Staffordshire
an inland county of England. Area, 1,128 square miles.
Pop. about 300,000. The capital of the county is Stafford (pop. about 30,000).
In the north and in the south the county is hilly, with wild moorlands in the north.
In the midland regions the surface is low and undulating. Throughout the entire county there are vast and important coal fields. In the southern part there are also rich iron ore deposits. The so-called Black Country, between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, about 15 miles in length, is one of the principal iron and steel manufacturing districts of England. The largest river is the Trent. The soil is chiefly clay and agriculture is not highly developed. The manufacturing interests, however, are of great importance and diversity, and besides the above mentioned steel and iron industries they include the manufacture of bricks, chemicals, cotton goods, glass, leather goods, pottery, shoes, silk, and of many other articles. The pottery industry is centered around Stoke-on-Trent and the brewing industry around Burton-on- Trent.