Metropolitan county of northeast England, created in 1974; in 1986, most of the functions of the former county council were transferred to the metropolitan borough councils. Area 2,040 sq km/787 sq mi Towns and cities Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield (administrative centres for districts of the same name), Halifax (administrative centre of Calderdale district), Huddersfield (administrative centre of Kirklees district) Physical Ilkley Moor, Haworth Moor; high Pennine moorlands in the west, Vale of York to the east; rivers Aire, Calder, Colne, Wharfe Features Haworth Parsonage; part of the Peak District National Park; British Library, Boston Spa Document Supply Centre (part of the British Library) Industries woollen textiles, financial services; coal mining is in decline Population (2001) 2,079,300 Famous people the Brontës, David Hockney, Henry Moore, J B Priestley Industrial past Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, and Wakefield were formerly all built-up manufacturing centres. …