Cheshire (ˈtʃɛʃər,_-ɪər ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south, and the Welsh counties of Flintshire and Wrexham to the west, with a short coastline on the Dee Estuary. Warrington is the largest settlement.
The county has an area of and a population of around 1,059,271. After Warrington (212,000), the largest settlements are Chester (86,011) and Crewe (71,722). The south and east of the county are primarily rural, while the north is more densely populated and includes the settlements of Runcorn, Widnes, and Ellesmere Port, which is part of Birkenhead built-up area. The county is governed by four unitary authorities: Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Halton Borough Council, and Warrington Borough Council.
The landscape of the county is dominated by the Cheshire Plain, an area of relatively flat land divided by the Mid-Cheshire Ridge. To the west it contains the south of the Wirral Peninsula, and to the east the landscape rises to the Pennines, where the county contains part of the Peak District National Park. The River Mersey runs through the north of Cheshire before broadening into its wide estuary; the River Dee forms part of the county's border with Wales, then fully enters England and flows through city of Chester before re-entering Wales upstream of its estuary. Red Triassic sandstone forms the bedrock of much of the county and was used in the construction of many of its buildings.
The county's culture has impacted pop culture by producing actors (Daniel Craig, Tim Curry, Pete Postlethwaite), athletes (Shauna Coxsey, Tyson Fury, Paula Radcliffe), authors (Lewis Carroll), comedians (John Bishop, Ben Miller) and musicians (Gary Barlow, Ian Curtis, Matty Healy and Harry Styles). Most places are involved in agriculture and chemistry, leading to Cheshire's reputation for the production of chemicals, Cheshire cheese, salt and silk.