Avon | |
---|---|
![]() Avon shown within England | |
Area | |
• 1974 | 332,596 acres (1,345.97 km2)[1] |
• 1994 | 134,268 hectares (1,342.68 km2)[2] |
Population | |
• 1973 | 914,180[3] |
• 1981 | 900,416 |
• 1991 | 903,870 |
History | |
• Origin | Bristol travel-to-work area |
• Created | 1974 |
• Abolished | 1996 |
• Succeeded by | Bristol South Gloucestershire North Somerset Bath and North East Somerset |
Status | Non-metropolitan county |
ONS code | 08 |
Government | Avon County Council |
• HQ | Bristol |
![]() Coat of arms of Avon County Council | |
Subdivisions | |
• Type | Non-metropolitan districts |
• Units | |
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Avon (/ˈeɪvən/) was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in the west of England that existed between 1974 and 1996. The county was named after the River Avon, which flows through the area. It was formed from the county boroughs of Bristol and Bath, together with parts of the administrative counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset.
In 1996, the county was abolished and the area split between four new unitary authorities: Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. The Avon name is still used for some purposes. The area had a population of approximately 1.08 million people in 2009.[4]