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'''Northumbria''' was an Anglian kingdom of the [[Heptarchy]] period. At its territorial peak, the kingdom covered almost all of modern-day northern England and south-east [[Scotland]], plus a large part of south-west Scotland as well. The kingdom was bound by the [[Firth of Forth]] in the north, with the southern boundary running from the estuaries of the [[River Humber|Humber]] (with the kingdom/ethnic name ''Norþanhymbre'' meaning "north (of the) Humber") and [[River Mersey|Mersey]] (indeed, ''Mersey'' is derived from the [[Old English]] ''mæres ēa'', "boundary river"); the southern border in particular is known to have fluctuated, however. Northumbria existed as an independent kingdom between the years 651–867 AD.
'''Northumbria''' was an Anglian kingdom of the [[Heptarchy]] period. At its territorial peak, the kingdom covered almost all of modern-day northern England and south-east [[Scotland]], plus a large part of south-west Scotland as well. The kingdom was bound by the [[Firth of Forth]] in the north, with the southern boundary running from the estuaries of the [[River Humber|Humber]] (with the kingdom/ethnic name ''Norþanhymbre'' meaning "north (of the) Humber") and [[River Mersey|Mersey]] (indeed, ''Mersey'' is derived from the [[Old English]] ''mæres ēa'', "boundary river"); the southern border in particular is known to have fluctuated, however. Northumbria existed as an independent kingdom between the years 651–867 AD.
Despite ceasing to exist as an independent territory over 1000 years ago, the kingdom has had an everlasting legacy. The county-name of [[Northumberland]], despite that covering a far smaller area, is descended directly from the kingdom name. [[Northumbria (modern)|Northumbria]] is an informal and loosely-defined region of England, sometimes used as a synonym for [[North East England]], the heartland of the ancient kingdom, with its inhabitants still sometimes being referred to as "Northumbrians".
== Geographical extent ==
== Geographical extent ==
At its greatest geographical extent (c. 700 AD), the kingdom broadly consisted of the present-day English counties [[Cumberland]], [[County Durham]], [[Lancashire]], [[Northumberland]], [[Westmorland]] and [[Yorkshire]], as well as [[Berwickshire]], [[Dumfriesshire]], [[Kirkcudbrightshire]], the [[Lothian|Lothians]], [[Roxburghshire]], [[Selkirkshire]] and [[Wigtownshire]].
== History of Northumbria ==
== History of Northumbria ==