| area_total_rank         = {{English cerem counties|ARK=Merseyside}}
| ethnicity               = 
<!-- Metropolitan county -->
| county_council          = <!-- only for counties with county councils -->
| unitary_council         = <!-- only for unitary counties like Northumberland -->
| unitary_council1        = <!-- and unitary_council2 etc. only for hybrid counties *-->
| government              = <!-- for other government such as Greater Manchester Combined Authority -->
| joint_committees        = 
| admin_hq                = 
| area_council_km2        = 
| area_council_rank       = 
| population_council      = 
| density_council         = 
| iso_code                = 
| ons_code                = 
| gss_code                = E11000002
| nuts_code               = 
| website                 = 
<!-- Maps -->
| districts_map           = [[File:Merseyside numbered districts.svg|200px]]
| districts_key           = {{Colorsample|#FEC1E9}} [[Metropolitan borough|Metropolitan districts]]
| districts_list          = 
#[[Liverpool|City of Liverpool]]
#[[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton|Sefton]]
#[[Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley|Knowsley]]
#[[Metropolitan Borough of St Helens|St Helens]]
#[[Metropolitan Borough of Wirral|Wirral]]
}}
'''Merseyside''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɜr|z|i|s|aɪ|d|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Merseyside.wav}} {{respell|MUR|zee|syde}}) is a [[ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial]] and [[metropolitan county]] in [[North West England]]. It borders [[Lancashire]] to the north, [[Greater Manchester]] to the east, [[Cheshire]] to the south, the [[Wales|Welsh]] county of [[Flintshire]] across the [[Dee Estuary]] to the southwest, and the [[Irish Sea]] to the west. The largest settlement is the city of [[Liverpool]].

The county is highly urbanised, with an area of {{convert|249|sqmi|km2|0}} and a population of 1.42 million in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=2007 Mid Year Estimates|publisher=statistics.gov.uk |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15106 |access-date=9 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216083533/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15106 |archive-date=16 December 2008 }}</ref> After Liverpool (552,267), the largest settlements are [[Birkenhead]] (143,968), [[St Helens, Merseyside|St Helens]] (102,629), and [[Southport]] (94,421). For [[Local government in England|local government]] purposes the county comprises five [[metropolitan borough]]s: [[Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley|Knowsley]], [[Metropolitan Borough of St Helens|St Helens]], [[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton|Sefton]], [[Metropolitan Borough of Wirral|Wirral]], and Liverpool. The borough councils, together with that of [[Borough of Halton|Halton]] in Cheshire, collaborate through the [[Liverpool City Region Combined Authority]].

What is now Merseyside was a largely rural area until the [[Industrial Revolution]], when Liverpool and Birkenhead's positions on the [[Mersey Estuary]] enabled them to expand. Liverpool became a major port, heavily involved in the [[Atlantic slave trade]] and in supplying cotton to the mills of Lancashire, and Birkenhead developed into a centre for shipbuilding. Innovations during this period included the [[Liverpool and Manchester Railway|first inter-city railway]], the first [[Birkenhead Park|publicly-funded civic park]], advances in [[Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool|dock technology]], and a pioneering [[Liverpool Overhead Railway|elevated electrical railway]]. The county was established in 1974, before which the entirety of the [[Wirral Peninsula|Wirral]] was in Cheshire and the remainder of the county was in Lancashire.

Merseyside is notable for its sport, music, and cultural institutions. The [[Merseybeat]] genre developed in what is now the county, which has also produced [[List of bands and artists from Merseyside|many artists and bands]], including [[the Beatles]]. The county contains several football clubs, with [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] and [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] playing in the [[Premier League]]. The [[Royal Liverpool Golf Club|Royal Liverpool]] and [[Royal Birkdale Golf Club|Royal Birkdale]] golf clubs have hosted [[The Open Championship]] 22 times between them, and the [[Grand National]] is the most valuable jump race in Europe. [[National Museums Liverpool]] comprises nine museums and art galleries.