Merseyside is a metropolitan county created in 1974, located in the north west of England. The county is spread across 249 square miles and has a population of approximately 1.4 million people.

Merseyside has borders with Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and The Irish Sea.

Merseysideis composed of the boroughs Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton and St Helens and Knosley. It is divided in two by the Mersey Estuary. These are linked by two Mersey Tunnels, the Mersey Railaway and the Mersey Ferry.

A popular attraction is Liverpool’s World Museum which features millions of years of the Earth’s history. Other attractions in Liverpool include the Walker Art Gallery, the Lantern Theatre and the Echo Arena.

Liverpool is perhaps best known for being the home of the world famous band The Beatles. The city is awash with many ‘Beatle themed’ attractions including The Beatles Story, a tour taking in such famous sites as the Cavern Club

The Dream in St Helens is a sculpture by Jeume Plensa erected in 2009 as part of Channel 4’s The Big Art Project.

Aintree Racecourse is home to The Grand National each year. It is located in Sefton, Mersyside.

Famous residents from Merseyside include Wayne Rooney, football player, Peter Shore (politician), Willy Russell (playwright) and Glenda Jackson (actress).