Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in North East England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. It consists of the five metropolitan boroughs of South Tyneside, North Tyneside, City of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead and the City of Sunderland.
Tyne and Wear is bounded on the east by the North Sea, and as a Ceremonial county, shares borders with Northumberland to the north, and County Durham to the south.
Tyne and Wear County Council was abolished in 1986, and so its districts (the metropolitan boroughs) are now effectively unitary authorities. However, the metropolitan county continues to exist in law and as a geographic frame of reference.
The territory comprising the county of Tyne and Wear previously formed part of the counties of Northumberland and County Durham.
Backworth Blaydon Boldon Cox Green Cullercoats Derwent Haugh Dinnington Dunston East Boldon East Howdon Elswick Felling Forest Hall Gateshead Gosforth Hartley Harton Heaton Hebburn Heddon on the Wall Hetton le Hole High Heaton Houghton le Spring Jarrow Jesmond Kenton Killingworth Lamesley Lemington Longbenton Low Eighton Low Team Low Walker Marsden Monkseaton Monkwearmouth New Herrington New Silksworth Newbottle Newburn Newcastle upon Tyne North Shields Old Penshaw Old Walker Pallion Ravensworth Ryhope Saint Peters Scotswood Seaton Burn Seghill Sheriff Hill Shiremoor Silksworth South Shields Southwick Sunderland Swalwell Throckley Town Moor Tynemouth Usworth Walker Walker Gate Wallsend Washington West Boldon Westoe Whickham Whitburn Whitley Bay Willington Quay Winlaton