Lancashire (/ˈlæŋkəʃər/ LAN-kə-shər, /-ʃɪər/ -⁠sheer; abbreviated Lancs) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The largest settlement is Blackpool, and the county town is the city of Lancaster. The county has an area of 3,079 square kilometres (1,189 sq mi) and a population of 1,490,300. The north and southwest are generally rural, while the centre, southeast, and coast are more densely populated. After Blackpool (147,663), the largest settlements are the city of Preston (122,719), Blackburn (120,500), and Burnley (81,548); Lancaster has a population of 52,234. (Source: Wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA)