Population
Yorkshire has a total population of over 5.3 million people, larger than the population of Scotland. (According to 2011 census data published by the Office for National Statistics). Yorkshire also has a bigger population than many other countries, such as Norway, New Zealand, Uruguay and the Republic of Ireland.
See below for our breakdown of Yorkshire’s top ten biggest cities.
| City | Population | Yorkshire Rank | UK Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds, West Yorkshire | 761,481 | 1 | 4 |
| Sheffield, South Yorkshire | 530,375 | 2 | 8 |
| Bradford, West Yorkshire | 526,369 | 3 | 9 |
| Kingston-upon-Hull, East Yorkshire | 385,786 | 4 | 14 |
| Wakefield, West Yorkshire | 329,708 | 5 | 15 |
| York, North Yorkshire | 200,018 | 6 | 37 |
| Huddersfield, West Yorkshire | 162,949 | 7 | 51 |
| Rotherham, South Yorkshire | 117,618 | 8 | 80 |
| Doncaster, South Yorkshire | 109,805 | 9 | 84 |
| Barnsley, South Yorkshire | 91,297 | 10 | 109 |
County Size
Yorkshire is the largest county in the UK, spanning 2.9 million acres, larger than Greater London. It is often split geographically, each area being referred to as North, West or the East Riding. Over 80% of Yorkshire is considered 'urban'.
Airports
Yorkshire is home to two airports which have scheduled commercial airline services, Leeds Bradford International Airport (16th busiest) and Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield (26th busiest) served over 3.2 million and 690,000 passengers respectively in 2014.
Coasts
The eastern border of Yorkshire is it's 45 mile long coastline, looking out onto the North Sea. It includes the popular holiday spots of Whitby (the landing spot of Dracula in Bram Stoker's novel), Bridlington, Robin Hood Bay and Hornsea. Many have been awarded the Blue Flag label for sustainability.
Retail
Sheffield is home to Yorkshire’s largest shopping centre, Meadowhall. With more than 400,000 visitors per week and 139,355m2 of floor space, it ranks as the tenth largest shopping center in the UK
Industry
Manufacturing accounted for 15.3% of Yorkshire and The Humber output in 2010, compared with the average of 10.8% for the UK. Many businesses have also been founded in Yorkshire, such as Morrisons, Marks & Spencer, Tetley’s Brewery and Little Chef. Tourism in Yorkshire & Humber is worth over £7 billion, which is more than the whole tourism expenditure in Ireland or Denmark, and employs around a quarter of a million people. In total, Yorkshire's economic output was £88 billion, double that of Wales and almost 7% of the UK’s total economic output.
See below for our breakdown of Yorkshire’s biggest economies.
| City | UK Rank | Gross Value Added (GVA) | GVA Per Head | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds, West Yorkshire | 4 | £20,362,000,000 | £26,741 | |
| Sheffield, South Yorkshire | 9 | £11,199,000,000 | £19,995 | |
| Bradford, West Yorkshire | 13 | £8,735,000,000 | £16,595 | |
| Wakefield, West Yorkshire | 18 | £6,470,000,000 | £19,623 | |
| Kingston-upon-Hull, East Yorkshire | 25 | £4,869,000,000 | £18,902 | |
| York, North Yorkshire | 26 | £4,754,000,000 | £23,483 |
Sport
If Yorkshire were an independent country it would have finished 12th at the 2012 Olympics, gaining 7 Golds, 2 Silvers and 3 Bronze. Athletes include Jessica Ennis, who competed in the Heptathlon, boxer Nicola Adams and cyclist Ed Clancy.
Sheffield FC was also the first ever football club, formed in 1857.
Tour de France
The first stage of the 2014 Tour de France starts from Leeds Town Hall on Saturday 5th July 2014 and pass through 190 km (120 miles) of gorgeous North Yorkshire countryside. On the second day, riders will leave the historic city of York for Sheffield
National Parks
Yorkshire has two National Parks: the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors, covering 1,762km2 and 1436km2 respectively. Together they attract around 20.3 million visitors per year.
Food
The county's most well-known delicacy, by far, is the Yorkshire pudding. Wensleydale cheese also originates from Yorkshire. There are 5 Michelin Star restaurants in Yorkshire, more than any other region in England, outside of London.
