Worcestershire (/ˈwʊstərʃər/ WUSS-tər-shər, /-ʃɪər/ -⁠sheer; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It borders Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands county to the north, Warwickshire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south, and Herefordshire to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Worcester. The county is largely rural, and has an area of 1,741 km2 (672 sq mi) and a population of 592,057. After Worcester (103,872) the largest settlements are Redditch (87,036), Kidderminster (57,400), and Malvern (30,462). For administrative purposes Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county governed by Worcestershire County Council and six district councils. The historic county had complex boundaries, and included Stourbridge and the southwestern suburbs of Birmingham. (Source: Wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA)