North Yorkshire County in n England; the administrative centre is York. Other major towns include Scarborough, Whitby, and Harrogate. In the 9th century, Scandinavian invasions destroyed a thriving culture. In the Middle Ages, the region became noted for its monastic foundations. In the w of the county are the Pennines. In the e are the North Yorkshire Moors. North Yorkshire is agricultural, with dairy farming, cereals, and hill sheep farming. There is some manufacturing industry. Area: 8309sq km (3208sq mi). Pop. (1996 est.) 558,800.

Yorkshire, North. The county of North Yorkshire was created by the Local Government Act of 1972. It was substantially different from the old North Riding, losing a slice to Cleveland, including Middlesbrough, Guisborough, and Yarm, gaining Filey and Norton from the East Riding, and adding a large part of the former West Riding, including Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Skipton, Selby, and Tadcaster. The county town is Northallerton. It retained its county status in the local government reorganization of the 1990s, with York as a unitary authority.

J. A. Cannon

North Yorkshire. See Yorkshire, North.