West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in northern England, formed in 1974 and comprising the five metropolitan districts of Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. It is one of England's most populous counties, home to around 2.3 million people, and is characterised by a mix of dense urban areas, former mill towns and upland moorland. West Yorkshire has a rich cultural heritage, world-class universities and a rapidly expanding economy, particularly in Leeds which serves as the region's dominant commercial and cultural hub.