Gwent (county)

Gwent was a historic county of Wales, created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It encompassed most of the traditional county of Monmouthshire, along with a small part of Breconshire. Gwent was bordered by Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan to the west, Powys to the north, Herefordshire and Worcestershire (in England) to the east, and the Severn Estuary to the south.

The name "Gwent" is derived from the ancient Kingdom of Gwent, which existed in the early medieval period.

Gwent was divided into five districts: Blaenau Gwent, Islwyn, Monmouth, Newport, and Torfaen. The administrative headquarters were located in Cwmbran.

The primary industries in Gwent included steel production, coal mining (which declined significantly during the period), and agriculture.

In 1996, as part of a further reorganization of local government in Wales, Gwent was abolished. The five districts became unitary authorities: Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly (largely from Islwyn), Monmouthshire, Newport, and Torfaen. These unitary authorities continue to use Gwent Police as a shared service. The term "Gwent" is still sometimes used informally to refer to this area of Wales.