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The role of counties in local government saw a decline in the 19th and 20th century, but contrary to popular opinion, the British counties were neither abolished nor did they have their boundaries changed by acts of parliament such as the Local Government Act 1888 or the like-named act of 1974, as an official statement by Prime Minister [[Edward Heath]]'s government confirmed in 1974: "the new county boundaries are administrative areas, and will not alter the traditional boundaries of counties, nor is it intended that the loyalties of people living in them will change despite the different names adopted by the new administrative counties".<ref name="realcounties">[https://realcounties.wordpress.com/official-statements/ Official Statements - Campaign for Historic Counties]</ref> There are many organisations, such as the Association of British Counties (ABC) and the Campaign for Historic Counties, which seek to promote and raise public awareness of the counties.<ref>[https://abcounties.com/ Association of British Counties]</ref><ref name="realcounties" />  

The role of counties in local government saw a decline in the 19th and 20th century, but contrary to popular opinion, the British counties were neither abolished nor did they have their boundaries changed by acts of parliament such as the Local Government Act 1888 or the like-named act of 1974, as an official statement by Prime Minister [[Edward Heath]]'s government confirmed in 1974: "the new county boundaries are administrative areas, and will not alter the traditional boundaries of counties, nor is it intended that the loyalties of people living in them will change despite the different names adopted by the new administrative counties".<ref name="realcounties">[https://realcounties.wordpress.com/official-statements/ Official Statements - Campaign for Historic Counties]</ref> There are many organisations, such as the Association of British Counties (ABC) and the Campaign for Historic Counties, which seek to promote and raise public awareness of the counties.<ref>[https://abcounties.com/ Association of British Counties]</ref><ref name="realcounties" />  

The various administrative subdivisions in the UK, being county council areas, unitary authority areas and London boroughs in England (which are all nearly functionally identical), are legally distinct from counties proper, and are not replacements for them, despite some, such Lancashire County Council and Staffordshire County Council, being similarly-named (but having different boundaries) to counties. "Counties for the purposes of lieutenancy", which are often mistakenly (notably by Wikipedia) referred to as "ceremonial counties", do not replace the counties proper either. [[Wolverhampton]], for example, is part of [[Staffordshire]] despite it being administratively in City of Wolverhampton and in the "county for the purposes of lieutenancy" of West Midlands. To distinguish from other areas misleadingly referred to as "counties", the counties proper are sometimes referred to as '''historic counties''' (because "they have a lot of history") and '''traditional counties'''.

The various administrative subdivisions in the UK, being county council areas, unitary authority areas and London boroughs in England (which are all nearly functionally identical), are legally distinct from counties proper, and are not replacements for them, despite some, such Lancashire County Council and Staffordshire County Council, being similarly-named (but having different boundaries) to counties. "[[Counties for the purposes of lieutenancy]]", which are often mistakenly (notably by Wikipedia) referred to as "ceremonial counties", do not replace the counties proper either. [[Wolverhampton]], for example, is part of [[Staffordshire]] despite it being administratively in City of Wolverhampton and in the "county for the purposes of lieutenancy" of West Midlands. To distinguish from other areas misleadingly referred to as "counties", the counties proper are sometimes referred to as '''historic counties''' (because "they have a lot of history") and '''traditional counties'''.

In English administrative history, only 2 counties have been abolished; Winchcombshire in the south west was merged into [[Gloucestershire]] in the 11th century, and Hexhamshire in the north east was merged into [[Northumberland]] in the 16th century.

In English administrative history, only 2 counties have been abolished; Winchcombshire in the south west was merged into [[Gloucestershire]] in the 11th century, and Hexhamshire in the north east was merged into [[Northumberland]] in the 16th century.