View source for East Midlands

{{Short description|Region of England}}
{{For-multi|the smaller area governed by the Mayor of the East Midlands|East Midlands (strategic authority area)|other uses}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = East Midlands
| settlement_type         = [[Regions of England|Region]]
| image_skyline           = {{multiple image |border=infobox |perrow=2 |total_width=250 |align=center |caption_align=center
 | image1 = All Saints Church (geograph 7247736).jpg
 | image2 = Market Street - geograph.org.uk - 1943313.jpg
 | image3 = Angel Row, Nottingham - geograph.org.uk - 3966223.jpg
 | image4 = Derby- down The Strand (geograph 6165291).jpg
 | image5 = Sherwood Forest (9536).jpg
 | image6 = Lincoln Cathedral from Castle Square - geograph.org.uk - 3643306.jpg
 | image7 = Rutland Water at Normanton.jpg
 | image8 = Mam Tor Castleton.jpg
 }}
| imagesize               = 
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = From top, left to right: [[Northampton]]; [[Leicester]]; [[Nottingham]]; [[Derby, England|Derby]]; [[Sherwood Forest]]; [[Lincoln Cathedral]]; [[Rutland Water]]; [[Peak District]]
| image_flag              = 
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| image_blank_emblem      = 
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| etymology               = 
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| image_map               = East Midlands in England.svg
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = East Midlands shown within [[England]]
| coordinates             = {{coord|52.98|-0.75|region:GB-ENG_type:adm1st|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type        = [[Sovereign state]]
| subdivision_name        = [[United Kingdom]]
| subdivision_type1       = [[Countries of the United Kingdom|Country]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[England]]
| subdivision_type2       = 
| subdivision_name2       = 
| subdivision_type3       = 
| subdivision_name3       = 
| subdivision_type4       = 
| subdivision_name4       = 
| established_title       = [[Government Offices for the English regions|GO]] established
| established_date        = 1994
| established_title1      = [[Regional development agency|RDA]] established
| established_date1       = 1998
| established_title2      = GO abolished
| established_date2       = 2011
| established_title3      = RDA abolished
| established_date3       = 31 March 2012
| named_for               = 
| seat_type               = 
| seat                    = 
|parts_type               = Subdivisions
|parts                    =
 {{Collapsible list |title=6 [[Ceremonial counties of England|counties]]
 | [[Derbyshire]]
 | [[Leicestershire]]
 | [[Lincolnshire]] (part)
 | [[Northamptonshire]]
 | [[Nottinghamshire]]
 | [[Rutland]]
 }}
{{Collapsible list |title=2 [[combined authority]]
 | [[East Midlands Combined County Authority|East Midlands]]
|  [[Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority|Greater Lincolnshire CCA]] (part)
 }}
{{Collapsible list |title=35 [[Districts of England|districts]]
 | 6 [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary]]
 | 29 [[Non-metropolitan district|non-metropolitan]] in 4 [[non-metropolitan county|non-metropolitan counties]]
 }}
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes    = <ref name="Leaders' board">{{cite web |url=https://www.emcouncils.gov.uk/ |title=Our Work |website=East Midlands Councils |access-date=10 August 2024}}</ref>
| government_type         = [[Local authority leaders' board]]
| governing_body          = [[East Midlands Councils]]
| leader_title            = 
| leader_name             = 
| leader_title1           = 
| leader_name1            = 
| leader_title2           = 
| leader_name2            = 
| leader_title3           = 
| leader_name3            = 
| leader_title4           = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]]s
| leader_name4            = [[Parliamentary constituencies in the East Midlands|47 MPs]] (of 650)
<!-- Area -->
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="ONS Standard Area Measurement">{{cite web |url=https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/datasets/ons::standard-area-measurements-latest-for-administrative-areas-in-the-united-kingdom/about |title=Standard Area Measurements (Latest) for Administrative Areas in the United Kingdom |date=24 April 2024 |website=[[ONS Open Geography Portal|Open Geography Portal]] |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=6 May 2024 }}</ref>
| area_total_km2          = 15811
| area_land_km2           = {{UK subdivision area|GSS=E12000004}}
| area_water_km2          = 
| area_rank               = [[Regions of England#List of regions|4th]] <!-- of English regions -->
<!-- Population -->
| population_footnotes    = <ref name="popstats">{{UK subdivision statistics citation}}</ref>
| population_as_of        = {{UK subdivision statistics year}}
| population_total        = {{UK subdivision population|GSS=E12000004}}
| population_rank         = [[Regions of England#List of regions|8th]] <!-- of English regions -->
| population_density_km2  = {{UK subdivision density|GSS=E12000004}}
| population_demonym      = 
<!-- demographics (section 1) -->
| demographics_type1      = Ethnicity <span style="font-weight:normal;">([[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]])</span>
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Nomis">{{NOMIS2021 |id=E12000004 |title=East Midlands Region |access-date=14 August 2023}}</ref>
| demographics1_title1    = [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|Ethnic groups]]
| demographics1_info1     = {{Collapsible list
 | 85.7% [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]
 | 8.0% [[British Asians|Asian]]
 | 2.7% [[Black British people|Black]]
 | 2.4% [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]]
 | 1.3% [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|other]]
 }}
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->
| demographics_type2      = Religion <span style="font-weight:normal;">(2021)</span>
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Nomis"/>
| demographics2_title1    = [[Religion in England|Religion]]
| demographics2_info1     = {{Collapsible list
 | 45.4% [[Religion in England#Christianity|Christianity]]
 | 40.0% [[Irreligion in the United Kingdom|no religion]]
 | 4.3% [[Islam in England|Islam]]
 | 2.5% [[Hinduism in England|Hinduism]]
 | 1.1% [[Sikhism in England|Sikhism]]
 | 0.3% [[Buddhism in England|Buddhism]]
 | 0.1% [[History of the Jews in England|Judaism]]
 | 0.5% [[Religion in England|other]]
 | 5.9% not stated
 }}
| timezone1               = [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
| utc_offset1             = +0
| timezone1_DST           = [[British Summer Time|BST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +1
<!-- Codes -->
| postal_code_type        = [[Postcodes in the United Kingdom|Postcode areas]]
| postal_code             = 
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in the United Kingdom|Dialling codes]]
| area_code               = 
| iso_code                = 
| blank1_name             = [[International Territorial Level|ITL code]]
| blank1_info             = TLF
| blank2_name             = [[GSS coding system|GSS code]]
| blank2_info             = E12000004
| website                 = 
}}
{{Politics of England}}
The '''East Midlands''' is one of nine official [[regions of England]]. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the [[Midlands]]. It consists of [[Derbyshire]], [[Leicestershire]], [[Lincolnshire]] (except for [[North Lincolnshire]] and [[North East Lincolnshire]]), [[Northamptonshire]], [[Nottinghamshire]], and [[Rutland]]. The region has a land area of {{convert|{{UK subdivision area|GSS=E12000004}}|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}, with an estimated population {{UK subdivision population|GSS=E12000004}} in {{UK subdivision statistics year}}.<ref name="popstats" /> With a [[Global city#GaWC World Cities|sufficiency-level world city]] ranking, Nottingham is the only settlement in the region to be classified by the [[Globalization and World Cities Research Network]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=GaWC - The World According to GaWC 2020|url=https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2020t.html|access-date=2022-01-25|website=www.lboro.ac.uk|archive-date=24 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824031341/https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2020t.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The main cities in the region are [[Derby, England|Derby]], [[Leicester]], [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]] and [[Nottingham]]. The largest towns in these counties are [[Boston, England|Boston]], [[Chesterfield, Derbyshire|Chesterfield]], [[Coalville, Leicestershire|Coalville]], [[Corby]], [[Glossop]], [[Grantham]], [[Kettering]], [[Loughborough]], [[Newark-on-Trent]], [[Northampton]], [[Mansfield, England|Mansfield]], [[Oakham]], [[Swadlincote]] and [[Wellingborough]].

==Physical features==
The highest point at {{convert|636|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} is [[Kinder Scout]], in the [[Peak District]] of the southern [[Pennines]] in northwest [[Derbyshire]] near [[Glossop]]. Other hilly areas of {{convert|95|to|280|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in altitude, together with lakes and reservoirs, rise in and around the [[Charnwood Forest]] north of [[Leicester]], and in the [[Lincolnshire Wolds]].{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

The region's major rivers, the [[River Nene|Nene]], the [[River Soar|Soar]], the [[River Trent|Trent]], and the [[River Welland|Welland]], flow in a northeasterly direction towards the [[Humber]] and [[the Wash]]. The [[River Derwent, Derbyshire|Derwent]], conversely, rises in the High Peak before flowing south to join the Trent some {{convert|2|mi|km|0}} before its conflux with the Soar,{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} and the [[River Witham|Witham]] flows in an arch, first north to [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]] before heading south to the Wash.

[[File:Forbidding Office Building - geograph.org.uk - 1363225.jpg|thumb|right|Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, next to the Trent, and Waitrose, in Newark-on-Trent]]
The centre of the East Midlands area lies roughly between [[Bingham, Nottinghamshire|Bingham]], Nottinghamshire and [[Bottesford, Leicestershire|Bottesford]], Leicestershire. The [[Centre points of the United Kingdom|geographical centre of England]] lies in [[Higham on the Hill]] in west [[Leicestershire]], close to the boundary between the Leicestershire and Warwickshire. Some 88 per cent of the land is rural in character, although agriculture accounts for less than three per cent of the region's jobs.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

Church Flatts Farm in [[Coton in the Elms]], South Derbyshire, is the furthest place from the sea in the UK ({{convert|70|mi|km|disp=semicolon}}). In April 1936 the first [[Ordnance Survey]] [[Triangulation station|trig point]] was sited at [[Cold Ashby]] in [[Northamptonshire]]. The [[Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts]] and [[The Wildlife Trusts]] are based next to the River Trent and Newark Castle railway station. The [[National Centre for Earth Observation]] is at the University of Leicester.

===Geology===
The region is home to large quantities of [[limestone]], and the [[East Midlands Oil Province]]. [[Charnwood Forest]] is noted for its abundant levels of volcanic rock, estimated to be approximately 600&nbsp;million years old.<ref>{{cite book |last1=French |first1=Dan |title=Walk Britain: the handbook and accommodation guide of the Ramblers' Association |publisher=Ramblers' Association |isbn=9781901184679 |page=143 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TOi5D3J2HwAC |year=2004}}</ref>

A quarter of the UK's [[cement]] is manufactured in the region, at three sites in [[Hope, Derbyshire|Hope]] and [[Tunstead, Derbyshire|Tunstead]] in Derbyshire, and [[Ketton Cement Works]] in [[Rutland]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.emgs.org.uk/ |title=East Midlands Geological Society |access-date=26 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505071656/http://www.emgs.org.uk/ |archive-date=5 May 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Of the [[Construction aggregate|aggregates]] produced in the region, 25 per cent are from Derbyshire and four per cent from Leicestershire. Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire each produce around 30 per cent of the region's [[Sand mining|sand]] and [[Gravel pit|gravel]] output.<ref>{{cite web 
|title=East midlands aggregates working party: annual report 2012 
|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/285532/East_midlands_aggregates_working_party_-_Annual_report_2012.pdf 
|website=www.gov.uk 
|access-date=27 December 2016 
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227130906/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/285532/East_midlands_aggregates_working_party_-_Annual_report_2012.pdf 
|archive-date=27 December 2016 
|url-status=live 
}}</ref>

[[Barwell]] in Leicestershire was the site of Britain's largest [[meteorite]] ({{convert|7|kg|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}) on 24 December 1965. The [[2008 Lincolnshire earthquake]] was 5.2 in [[moment magnitude|magnitude]].

===Environment===
Areas of the East Midlands designated by the East Midlands Biodiversity Partnership as Biodiversity Conservation Areas include:<ref name="Biodiversity Partnerships">[http://www.embiodiversity.org.uk Biodiversity Partnerships] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328060852/http://www.embiodiversity.org.uk/ |date=28 March 2012 }}</ref>
*[[Charnwood Forest]]
*[[Coversand Heaths]]
*Derbyshire Peak Fringe and Lower Derwent
*[[Humberhead Levels]]
*Leighland Forest
*The Lincolnshire Limewoods and Heaths
*The [[Lincolnshire coast]]
*The [[Peak District]]
*[[Rockingham Forest]]
*[[Sherwood Forest]]
*[[Rutland]], SW [[Lincolnshire]] and N [[Northamptonshire]]
*[[The Wash]]

[[File:Image-Major Oak in Sherwood Forest in 2006 (2).jpg|thumb|220px|[[Major Oak]] in Sherwood Forest, a traditional landmark of the north-east Midlands]]

Areas of the East Midlands designated by the East Midlands Biodiversity Partnership as [[Biodiversity Enhancement Areas]] include:<ref name="Biodiversity Partnerships"/>
*The [[Coalfields]]
*The [[Daventry Grasslands]]
*[[The Fens]]
*The [[Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marshes]]
*The [[Lincolnshire Wolds]]
*The [[National Forest, England|National Forest]]
*The [[Yardley-Whittlewood Ridge]]

Two of the nationally designated [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty|Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] are:{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}
*The [[Peak District]]
*The [[Lincolnshire Wolds]]

===Forestry===
Several towns in the southern part of the region, including Market Harborough, Desborough, Rothwell, Corby, Kettering, Thrapston, Oundle and Stamford, lie within the boundaries of what was once [[Rockingham Forest]] – designated a [[royal forest]] by [[William the Conqueror]] and was long hunted by English kings and queens.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

The [[The National Forest (England)|National Forest]] is an environmental project in central England run by The National Forest Company. Areas of north Leicestershire, south Derbyshire and south-east Staffordshire covering around {{convert|200|mi2|km2 ha}} are being planted in an attempt to blend ancient woodland with new plantings. It stretches from the western outskirts of Leicester in the east to Burton upon Trent in the west, and is planned to link the ancient forests of Needwood and Charnwood.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=National Forest|url=https://www.nationalforest.org/visit/where-we-are|website=The National Forest|access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref>

[[Sherwood Forest]] in Nottinghamshire attracts many visitors, and is perhaps best known for its ties with the legend of [[Robin Hood]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood and Major Oak |url=http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/country-parks/sherwood-forest/history-of-sherwood-forest-robin-hood-and-major-oak |publisher=Nottinghamshire County Council |access-date=15 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914123527/http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/country-parks/sherwood-forest/history-of-sherwood-forest-robin-hood-and-major-oak |archive-date=14 September 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Governance==
Regional financial funding decisions for the East Midlands are taken by [[East Midlands Councils]], based in [[Melton Mowbray]]. East Midlands Councils is an unelected body made up of representatives of local government in the region. The defunct [[East Midlands Development Agency]] was headquartered next to the [[BBC]]'s East Midlands office in Nottingham and made financial decisions regarding economic development in the region. Since the [[Cameron-Clegg coalition|Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government]] launched its austerity programme after the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]], regional bodies such as those have been devolved to smaller groups on a county level. As a region, there is no overriding body with significant financial or planning powers for the East Midlands.

The [[East Midlands Combined Authority]] was established in 2024.

==Urban areas==
The East Midlands region contains many urban areas which include:

*[[Greater Nottingham|Nottingham Urban Area]] (includes the Derbyshire towns of [[Alfreton]], [[Belper]], [[Heanor]], [[Ilkeston]], [[Long Eaton]], [[Ripley, Derbyshire|Ripley]] and [[Sandiacre]]. It also covers Nottingham, Mansfield, Arnold, Beeston, Bulwell, Carlton, Hucknall and West Bridgford. This means it spans parts of both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.) (Pop: 729,977)
*[[Leicester Urban Area]] (Pop: 650,000) 
*[[Derby Built-up Area|Derby Urban Area]] (Pop: 270,468)
*[[Mansfield Urban Area]] (Spanning Mansfield, [[Sutton-in-Ashfield]] and [[Kirkby-in-Ashfield]]) (Pop: 158,114)
*[[Lincoln Urban Area]] (Spanning Lincoln, [[North Hykeham]] and other villages) (Pop: 115,000)
*[[Burton upon Trent and Swadlincote Green Belt]] (Which although is not an urban area itself, it spans two counties between [[Staffordshire]] and Derbyshire near the towns of [[Burton-upon-Trent]] and [[Swadlincote]] to restrict building)

==Towns and cities==
Major towns and cities in the East Midlands region include:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=8271&Pos=2&ColRank=1&Rank=224|title=Home – Office for National Statistics|website=www.statistics.gov.uk|access-date=19 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070421211031/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=8271&Pos=2&ColRank=1&Rank=224|archive-date=21 April 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>
:<small>''Bold indicates [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]].''</small>
{{Col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
;Population > 400,000
* '''[[Leicester]]''', [[Leicestershire|LEC]]
;Population > 300,000
* '''[[Nottingham]]''', [[Nottinghamshire|NTT]]
;Population > 200,000
* '''[[Derby]]''', [[Derbyshire|DBY]]
* [[Northampton]], [[Northamptonshire|NTH]]
;Population > 100,000
* '''[[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]]''', [[Lincolnshire|LIN]]
* [[Mansfield]], NTT
;Population > 50,000
* [[Beeston, Nottinghamshire|Beeston]], NTT
* [[Chesterfield, Derbyshire|Chesterfield]], DBY
* [[Corby]], NTH
* [[Hinckley]], LEC
* [[Kettering]], NTH
* [[Loughborough]], LEC
* [[Wellingborough]], NTH
;Population > 25,000
* [[Arnold, Nottinghamshire|Arnold]], NTT
* [[Boston, Lincolnshire|Boston]], LIN
* [[Bulwell, Nottinghamshire|Bulwell]], NTT
* [[Coalville]], LEC
* [[Daventry]], NTH
* [[Glossop]], DBY
* [[Grantham]], LIN
* [[Hucknall]], NTT
* [[Ilkeston]], DBY
* [[Kirkby-in-Ashfield]], NTT
* [[Long Eaton]], DBY
* [[Market Harborough]], LEC
* [[Melton Mowbray]], LEC
* [[Newark-on-Trent]], NTT
* [[Rushden]], NTH
* [[Spalding, Lincolnshire|Spalding]], LIN
* [[Sutton-in-Ashfield]], NTT
* [[Swadlincote]], DBY
* [[West Bridgford]], NTT
* [[Wigston]], LEC
* [[Worksop]], NTT
{{col-3}}
;Population > 10,000
* [[Ashby de la Zouch]], LEC
* [[Belper]], DBY
* [[Bingham, Nottinghamshire|Bingham]], NTT
* [[Bolsover]], DBY
* [[Bourne, Lincolnshire|Bourne]], LIN
* [[Brackley]], NTH
* [[Buxton]], DBY
* [[Desborough]], NTH
* [[Dronfield]], DBY
* [[Earl Shilton]], LEC
* [[Eastwood, Nottinghamshire|Eastwood]], NTT
* [[Eckington, Derbyshire|Eckington]], DBY
* [[Gainsborough, Lincolnshire|Gainsborough]], LIN
* [[Heanor]], DBY
* [[Louth, Lincolnshire|Louth]], LIN
* [[Lutterworth]], LEC
* [[Mablethorpe]], LIN
* [[Mansfield Woodhouse]], NTT
* [[New Mills]], DBY
* [[North Hykeham]], LIN
* [[Oadby]], LEC
* [[Oakham]], [[Rutland|RUT]]
* [[Retford]], NTT
* [[Ripley, Derbyshire|Ripley]], DBY
* [[Shepshed]], LEC
* [[Skegness]], LIN
* [[Sleaford]], LIN
* [[Stamford, Lincolnshire|Stamford]], LIN
* [[Stapleford, Nottinghamshire|Stapleford]], NTT
* [[Staveley, Derbyshire|Staveley]], DBY
* [[Syston]], LEC
* [[Towcester]], NTH
{{col-3}}
{{col-end}}
{{clear}}

==Transport==
[[File:Watford gap service station.jpg|thumb|220px|right|[[Watford Gap services]], Britain's first [[Motorway service area|motorway service station]], seen here in May 2006, which opened in November 1959]]
In total, 9% of all jobs in the region are in [[logistics]]. Traffic in the region is growing at 2% per year – the highest growth rate of all UK regions. It is estimated that about 140,000 [[heavy goods vehicle]] journeys are made inside the region each day.

===Road===
The [[M1 motorway|M1]] (part of the [[European route E13|E13]] European route) serves the four largest urban areas in the region and affords a motorway link between [[London]], [[Yorkshire]], and [[North East England]]. Additionally, the [[M6 motorway|M6]] begins on the south-western edge of the region, providing links to the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]] and [[North West England]]. Both connect to other major routes providing further links to other parts of the UK.

To the east of the largest cities lies the [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1]] (part of the [[European route E15]]), which is important for journeys to and from ports on England's north-east coast and the capital, and is a major artery for the United Kingdom's agricultural industry. The [[A46 road|A46]] largely follows the [[Fosse Way]], which has linked the south-western and north-eastern parts of England since Roman times. The [[A43 road|A43]] [[dual carriageway]] connects the East Midlands via the [[M40 motorway]] corridor with the university city of [[Oxford]], as well as [[South of England]] and [[Solent]] ports further afield. The historically important [[A5 road (Great Britain)|A5]] runs along the south-west [[Leicestershire]] boundary to the south of [[Lutterworth]] and [[Hinckley]]. The [[A14 road (England)|A14]] runs through the north of [[Northamptonshire]], serving the settlements of [[Kettering]] and [[Corby]] alongside surrounding areas, and is a major route between the region and the [[East of England]], including the university city of [[Cambridge]], and the major port of [[Port of Felixstowe|Felixstowe]].

===Airports===
[[File:East Midlands2.JPG|thumb|220px|left|East Midlands Airport (looking west)]]
[[East Midlands Airport]] in [[North West Leicestershire]] is situated in proximity to the region's largest cities; {{convert|14|mile}} from the centres of [[Derby, England|Derby]] and [[Nottingham]], with central [[Leicester]] being {{convert|21|mile}} away and [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]] further north east being {{convert|43|mile}} away. The airport is the region's biggest public airport, used by over 4&nbsp;million passengers annually.

Rivalry between the region's three biggest cities has led to a long-running discussion about the identity of both the airport, and region, with the East Midlands rarely found on any non-political map of the UK. The name was at one point changed to Nottingham East Midlands Airport so as to include the name of the city that is supposedly most internationally recognisable. However, the airport has a Derby phone number and postcode, and is in Leicestershire, but is officially assigned to Nottingham by [[IATA]]. As a result of the dispute, the name change was reverted.

[[File:DHL freight planes - geograph.org.uk - 165255.jpg|thumb|right|Air cargo aircraft at EMA]]
Three of the world's four main international air-freight companies (integrators) have their UK operations at EMA: [[DHL]], [[United Parcel Service|UPS]] and [[TNT Express]] (TNT bought by UPS); [[FedEx]] have theirs at [[London Stansted Airport|Stansted]]. It is the second-largest freight airport in the UK after [[London Heathrow Airport|Heathrow]], but most freight from EMA is carried on dedicated planes, whereas most freight from Heathrow is carried on passenger planes (bellyhold). [[Royal Mail]] have their main airport hubs at Heathrow and EMA, as EMA is conveniently near the [[M1 motorway (Great Britain)|M1]], [[A42 road (Great Britain)|A42]] and [[A50 road (Great Britain)|A50]]. Heathrow takes some 60 per cent of UK air freight, and EMA some 10 per cent, with Stansted, Manchester and Gatwick next. Air freight has grown at EMA from 1994 to 2004 from about 10,000 to over 250,000&nbsp;tonnes. The main hours of cargo flying are from 20:00–05:00; domestic cargo flies into the airport in the evening, then from 23:30 to 01:30 cargo flies to European capitals and from 03:00–05:00 from Europe to EMA. It is the UK's twelfth-largest passenger airport; the runway is the UK's sixth-longest at {{convert|2900|m|ft}}. [[Royal Mail]] flights from EMA go to [[Belfast]], [[Edinburgh]], [[Inverness]], [[Aberdeen]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], [[Exeter]] and [[Bournemouth]], and it is the largest UK Royal Mail air hub, with eleven flights per night. DHL is the main route carrier at EMA by far with 20 flights per night, UPS have 6, and TNT have 2 (Belfast and Liège); for hubs in Europe, DHL flies to [[Leipzig]], UPS to [[Cologne]], and TNT at [[Liège]].

Smaller airports in the region include [[Retford Gamston Airport]], [[Nottingham Airport]], [[Leicester Airport]], [[Hucknall Airfield]], [[Sywell Aerodrome]], [[Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome]] and [[Humberside Airport]]. [[Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield]] lies just outside the East Midlands in [[South Yorkshire]].

===Railway===
[[File:Newark North Gate railway station MMB 09.jpg|thumb|220px|right|[[Newark North Gate railway station]] ]]
Three of the United Kingdom's mainline railways serve the region: the [[Midland Main Line]], the [[East Coast Main Line]], and the [[West Coast Main Line]] ([[Northampton Loop]]) providing services terminating at [[St Pancras railway station|London St Pancras]], [[London King's Cross railway station|London King's Cross]] and [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] respectively. The three lines provide regular high-speed services to [[London]], at up to {{convert|125|mph|km/h|-2|abbr=on}}, serving {{rws|Wellingborough}}, {{rws|Kettering}}, {{rws|Corby}}, {{rws|Market Harborough}}, {{rws|Leicester}}, {{rws|Loughborough}}, {{rws|Derby}}, {{rws|East Midlands Parkway}}, {{rws|Nottingham}}, {{rws|Chesterfield}}, {{rws|Grantham}}, {{rws|Newark North Gate}} and {{rws|Retford}}. {{rws|Northampton}} and {{rws|Long Buckby}} are served by the [[Northampton Loop]] of the [[West Coast Main Line]]. England's primary south-west to north-east [[Cross Country Route]] runs through Derby and Chesterfield. {{rws|Worksop}}, {{rws|Mansfield|England}}, {{rws|Lincoln}}, {{rws|Matlock}}, {{rws|Melton Mowbray}}, {{rws|Skegness}}, {{rws|Boston}}, {{rws|Spalding}} and {{rws|Oakham}} are served by regional services The [[Chiltern Main Line]] also serves the western fringe of the region, at [[King's Sutton railway station|Kings's Sutton]].

A [[Land speed record for rail vehicles|land speed record for trains]] was broken in the region. Although the record was set in 1938, the current world speed record for [[Steam locomotive|steam trains]] is held by [[LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard|4468 ''Mallard'']], which clocked {{convert|126|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} between [[Grantham railway station|Grantham]] and [[Peterborough railway station|Peterborough]], pulling six coaches on the [[East Coast Main Line]] near [[Little Bytham]] in Lincolnshire, on 3 July 1938. The ''Mallard'' record was unbroken by any British rail train until 6 June 1973, when an [[InterCity 125]] between [[Northallerton railway station|Northallerton]] and [[Thirsk railway station|Thirsk]] reached {{convert|131|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. ''Mallard'' in 1938 had six carriages and a [[dynamometer car]]. The national electric-train speed record (pre-[[High Speed 1]]) of {{convert|162|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} was set on the same stretch as the Mallard record, on 17 September 1989 by [[British Rail Class 91|Class 91]] 91010.

There were plans to bring a new [[high-speed rail]] line through the East Midlands as part of the [[High Speed 2]] project, of which [[High Speed 2 Phase Two|Phase 2]] would have brought a new line connecting [[Birmingham Curzon Street railway station|Birmingham]] to [[Leeds railway station|Leeds]], with a proposed station in [[Toton]] known as the [[East Midlands Hub railway station|East Midlands Hub]] It would also have served the region via "classic-compatible" tracks serving [[Chesterfield railway station|Chesterfield]] and [[Sheffield railway station|Sheffield]], the latter of which is just outside the region in [[Yorkshire & the Humber]].

===Water===
[[File:River Trent - geograph.org.uk - 684700.jpg|thumb|220px|right|The River Trent at the former [[High Marnham Power Station]], next to the 1897 [[Fledborough Viaduct]]; the power station, built in 1959, was Europe's first 1000 MW coal power station (5 x 200 MW) and consumed coal from 17 collieries; the area is the largest collection of power stations in Europe, sometimes known as ''Kilowatt Valley''.]]
The [[River Trent|Trent]] is a [[Navigability|navigable river]] used to transport goods to the [[Humber]], as well as passing by many power stations. The Trent is the only river in England able to supply cooling water for power stations for most of its length; it has the largest water capacity in England, although it is not the longest.

Several rivers in the region gave their name to early [[Rolls-Royce plc|Rolls-Royce]] jet engines, namely the [[River Nene|Nene]], the [[River Welland|Welland]], and the [[River Soar|Soar]].

===Trams===
Nottingham is the only city in the region served by a light railway system, operated by [[Nottingham Express Transit]].

===Transport policy===
As part of the transport planning system, the later defunct Regional Assembly was under statutory requirement to produce a Regional Transport Strategy to provide long term planning for transport in the region. This involved region wide transport schemes such as those carried out by the [[Highways Agency]] and [[Network Rail]].<ref name=GoEM1>{{cite web |url=http://www.gos.gov.uk/goem/transport/regtransstrategy/?a=42496 |title=Regional Transport Strategy: the National Picture |publisher=[[Government Offices for the English Regions|Government Office for the East Midlands]] |access-date=7 May 2009 |url-status=dead 
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060718021317/http://www.gos.gov.uk/goem/transport/regtransstrategy/?a=42496
|archive-date=18 July 2006 }}</ref>

Local transport authorities in the region carry out planning through a [[Local transport plan|Local Transport Plan (LTP)]].<ref name=DfT1>{{cite web |url=http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/ltp/theltpprocess |title=The LTP Process |publisher=[[Department for Transport]] |access-date=7 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090816091752/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/ltp/theltpprocess |archive-date=16 August 2009 }}</ref> The most recent LTPs are for the period 2006–11. The following East Midland transport authorities published an LTP online: [[Derbyshire]],<ref name=DLTP>{{cite web |url=http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/transport_roads/transport_planning/ |title=Derbyshire 2006–11 Local Transport Plan |publisher=[[Derbyshire County Council]] |access-date=7 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228222811/http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/transport_roads/transport_planning/ |archive-date=28 February 2009 }}</ref> [[Leicestershire]].<ref name=LeTP>{{cite web |url=http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/highways/transport_plans_policies/ltp/ltp2_summary.htm |title=Leicestershire 2006–11 Local Transport Plan |publisher=[[Leicestershire County Council]] |access-date=7 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090716022919/http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/highways/transport_plans_policies/ltp/ltp2_summary.htm |archive-date=16 July 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Lincolnshire]],<ref name=LiLTP>{{cite web |url=http://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/section.asp?sectiontype=fileattachment&catid=2225&docid=41750 |title=Lincolnshire 2006–11 Local Transport Plan |publisher=[[Lincolnshire County Council]] |access-date=7 May 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121223203039/http://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/section.asp?sectiontype=fileattachment&catid=2225&docid=41750 |archive-date=23 December 2012  |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Northamptonshire]],<ref name=NhLTP>{{cite web |url=http://www3.northamptonshire.gov.uk/Transport/TP/LTP/ltp06-11.htm |title=Northamptonshire 2006–11 Local Transport Plan |publisher=[[Northamptonshire County Council]] |access-date=7 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522170309/http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/Transport/TP/LTP/ltp06-11.htm |archive-date=22 May 2008 }}</ref> [[Nottinghamshire]]<ref name=NtLTP>{{cite web |url=http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/traffic_and_travel/strategy-policy/ltp.htm |title=Nottinghamshire 2006–11 Local Transport Plan |publisher=[[Nottinghamshire County Council]] |access-date=7 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511164706/http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/traffic_and_travel/strategy-policy/ltp.htm |archive-date=11 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[Rutland]] U.A.<ref name=RLTP>{{cite web |url=http://www.rutland.gov.uk/pp/gold/viewgold.asp?idtype=page&id=9664 |title=Rutland 2006–11 Local Transport Plan |publisher=[[Rutland County Council]] |access-date=7 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051230235815/http://www.rutland.gov.uk/pp/gold/viewGold.asp?IDType=Page&ID=9664 |archive-date=30 December 2005 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Unitary authorities#United Kingdom|unitary authorities]] of [[Derby]],<ref name=DcLTP>{{cite web |url=http://www.derby.gov.uk/TransportStreets/TransportPlanning/DerbyLJTP06-11/DJLTP-06-11.htm |title=Derby 2006–11 Local Transport Plan |publisher=[[Derby City Council]] |access-date=7 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430121221/http://www.derby.gov.uk/TransportStreets/TransportPlanning/DerbyLJTP06-11/DJLTP-06-11.htm |archive-date=30 April 2009 }}</ref> [[Leicester]]<ref name=LicLTP>{{cite web |url=http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council--services/transport--traffic/transportpolicy/transport-plan/second-local-transport-plan |title=Leicester 2006–11 Local Transport Plan |publisher=[[Leicester City Council]] |access-date=7 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201174457/http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council--services/transport--traffic/transportpolicy/transport-plan/second-local-transport-plan |archive-date=1 December 2008
}}</ref> and [[Nottingham]]<ref name=NcLTP>{{cite web |url=http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=848 |title=Nottingham 2006–11 Local Transport Plan |publisher= [[Nottingham City Council]] |access-date=7 May 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101126003113/http://nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=848 |archive-date = 26 November 2010 |url-status = dead |df = dmy-all}}</ref> They have each written a joint LTP in collaboration with their respective local county councils.

==History==
===Romans===
A historical basis for such a region exists in the territory of the [[Corieltauvi]] tribe. When the [[Roman conquest of Britain|Romans]] took control, they made Leicester ([[Ratae Corieltauvorum]]) one of their main forts. The main town in the region in Roman times was [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]], at the confluence of the [[Fosse Way]] and [[Ermine Street]].

[[File:Midland Map - 5 Boroughs 912 Ad.svg|thumb|220px|right|The [[Five Boroughs of the Danelaw]] ]]

===Anglo-Saxons and the Danelaw===
After the withdrawal of the Romans, the area was settled by [[Angles (tribe)|Angles]], a [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] people who gave the East Midlands most of the place-names it has today. They eventually founded the Kingdom of Mercia, meaning "borderlands," as it borders the [[Welsh people|Welsh]] people to the west. The region also corresponds to the later [[Five Boroughs of the Danelaw|Five Boroughs]] of the [[Danelaw]], the area that Vikings from Denmark controlled. In about 917 the region was subdivided between Danelaw (Vikings) to the north, and Mercia (Anglo-Saxons) to the south. By 920 this border had moved north to the [[River Humber]]. Evidence of the Danelaw can be seen in place-name endings of the region's villages, particularly towards the east. The Danes under [[Cnut the Great|Canute]] recaptured the area between about 1016 and 1035, but it came back under English control after Canute's death that same year.

===Civil War===
The region's two main battles in the [[English Civil War]] were the [[Battle of Naseby]] in northern Northamptonshire on 14 June 1645, and the [[Battle of Winceby]] on 11 October 1643 in eastern Lincolnshire.

===Scientific heritage===
[[Isaac Newton]], born in [[Grantham]] in 1642, is perhaps the most prolific scientist. His accomplishments include [[calculus]], [[Newton's laws of motion]], and [[Newton's law of universal gravitation]], among many others. There is a shopping centre named in his honour in Grantham. [[Thomas Simpson]] from Leicestershire is known for [[Simpson's rule]]. [[Roger Cotes]] invented the concept of the [[radian]] in 1714, but the term was not named until 1873.

[[George Green (mathematician)|George Green]] (1793 – 1841), born in Sneinton, Nottingham was a mathematical physicist best known for the vector calculus theorem and the functions that bear his name.

[[Henry Cavendish]], loosely connected with Derbyshire, discovered [[hydrogen]] in 1766 (although the element's name came from [[Antoine Lavoisier]]), and Cavendish was the first to estimate an accurate mass of the Earth in 1798 in his [[Cavendish experiment]]. The [[Cavendish Laboratory]] at the [[University of Cambridge]] is named after a [[William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire|relative]]. [[Herbert Spencer]] coined the term "[[survival of the fittest]]" in 1864, which was once strongly linked with [[social Darwinism]]. [[John Flamsteed|Sir John Flamsteed]] was the first [[Astronomer Royal]] of the [[Royal Observatory, Greenwich]] in 1675. [[Robert Bakewell (agriculturalist)|Robert Bakewell]], of [[Dishley Grange|Dishley]] in Leicestershire and known for his [[English Leicester sheep]], arrived at [[selective breeding]]; his [[English Longhorn]]s were the first [[Beef cattle|cattle bred for beef]].

[[George Boole]], pioneer of [[Boolean logic]] (upon which all [[digital electronics]] and computers depend), was born in Lincoln in 1815. The application of Boole's theory to digital circuit design would come in 1937 by [[Claude Shannon]]. Boole's grandson, the physicist [[G. I. Taylor]], made significant experimental contributions to [[quantum mechanics]]. The first practical [[Stowe Nine Churches|demonstration]] of radar was near [[Daventry]] in 1935. [[Robert Robinson (organic chemist)|Robert Robinson]], of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, invented the circular symbol in 1925 for the [[pi bond]]s of the [[benzene]] ring, as found on structural diagrams of [[Aromatic hydrocarbon|aromatic compounds]]. [[Nicola Pellow]], a maths undergraduate at Leicester Polytechnic, whilst at CERN in November 1990, wrote the world's second web browser.

[[Silicone]] was discovered in 1899 by Prof [[Frederic Kipping]] at University College, Nottingham. [[Michael Creeth]] of Northampton discovered the [[Nucleic acid secondary structure|hydrogen-bonding mechanism between DNA bases]], allowing the [[Nucleic acid structure|structure of DNA]] to be discovered. Nottinghamshire's Ken Richardson was in charge of the team at [[Pfizer]] in Sandwich, Kent that in 1981 discovered [[Fluconazole]] (Diflucan), the world's leading [[antifungal medication]], especially useful for those with [[Immunodeficiency|weakened immune systems]]. It has few side effects. Richardson is one of the few Britons in the [[National Inventors Hall of Fame]]. [[Don Grierson (geneticist)|Don Grierson]] at the University of Nottingham was the first to produce a [[Genetically modified tomato]], which became the first GM food on sale in the UK and in the United States.

[[Louis Essen]], a Nottingham physicist, [[History of timekeeping devices|made advances]] in the [[quartz clock]] in the 1930s at the [[National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom)|National Physical Laboratory]] in Teddington, to produce the quartz ring clock in 1938, and the caesium clock, known as the [[atomic clock]], in 1955. During the war he invented the [[Absorption wavemeter|cavity resonance wavemeter]] to find the first accurate value of the speed of light. The atomic clock works on differences in [[Spin magnetic moment|magnetic spin]]. Before Essen's invention, the [[second]] was defined in terms of the [[Earth's orbit|orbit of the Earth round the Sun]]; he changed it in 1967 to be based on the [[hyperfine structure]] of the [[Isotopes of caesium|caesium-133]] atom. [[Coordinated Universal Time]] (UTC), in Paris, takes the average of 300 atomic clocks around the world.

On the early morning of Tuesday 26 February 1935 the [[Daventry transmitting station|radio transmitter]] at [[Daventry]] was used for the "[[Chain Home#Daventry experiment|Daventry Experiment]]" which involved the first practical demonstration of [[radar]], by its inventor [[Robert Watson-Watt]] and [[Arnold Frederic Wilkins]]. They used a radio receiver installed in a van at [[Litchborough]] (just off the [[A5 road (Great Britain)|A5]] about {{convert|6|mi|km}} south of Daventry) to receive signals bounced off a metal-clad [[Handley Page Heyford]] bomber flying across the radio transmissions. The interference picked up from the aircraft allowed its approximate [[Bearing (navigation)|navigational position]] to be estimated, and therefore proved that it was possible to detect the position of aircraft using radio waves. The success of the experiment persuaded the British government to fund the development of a network of full scale radar stations on the south coast of England, which became known as [[Chain Home]], which provided a decisive advantage to the [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] in the [[Battle of Britain]] in 1940.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Daventry Experiment: Commemorating the birth of British radar |work=BBC News |date=26 February 2015 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-31634132 |access-date=7 October 2020}}</ref>

[[File:Lincoln Steep Hill 1.JPG|thumb|220px|left|Steep Hill in [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]]]]
[[File:Treibjagd0001.JPG|thumb|220px|left|[[Fox hunting]] is historically linked with the East Midlands.]]

===Culture and identity===
====Language and dialect====
{{See also|East Midlands English|English language in England#East Midlands|Received Pronunciation#History}}

Parts of the East Midlands use a distinctive form of spoken dialect and accent. It also has some history in the beginnings of [[Received Pronunciation]] and southern England accents. However, spoken dialect and accent in the northern area of the East Midlands is far more similar to Northern English.

====Identity====
There is no modern Midlander, or East Midlander, identity. As Robert Shore wrote: "no one is more sceptical about the existence of an overarching Midland identity than Midlanders themselves."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/26/why-midlands-is-best-place-in-britain | title=Why the Midlands is the best place in Britain | work=The Guardian | author=Robert Shore | date=26 March 2014}}</ref> Inhabitants of the East Midlands tend to identify themselves either on a county or town basis, regarding the East Midlands as simply a bureaucratic area that lumps together dissimilar places. In the North of the region, in areas such as North Nottinghamshire and North Derbyshire, people culturally identify as Northerners. For example, a study by YouGov in 2018 found that a quarter of the inhabitants of the region identified as Northerners.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/47a383fe-b9e8-4501-b069-a15a30514667 | title=Are the Midlands in the North, the South, or neither? | work=BBC | author=Tomasz Frymorgen | date=19 January 2018}}</ref>

A new area of the [[North Midlands]] has been proposed, but this has not taken off. In [[Bassetlaw District|Bassetlaw]], the most northern local authority in the East Midlands area, many of the shared services such as NHS are with South Yorkshire, not with other Midlands areas. The television signal comes mainly from the [[Emley Moor transmitting station]], which broadcasts local news from BBC Look North and Calendar News. And its officially designated BBC Local Radio station in terms of radio coverage is [[BBC Radio Sheffield]]. In 2016 Bassetlaw District Council voted to become part of the Sheffield City Region because of the strong local ties.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/bassetlaw-council-votes-full-membership-sheffield-city-region-786854 | title=Bassetlaw Council votes for full membership of Sheffield City Region | work=Worksop Guardian | date=18 March 2016}}</ref>

====Food and cuisine====
The area is known historically for its food, examples of which include [[Red Leicester]], the [[Lincolnshire sausage]], the [[Melton Mowbray pork pie]], [[Stilton cheese|Stilton]], the [[Bakewell pudding]], and the [[Bramley (apple)|Bramley apple]].

====The arts====
[[Lord Byron]] and [[D. H. Lawrence]] are perhaps the region's best known authors, although the latter only gained full recognition in the late 20th century. The [[Key Words Reading Scheme]] (''Peter and Jane'') was first produced in 1964 by Ladybird of Loughborough and is still in print. The books originated in 1948 with an idea from [[Douglas Keen]] of [[Heanor]]; the first was ''British Birds and Their Nests''. [[Ladybird Books]] were published in Loughborough throughout their 1960s and 1970s heyday, with the site closing in 1998.

[[Joseph Wright of Derby|Joseph Wright]] of Derby was an artist whose paintings symbolised the struggle between science and religious values in the Age of Enlightenment. He was also suggested to be "the first professional painter to express the spirit of the Industrial Revolution".

[[Charles Frederick Worth]], born in Lincolnshire in 1825, is considered to be the founder of Parisian ''[[haute couture]]'', ostensibly as the world's first true fashion designer.

====Religion====
[[William Booth]] of Nottingham founded [[The Salvation Army]] in 1865. Another religious order, the [[Pilgrim (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrim Fathers]], originated from [[Babworth]] near [[Retford]]. The [[Quakers]], also known as the Religious Society of Friends, were founded by Leicestershire-born ([[Fenny Drayton]]) [[George Fox]], who had an inspiration whilst living in [[Mansfield]] in 1647. [[Thomas Cranmer]] from Aslockton compiled the Church of England [[Book of Common Prayer]].

===Industrial heritage===
{{see also|History of photographic lens design}}
The region can claim the world's first factory, [[Sir Richard Arkwright]]'s [[Cromford Mill]]. The world's oldest working factory can also be found in the area, producing textiles at [[Dethick, Lea and Holloway|Lea Bridge]], owned by [[John Smedley (industrialist)|John Smedley]]. Both sites are part of the region's only [[List of World Heritage Sites of the United Kingdom|World Heritage Site]], the [[Derwent Valley Mills]]. An opportunist employee of the Derbyshire textile factories, [[Samuel Slater]] of [[Belper]] saw his chance and (illegally) eloped in 1789 to [[Rhode Island]] in the US after memorising the layout of the textile machinery while working at [[Jedediah Strutt]]'s [[Milford, Derbyshire|Milford]] Mill. He was warmly welcomed by the inhabitants of the newly formed USA, so much so that he was later named the "Father of the [[American Industrial Revolution]]".

Britain's hosiery and knitwear industry was largely based in the region, and in the 1980s it had more textile workers than any other British region. The [[stocking frame]] was invented 1587 in [[Calverton, Nottinghamshire]] by Rev [[William Lee (inventor)|William Lee]]; these were the first known [[knitting machine]]s and heralded the industrial revolution by providing the necessary machinery. The world's first (horse-powered) cotton mill was built in central Nottingham in 1768. [[Marvel's Mill]] in Northampton was the first [[cotton mill]] to be powered by water.

[[John Barber (engineer)|John Barber]] of Nottinghamshire had invented a simple [[gas turbine]] in 1791 (when living in [[Nuneaton]]). [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]] was the site of the first [[Tanks in World War I|tank]] (first built on 8 September 1915, [[Little Willie]] was the first tank, and is the oldest surviving tank in the world, originally called the No.1 Lincoln Machine), and [[Grantham]] the first [[diesel engine]] (in 1892). The [[jet engine]] was first [[Timeline of jet power|developed]] in the region in [[Lutterworth]] and [[Whetstone, Leicestershire|Whetstone]], with the [[VTOL]] engine also (initially) [[Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig|developed]] in [[Hucknall]]. The first jet aircraft flew from [[RAF Cranwell]] in May 1941. During the Second World War, [[Derby]] was an important strategic location, as it was in Derby that [[Rolls-Royce plc|Rolls-Royce]] developed and manufactured their iconic [[Rolls-Royce Merlin|Merlin]] aero-engine. During the Second World War, all of R-R's engineering staff had been transferred to Belper.

[[File:APT 370-004, Rocket 150, Rainhill, May 1980 Slides187 (9859941613).jpg|thumb|left|The innovative but aborted APT, designed in Derby, seen here in May 1980]]
Derby was home to two railway workshops, [[Derby Works]] and [[Derby Litchurch Lane Works]] initially for the [[Midland Railway]], then the [[London, Midland & Scottish Railway]], and finally [[British Rail]]. [[British Rail Research Division]] in Derby invented the [[Advanced Passenger Train|APT]] ([[British Rail Class 370]]) and [[Maglev]]. The first steel rails were laid in 1857 at [[Derby railway station]] for the [[Midland Railway]]. Derby Litchurch Lane Works remains in operation under the ownership of [[Alstom]]

At its peak, [[Corby Steelworks]] was the largest in Britain. The collapsible [[Baby transport|baby buggy]] was invented in 1965 at [[Barby, Northamptonshire]] by [[Owen Finlay Maclaren|Owen Maclaren]]. [[Ford of Britain|Ford]]'s £8&nbsp;million Daventry Parts Distribution Centre (Ford Parts Centre) was fully opened on 6 September 1972, the first southern section opened in 1968, and was the UK's largest building by floor area for many years at {{convert|36.7|acre|m2}}, and is situated opposite the [[Cummins UK|Cummins]] factory.

[[File:Zoomlens2.png|thumb|right|How a zoom lens works; the principle was largely first invented in Leicester.]]

The largest camera in the world was built in 1957 in Derby for Rolls-Royce, which weighed 27&nbsp;tonnes and was around {{convert|8|ft|m}} high, {{convert|8|ft|m}} wide and {{convert|35|ft}} long, with a {{convert|63|in|mm|adj=on}} lens made by [[Cooke Optics|Cooke Apochromatic]]. Cooke Optics and [[Taylor-Hobson]] were major supplier of lenses for Hollywood; ''[[Star Wars]]'' was filmed with their lenses, filmed in England. [[Horace W. Lee]] invented the inverted telephoto lens (known as the [[Angénieux retrofocus]]) in 1931, lengthening the back [[focal length]] of the camera for the 1930s [[Technicolor]] Process and for [[vignetting]].

[[Arthur Warmisham]] of Taylor & Hobson invented the first non-telescopic 35&nbsp;mm [[zoom lens]], the Cooke Varo 40–&nbsp;120mm Lens, in a camera manufactured by [[Bell & Howell]] of the US. The popular 35&nbsp;mm [[Eyemo]] film camera came with Cooke lenses. Much of World War II aerial photography, where definition was important, was through Cooke lenses, due to their [[apochromat|Apochromatic process]]. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Cooke Speed Panchro lenses were the most popular choice for cinema films, then from the 1970s their Varotal zoom lens, which would win [[Gordon Henry Cook]] the 1988 [[Gordon E. Sawyer Award]] at the Oscars. [[Harold Hopkins (physicist)]], of Leicester, also did important work on the zoom lens (he largely invented it) and [[Optical fiber|fibre-optics]].

[[J. P. Knight]] of Nottingham is credited with inventing green and red [[traffic lights]], installed in London on 9 December 1868, but these lasted only three weeks; traffic lights would be introduced only from the 1920s, again in [[London]] (from an American-led design scheme). The first modern-day traffic lights were installed in [[Piccadilly]] from August 1926. [[Edgar Purnell Hooley]], a Nottinghamshire surveyor, in 1901 was in Denby and found a stretch of [[road surface]] that was smooth from an accidental leak of [[tar]] over the surface. He patented a process of mixing tar with chipped stones in 1902, forming [[Tarmacadam|Tarmac]], a name which he patented. Radcliffe Road (A6011) in [[West Bridgford]] in 1902 was the first tarmac road ({{convert|5|mi|km|disp=or}} long) in the world.

[[Mettoy]] was a firm in the [[St James End, Northampton|St James]] area of Northampton, which from 1933 produced [[Corgi Toys|Corgi]] toys (mostly made in [[Swansea]] and designed in Northampton), and in the 1970s it made the [[space hopper]]; the company collapsed in 1983, moving to Swansea. In Leicestershire was [[Palitoy]], another world-famous firm in Coalville; [[General Mills]] bought it in 1968, but production ceased in 1984 and the site was closed by [[Hasbro]] in 1994. [[Pedigree Dolls & Toys]] ([[Sindy]]) was in [[Wellingborough]], closing in 1982. The first plastic [[Keep case|DVD case]] was made in Corby by [[Amaray]]. Britain's first out-of-town shopping centre was opened in November 1964 by GEM at West Bridgford, on a site later owned by [[ASDA]].

Much [[integrated circuit]] and semiconductor research was carried out by [[Plessey]] at [[Plessey Research Caswell|Caswell]] near Towcester, ahead of the achievements in America by [[Jack Kilby]]; Plessey invented a model of the integrated circuit in 1957. Caswell was later a site for manufacturing [[monolithic microwave integrated circuit]]s in the 1990s by [[Marconi plc|Marconi]]. On 15 December 1966, the first electronic telephone exchange in Europe opened at [[Ambergate]] in Derbyshire.

[[Torksey]] [[Torksey railway station|railway viaduct]], built across the Trent in 1849, is considered to be the first [[box girder bridge]], designed by [[Sir John Fowler, 1st Baronet]]. The tallest freestanding structure in the region is the chimney of [[West Burton power stations|West Burton power station]] (north Nottinghamshire) at {{convert|656|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}. [[Nottingham Combined Heating and Power Scheme]] is the largest [[district heating]] system in the UK, centred on the Eastcroft incinerator, opened in 1973.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fccenvironment.co.uk/fcc-environments-pioneering-eastcrof-efw-plant-reaches-40-year-milestone.html|title=FCC Environment's 'pioneering' Eastcroft EfW plant reaches 40 year milestone|website=www.fccenvironment.co.uk|access-date=10 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310202009/http://www.fccenvironment.co.uk/fcc-environments-pioneering-eastcrof-efw-plant-reaches-40-year-milestone.html|archive-date=10 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Second World War===
{{See also|Strategic bombing during World War II}}
Most of the region was protected by a solitary RAF station, [[RAF Digby]] near [[Sleaford]], part of [[No. 12 Group RAF]] and controlled from [[RAF Watnall]]. Within the East Midlands, only Nottingham was [[Nottingham Blitz|heavily bombed]] during the Second World War's [[The Blitz|Blitz]], due to the presence of a large [[Royal Ordnance]] [[ROF Nottingham|factory]]. However, much of the [[Battle of the Ruhr|aerial obliteration]] of Germany was directed from the region, with two bomber groups based in [[Lincolnshire]] ([[No. 1 Group RAF|No.1]] and [[No. 5 Group RAF|No.5]]), and a few squadrons in South Nottinghamshire. The proliferation of Second World War airfields in Lincolnshire led to it being known as Bomber County.

===Regional governance===
{{update|date=February 2023}}
The government office region was created in 1994. Government funding decisions moved from [[Melton Mowbray]] (the [[East Midlands Regional Assembly]]) to Nottingham (the [[East Midlands Development Agency]]) in April 2010.

==Demographics==
{{OSM Location map
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[[File:East Midlands population pyramid 2020.svg|thumb|200px|Population pyramid in 2020]]
For [[teenage pregnancy]] rates in the region, Nottingham is the top-tier authority. Of the council districts, [[Borough of Corby|Corby]] has the highest rate. Of the top-tier authorities, Rutland has the lowest rate for any district in England. The council district with the lowest rate is [[South Northamptonshire]], although it has a rate greater than that of Rutland. Rutland has the highest [[total fertility rate]] for [[Total fertility rate in England by county/unitary authority|British counties]] (top-tier authorities). The [[Boston (borough)|borough of Boston]] has the highest TFR for district councils.

The region has the second-lowest overall population density in England (after [[South West England]]), eased by the [[List of English counties by population|low population density]] of [[Lincolnshire]] and [[Rutland]]. In 2007, the region had a lower percentage of degree-educated people than the English average.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2007/07_18/outputEM.pdf |title=HEFCE 2007 Regional profiles East Midlands |publisher=HEFCE |date=18 July 2007 |access-date=30 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216013708/http://hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2007/07_18/outputEM.pdf |archive-date=16 December 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Of the region's population, 29.5 per cent live in rural areas.

=== Ethnicity ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2" |Ethnic Group
! colspan="2" |1981 estimations<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1985 |title=Ethnic minorities in Britain: statistical information on the pattern of settlement |url=https://jstor.org/stable/community.28327806 |journal=Commission for Racial Equality |language=English |pages=Table 2.1|last1= Equality|first1= Commission for Racial}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1991<ref>Data is taken from United Kingdom [http://casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk/index.htm Casweb Data services] of the United Kingdom [http://casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk/step1.cfm 1991 Census on Ethnic Data for England] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405213012/http://casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk/step1.cfm |date=5 April 2022 }} (Table 6)</ref>
! colspan="2" |2001<ref>{{Cite web |title=C2_2001_Start |url=https://casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk/2001/start.cfm |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk |archive-date=1 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201225335/https://casweb.ukdataservice.ac.uk/2001/start.cfm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2011<ref>{{Cite web |title=2011 Census: Ethnic Group, local authorities in England and Wales |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/rft-table-ks201ew.xls |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk |archive-date=5 January 2016 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/rft-table-ks201ew.xls |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2021<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS021/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/d2f0a39a-75b6-4995-b4bd-a5b68ff79027#get-data |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref>
|-
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
![[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]: Total
!3,598,625
!96.2%
!3,765,389
!95.2%
!3,900,380
!93.48%
!4,046,356
!89.26%
!4,179,774
!85.7%
|-
|White: [[White British|British]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|3,807,731
|91.26%
|3,871,146
|85.39%
|3,882,390
|79.6%
|-
|White: [[White Irish|Irish]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|35,478
|0.85%
|28,676
|0.63%
|27,130
|0.6%
|-
|White: [[White Gypsy or Irish Traveller|Gypsy or Irish Traveller]]<ref group="note" name="auto">New category created for the 2011 census</ref>
|–
|–
|–
|–
| –
| –
|3,418
| –
|4,620
|0.1%
|-
|White: Roma
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|7,196
|0.1%
|-
|White: [[Other White|Other]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|57,171
|1.37%
|143,116
|3.15%
|258,438
|5.3%
|-
![[British Asian|Asian or Asian British]]: Total
!–
!–
!135,257
!3.4%
!181,846
!4.35%
!293,423
!6.47%
!391,103
!8%
|-
|Asian or Asian British: [[British Indians|Indian]]
|–
|–
|98,859
|
|122,347
|2.93%
|168,928
|3.72%
|229,831
|4.7%
|-
|Asian or Asian British: [[British Pakistanis|Pakistani]]
|–
|–
|17,407
|
|27,859
|0.66%
|48,940
|1.07%
|71,038
|1.5%
|-
|Asian or Asian British: [[British Bangladeshis|Bangladeshi]]
|–
|–
|4,161
|
|6,928
|0.16%
|13,258
|0.29%
|20,980
|0.4%
|-
|Asian or Asian British: [[British Chinese|Chinese]]<ref group="note">In 2001, listed under the 'Chinese or other ethnic group' heading.</ref>
|–
|–
|7,588
|
|12,900
|0.3%
|24,404
|0.53%
|22,973
|0.5%
|-
|Asian or Asian British: Other Asian
|–
|–
|7,242
|
|11,812
|0.28%
|37,893
|0.83%
|46,281
|0.9%
|-
![[Black British people|Black or Black British]]: Total
!–
!–
!38,566
!1%
!39,477
!0.94%
!81,484
!1.79%
!129,986
!2.6%
|-
|Black or Black British: [[Black British people|African]]
|–
|–
|3,467
|
|9,186
|0.22%
|41,768
|0.92%
|83,161
|1.7%
|-
|Black or Black British: [[British African-Caribbean people|Caribbean]]
|–
|–
|24,431
|
|26,671
|0.63%
|28,913
|0.63%
|30,828
|0.6%
|-
|Black or Black British: [[Classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom|Other Black]]
|–
|–
|10,668
|
|3,620
| –
|10,803
|0.23%
|15,997
|0.3%
|-
![[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]]: Total
!–
!–
!–
!–
!43,148
!1.03%
!86,224
!1.9%
!117,247
!2.4%
|-
|Mixed: White and Black Caribbean
|–
|–
|–
|–
|20,657
|0.49%
|40,404
|0.89%
|46,400
|1.0%
|-
|Mixed: White and Black African
|–
|–
|–
|–
|3,429
| –
|8,814
|0.19%
|14,341
|0.3%
|-
|Mixed: White and Asian
|–
|–
|–
|–
|11,176
|0.26%
|21,688
|0.47%
|30,803
|0.6%
|-
|Mixed: Other Mixed
|–
|–
|–
|–
|7,886
|0.18%
|15,318
|0.33%
|25,703
|0.5%
|-
!Other: Total
!–
!–
!14,160
!0.4%
!7,345
!0.17%
!25,735
!0.56%
!61,944
!1.3%
|-
|Other: Arab<ref group="note" name="auto"/>
|–
|–
|–
|–
| –
| –
|9,746
|0.21%
|13,360
|0.3%
|-
|Other: Any other ethnic group
|–
|–
|14,160
|0.4%
|7,345
|0.17%
|15,989
|0.35%
|48,584
|1.0%
|-
!Non-White: Total
!140,991
!3.8%
!187,983
!4.8%
!271,816
!6.5%
!486,866
!10.7%
!700,280
!14.3%
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!Total
!3,739,616
!100%
!3,953,372
!100%
!4,172,196
!100%
!4,533,222
!100%
!4,880,054
!100%
|}
{{reflist|group=note}}

===Religion===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Religion in the East Midlands
|-
! rowspan="2" |Religion
! colspan="2" |[[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=TS030 - Religion Edit query|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts030|access-date=2022-11-29|website=www.nomisweb.co.uk}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |[[2011 United Kingdom census|2011]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=KS209EW (Religion) - Nomis - 2011 |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks209ew |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=www.nomisweb.co.uk}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |[[2001 United Kingdom census|2001]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=KS007 - Religion - Nomis - 2001 |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/ks007 |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=www.nomisweb.co.uk}}</ref>
|-
!Number
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!Number
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!Number
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
|-
| style="background:#E0E0FF;" |[[History of Christianity in Britain|Christianity]]
| 2,214,151
| 45.4%
| 2,666,172
| 58.8%
| 3,003,475
| 72.0%
|-
| style="background:#E0FFD0;" |[[Islam in the United Kingdom|Islam]]
| 210,766
| 4.3%
| 140,649
| 3.1%
| 70,224
| 1.7%
|-
| style="background:#FFE0C0;" |[[Hinduism in the United Kingdom|Hinduism]]
| 120,345
| 2.5%
| 89,723
| 2.0%
| 66,710
| 1.6%
|-
| style="background:#F0F0C0;" |[[Sikhism in the United Kingdom|Sikhism]]
| 53,950
| 1.1%
| 44,335
| 1.0%
| 33,551
| 0.8%
|-
| style="background:#FFFFC0;" |[[Buddhism in the United Kingdom|Buddhism]]
| 14,521
| 0.3%
| 12,672
| 0.3%
| 7,541
| 0.2%
|-
| style="background:#E0F0FF;" |[[History of the Jews in the United Kingdom|Judaism]]
| 4,313
| 0.09%
| 4,254
| 0.09%
| 4,075
| 0.1%
|-
| style="background:#F0E0F0;" |Other religion
| 24,813
| 0.5%
| 17,918
| 0.4%
| 9,863
| 0.2%
|-
| style="background:#F5F5F5;" |[[Irreligion in the United Kingdom|No religion]]
| 1,950,354
| 40.0%
| 1,248,056
| 27.5%
| 664,845
| 15.9%
|-
| style="background:#DCDCDC;" |Religion not stated
| 286,841
| 5.9%
| 309,443
| 6.8%
| 311,890
| 7.5%
|-
!Total population
! '''4,880,054'''
! '''100%'''
! '''4,533,222'''
! '''100%'''
! '''4,172,174'''
! '''100%'''
|-
|}

===Social deprivation===
[[File:University Park MMB X1 East Midlands Conference Centre.jpg|thumb|220px|left|The [[De Vere (hotel operator)|De Veres Venues]] East Midlands Conference Centre at the [[University of Nottingham]] in September 2012 ]]
The region as a whole is less deprived than the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]] and regions in the [[North of England]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/576659.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609171001/http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/576659.pdf|url-status=dead|title=LSOA deprivation data|archivedate=9 June 2012}}</ref> By measurement of [[Super Output Areas|Lower Layer Super Output Areas]], the East Midlands has more in common with the South of England (except London) than the North, in that it has more areas in the 20 per cent least deprived areas than the 20 per cent most deprived areas, but less so than regions in [[Southern England]]. This has been explained by academic statisticians, who claim the area straddles the [[north–south divide]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sasi.group.shef.ac.uk/maps/nsdivide/index.html |title=North–south divide |access-date=6 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421223738/http://www.sasi.group.shef.ac.uk/maps/nsdivide/index.html |archive-date=21 April 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The region does not show typical economic characteristics of Northern England (which the West Midlands does), although it is not as affluent as large parts of the South of England. Economically, the East Midlands bears a similarity to [[South West England]].

In March 2011, the average [[Jobseeker's Allowance|unemployment claimant]] count for the region was 3.6 per cent. Nottingham and Leicester were the highest with 5.8 per cent each. Next were [[Borough of Corby|Corby]] and [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]] with 4.9 per cent. The lowest were Rutland and [[South Northamptonshire]] with 1.4 per cent each, and [[Harborough District|Harborough]], with 1.6 per cent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/elmr/downloads/Table6-18.xls|title=Claimant count}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

== Elections ==
[[File:United Kingdom General Election 2017 Results Map (East Midlands).svg|thumb|right|General election results in 2017]]
The East Midlands is represented by forty-seven [[Member of Parliament (UK)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs), a gain of one after [[2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies|the most recent Periodic Review]]. At the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]], the region elected twenty-nine [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] MPs, fifteen [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]], two from [[Reform UK]] and one [[Independent politician|independent]]. Labour Party MPs were primarily elected in Derbyshire (where they won all eleven seats) and Nottinghamshire, whilst Conservatives were mostly elected in Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.

In 2009, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire county councils changed control from Labour to Conservative. From 1993 to 2005, Northampton was controlled by Labour, but has since been controlled by the Conservatives. Lincolnshire and Leicestershire have historically been Conservative, hence all the main county councils are Conservative controlled.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=2 colspan=2 align="center"| Party
! colspan=5 | Seats won at each general election
|-
! valign="top" | [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010]]
! valign="top" | [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015]]
! valign="top" | [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017]]
! valign="top" | [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2019]]
! valign="top" | [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024]]
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
| align="right" |15
| align="right" |14
| align="right" |15
| align="right" |8
| align="right" |29
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
| align="right" |31
| align="right" |32
| align="right" |31
| align="right" |38
| align="right" |15
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Reform UK}}" |
| [[Reform UK]]
| bgcolor="CCCCCC"|
| bgcolor="CCCCCC"|
| bgcolor="CCCCCC"|
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |2
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Independent}}" |
| [[Independent politician|Independents]]
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |0
| align="right" |1
|-
|}

{{Constituencies in the East Midlands}}

=== MEPs ===
{{further|East Midlands (European Parliament constituency)}}
The East Midlands was a five-member constituency for the [[European Parliament]].

== Regions ==

===Eurostat NUTS===
In the [[Eurostat]] [[Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics]] (NUTS), the East Midlands form a level-1 NUTS region, coded "UKF", which is subdivided as follows:

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:gold; text-align:left;"
! NUTS 1
! Code
! NUTS 2
! Code
! NUTS 3
! Code
|-
| East Midlands
| UKF
| rowspan=6 | [[Derbyshire]] and [[Nottinghamshire]]
| rowspan=6 | UKF1
| [[Derby]]
| UKF11
|-
| rowspan="10" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| [[File:NUTS 3 regions of the East Midlands 2010 map.svg|200px]]
| East Derbyshire ([[Bolsover (district)|Bolsover]], [[Borough of Chesterfield|Chesterfield]], [[North East Derbyshire]])
| UKF12
|-
| South and West Derbyshire ([[Amber Valley]], [[Derbyshire Dales]], [[Borough of Erewash|Erewash]], [[High Peak, Derbyshire|High Peak]], [[South Derbyshire]])
| UKF13
|-
| [[Nottingham]]
| UKF14
|-
| North Nottinghamshire ([[Ashfield, Nottinghamshire|Ashfield]], [[Bassetlaw District|Bassetlaw]], [[Mansfield (district)|Mansfield]], [[Newark and Sherwood]])
| UKF15
|-
| South Nottinghamshire ([[Borough of Broxtowe|Broxtowe]], [[Borough of Gedling|Gedling]], [[Borough of Rushcliffe|Rushcliffe]])
| UKF16
|-
| rowspan=4 | [[Leicestershire]], [[Rutland]] and [[Northamptonshire]]
| rowspan=4 | UKF2
| [[Leicester]]
| UKF21
|-
| [[Leicestershire]] CC and [[Rutland]]
| UKF22
|-
| [[West Northamptonshire]]
| UKF24
|-
| [[North Northamptonshire]]
| UKF25
|-
| [[Lincolnshire]]
| UKF3
| [[Lincolnshire]] CC
| UKF30
|}

=== Local government ===
The official [[Regions of England|region]] consists of the following subdivisions:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Map || Ceremonial county || Shire county<br />/unitary || Districts
|-
| rowspan="10" | [[File:East Midlands counties 2009 map.svg|250px]] || rowspan="2" | [[Derbyshire]] || 1.&nbsp;Derbyshire || ''a'')&nbsp;[[High Peak, Derbyshire|High Peak]], ''b'')&nbsp;[[Derbyshire Dales]], ''c'')&nbsp;[[South Derbyshire]], ''d'')&nbsp;[[Borough of Erewash|Erewash]], ''e'')&nbsp;[[Amber Valley]], ''f'')&nbsp;[[North East Derbyshire]], ''g'')&nbsp;Chesterfield, ''h'')&nbsp;[[Bolsover (district)|Bolsover]]
|-
| colspan="2" | 2.&nbsp;[[Derby]] U.A.
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Nottinghamshire]] || 3.&nbsp;Nottinghamshire || ''a'')&nbsp;[[Borough of Rushcliffe|Rushcliffe]], ''b'')&nbsp;[[Borough of Broxtowe|Broxtowe]], ''c'')&nbsp;[[Ashfield, Nottinghamshire|Ashfield]], ''d'')&nbsp;[[Borough of Gedling|Gedling]], ''e'')&nbsp;[[Newark and Sherwood]], ''f'')&nbsp;[[Mansfield (district)|Mansfield]], ''g'')&nbsp;[[Bassetlaw District|Bassetlaw]]
|-
| colspan="2" | 4.&nbsp;[[Nottingham]] U.A.
|-
| [[Lincolnshire]]<br /><small>(part only)</small> || 5.&nbsp;Lincolnshire || ''a'')&nbsp;[[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]], ''b'')&nbsp;[[North Kesteven]], ''c'')&nbsp;[[South Kesteven]], ''d'')&nbsp;[[South Holland, England|South Holland]], ''e'')&nbsp;[[Boston (borough)|Boston]], ''f'')&nbsp;[[East Lindsey]], ''g'')&nbsp;[[West Lindsey]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Leicestershire]] || 6.&nbsp;Leicestershire || ''a'')&nbsp;[[Charnwood (borough)|Charnwood]], ''b'')&nbsp;[[Melton (borough)|Melton]], ''c'')&nbsp;[[Harborough District|Harborough]], ''d'')&nbsp;[[Oadby and Wigston]], ''e'')&nbsp;[[Blaby (district)|Blaby]], ''f'')&nbsp;[[Hinckley and Bosworth]], ''g'')&nbsp;[[North West Leicestershire]]
|-
| colspan="2" | 7.&nbsp;[[Leicester]] U.A.
|-
| colspan="3" | 8.&nbsp;[[Rutland]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | 9.&nbsp;[[Northamptonshire]] || colspan="2" | ''a'', ''b'', ''c'')&nbsp;[[West Northamptonshire]] U.A.
|-
| colspan="2" | ''d'', ''e'', ''f'', ''g'')&nbsp;[[North Northamptonshire]] U.A.
|}

==Economy==
{{overly detailed|section|date=October 2017}}
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2017}}
[[File:Regional Profile of the East Midlands.png|thumb|right|A profile of the economy of East Midlands in 2012]]
The [[Manufacturing Advisory Service]] for the region was based on the [[A606 road|A606]] in [[Melton Mowbray]], next to [[East Midlands Councils]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mas-em.org.uk/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902055735/http://www.mas-em.org.uk/|url-status=dead|title=MAS East Midlands|archivedate=2 September 2011|website=mas-em.org.uk}}</ref>

===Manufacturing===
[[File:US Navy 070804-N-1745W-122 A Sailor assigned to Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) tests an aircraft jet engine for defects while performing Jet Engine Test Instrumentation, (JETI) Certification-Engine Runs.jpg|thumb|220px|right|The [[jet engine]] was built and [[Power Jets|developed]] in the region.]]
In 2003, 23% of economic output in the East Midlands was in manufacturing, compared to 15% in the UK.{{update inline|date=February 2024}}

For engineering, [[Rolls-Royce Holdings|Rolls-Royce]] (the world's second-largest maker of [[aircraft engine]]s) in [[Sinfin]] and [[Rolls-Royce Marine Power Operations]] are both in Derby. [[Ruston (engine builder)|Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery]] (former [[General Electric Company|GEC]], then [[Alstom]]) make industrial [[gas turbine]]s in Lincoln, with a former division making aero-engine components, part of [[Industria de Turbo Propulsores|ITP Engines]] based at [[Whetstone, Leicestershire|Whetstone]], next door to [[Hardinge, Inc.|Hardinge]] Machine Tools UK (former [[Bridgeport (machine tool brand)|Bridgeport]]). [[Cytec Industries]] UK (owned since 2016 by [[Solvay SA|Solvay]]) have a composites research centre in the south of Heanor. [[Meggitt]] Polymers & Composites (formerly Dunlop) are on the A512 in Shepshed, who make seals for aircraft.

{{Main|Motorsport in the United Kingdom}}
[[Triumph Motorcycles Ltd|Triumph Motorcycles]] and [[Ultima Sports]] ([[sports car]]s) are in [[Hinckley]]. [[Cummins UK|Cummins]] make diesel engines in [[Daventry]], and build [[Alternating current|AC]] [[Alternator|generator]]s in [[Stamford, Lincolnshire|Stamford]], with its spares division at Wellingborough (near Mahle). 80% of the world's [[Formula One]] cars are made in Northamptonshire. At the north of Motorsport Valley, [[Cosworth]] and [[MAHLE Powertrain]] (Cosworth Technology before January 2005) are next to the Nene in Northampton, with an [[Cylinder block|engine block]] plant in Wellingborough. [[Force India]] and [[Delta Motorsport]] are at [[Silverstone]], [[Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains]] is in [[Brixworth]], and [[Mercedes-Benz in Formula One|Mercedes-Benz F1]] at Brackley.

Near Leicester, [[Noble Automotive|Noble]] are in [[Barwell]] and [[Fenix Automotive]] in Braunstone. [[Eibach (company)|Eibach]] UK (shock absorbers) is off the B581 in [[Broughton Astley]]. [[KTM]] UK (high-performance motorcycles) is at Buckingham Industrial Estate in southeast Brackley; to the west, next door was [[Brawn GP]] ([[Honda in Formula One|Honda F1]] before 2008) in [[Evenley]]. [[Van Hool]] UK ([[Coachbuilder|coachwork]]) is in Wellingborough.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

[[Salvador Caetano|Caetano]] UK is based near Coalville, a UK coachwork distributor for [[National Express Coaches|National Express]]. [[AGC Glass Europe|AGC Automotive UK]] make [[Car glass|automotive glass]] ([[Toughened glass|tempered glass]] and [[laminated glass]]) on [[Round Spinney]] Industrial Estate in Northampton. [[Plastic Omnium]] Automotive make automotive exteriors in the west of Measham. On a former [[RAF Chipping Warden|airfield]] is [[Lippstadt]]-based [[Hella (company)|Hella]] UK (LED automobile lighting, and Europe's largest automobile lighting manufacturer) in [[Chipping Warden]] and [[Aston le Walls]]. [[Ilmor]] is in Brixworth, and [[Bowler Offroad]] is in Belper.

[[JCB (heavy equipment manufacturer)|JCB]] Power Systems is near [[Foston, Derbyshire]] and nearby [[Toyota Manufacturing UK]] (TMUK) is at [[Burnaston]], where its 3,000 employees make the [[Toyota Auris|Auris]] and [[Toyota Avensis|Avensis]]. [[Resonate Group]] (formerly DeltaRail Group) is in Derby, and train manufacturer [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier UK]] ([[British Rail Engineering Limited]] before 1996 then [[Adtranz|ABB Adtranz]]) is at [[Derby Litchurch Lane Works]], in [[Litchurch]]; it built the [[Bombardier Incentro AT6/5|Nottingham Express Transit AT6/5 trams]] in 2004, the [[Bombardier Electrostar|Electrostar]], [[Bombardier Turbostar|Turbostar]] and [[Bombardier Aventra|Aventra]] fleets, and [[London Underground rolling stock|London Underground trains]]. [[APPH]] (part of [[BBA Aviation]]) make aircraft [[landing gear]] next to [[Kirkby-in-Ashfield railway station]]. [[Raleigh Bicycle Company]] is based in New [[Eastwood, Nottinghamshire|Eastwood]].

[[Essentra Packaging]] (formerly Payne) nearby in Giltbrook, next to [[IKEA]], makes [[tear tape]], owned by [[Essentra]]. [[Giant Bicycles|Giant]] UK (high performance bicycles) on the Charnwood Edge Business Park in [[Cossington, Leicestershire|Cossington]]. [[Mettler Toledo]] UK ([[Beltweigher|industrial weighing]]) is in the west of Beaumont Leys. [[Ferodo]] is in [[Chapel-en-le-Frith]], having made [[brake pad]]s since its founder [[Herbert Frood]] invented them in [[Combs, Derbyshire|Combs]] in 1897. [[Carbolite]], which makes industrial furnaces, is in the [[Hope Valley, Derbyshire|Hope Valley]].

[[File:Harworth Colliery - geograph.org.uk - 104989.jpg|thumb|220px|left|[[UK Coal]] (formerly RJB Mining) was based in [[Styrrup]] near [[Harworth]]. The north part of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire used to have many [[Coal mining|coal mine]]s, and the last two pits producing in Nottinghamshire were near [[Market Warsop]] and [[Thoresby Colliery|Ollerton]]. ]]
[[FKI (company)|FKI]] who own [[Brush Electrical Machines]] is in Loughborough, home to the [[Energy Technologies Institute]] and [[John Taylor & Co]], which although entering [[Administration (law)|administration]] in 2009, is the largest [[Bellfounding|bell foundry]] in the world. [[Eco-Bat Technologies]], based in [[South Darley]], [[Smelting|smelt]], [[Derbyshire lead mining history|mine lead]], being the world's biggest producer, and own eighteen sites across the world. [[Scott Bader]] develop and manufacture [[polyester resin]]s for glass-reinforced plastic ([[fiberglass]], and [[gelcoat]]s) at [[Wollaston, Northamptonshire|Wollaston]].

[[File:Swarfega bottles.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Swarfega]] was invented and is made by [[Deb Ltd|Deb]] in [[Belper]]. ]]
[[Tata Steel Europe|Tata Steel Tubes Europe]] is in Corby. [[Barnes Group|Barnes Aerospace]] have their European headquarters in central Derby. JJ Churchill make [[turbine blade]]s for jet engines in the east of [[Market Bosworth]]. Ross Ceramics north of Derby make [[ceramic core]]s for casting turbine blades (at Rolls-Royce). The [[Alumasc Group]] is in [[Burton Latimer]]. [[Sealed Air]] UK on the Telford Way Industrial Estate, makes [[Bubble Wrap (brand)|Bubble Wrap]], which its parent USA company invented in 1960.

The [[Motor Industry Research Association]] has an important test track at [[Higham on the Hill]]. [[Hendrickson International|Hendrickson Europe]] make truck suspensions at Sywell Airport. [[Timsons]] make printers in [[Kettering]]. [[Heckler & Koch]] is in Lenton. On the Dukeries Industrial Estate, Worksop Galvanizers ([[Wedge Group]]) have the largest [[Galvanization|galvanizing bath]] (zinc) in the UK. [[Cooper Industries|Cooper Bussmann]] (formerly Hawker Fusegear) makes [[Fuse (electrical)|electrical fuse]]s in [[Burton on the Wolds]]. Pearce Signs, one of the UK's largest sign-makers, is based in [[Basford, Nottinghamshire|New Basford]]. Nylacast is an international [[Plastics engineering|engineered plastics]] company based in [[Humberstone & Hamilton|Humberstone]], Leicester. [[Sapa Group|Sapa]] are on the Saw Pit Lane Industrial Estate with Storetec, the UK base of [[Wanzl (Company)|Wanzl]] shopping trolleys.

[[File:Worcester Bosch Thermokinetics (4470867542).jpg|thumb|right|[[Worcester, Bosch Group|Worcester Bosch Thermokinetics]] makes its [[Heating oil|oil-fired]] and floor-standing [[Water heating|boiler]]s at its [[Danesmoor]] Works.]]
[[RPC Group]] in [[Rushden]], is a large (international, the largest of its type in Europe) packaging company, and make the bottles for [[Heinz Tomato Ketchup]]. Granger's, on the Clover Nook Industrial Estate at [[Pinxton]], make Cherry Blossom [[shoe polish]]. Fusion Provida based in Chesterfield makes pipe jointings and [[electrofusion]] fittings for the oil and gas industry. [[Vaillant Group|Vaillant]] UK (Hepworth Heating before 2002, with headquarters in [[Remscheid]]) make [[Glow-worm (boilers)|Glow-worm]] boilers near [[Belper School]].

The [[Watchkeeper WK450]] [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|UAV]] is built jointly by [[Thales Group|Thales]] and [[Elbit Systems|Elbit]] in west Leicester; it is tested at [[Aberporth Airport]] in Wales; 54 are on order, costing £1bn. [[BAE Systems Land & Armaments]] had a tank factory, which closed in May 2011 when it lost the [[Future Rapid Effect System|FRES]] contract, given to General Dynamics; the site, owned by Thales, initially made naval radar systems. The large Sunningdale site on Braunstone Frith was the [[British Shoe Corporation]]. [[Chemring Group|Chemring Defence]] UK (military [[pyrotechnics]]) is at [[Draycott and Church Wilne]]. [[Invicta Plastics]] ([[injection moulding]]) is on Scudamore Road.

[[Hoval Group|Hoval]], near Newark Northgate station, make industrial boilers in Lincoln for international customers, and have a [[Royal Warrant of Appointment (United Kingdom)|Royal Warrant]]. [[Jayplas]], the UK's biggest [[plastic recycling]] company is based in [[Great Oakley, Northamptonshire|Great Oakley]], with a plastic recycling site in [[South Normanton]]. [[Fairline Boats]] are based on the Nene in Oundle; nearby are [[Poclain|Poclain Hydraulics]] UK on the Nene Business Park.

[[Laser Performance]] makes the [[Laser (dinghy)|Laser]] sailing boat in Long Buckby. [[Abbott & Co.(Newark) Ltd]], Established in 1870 and based in The Newark Boiler Works, made boilers in the 1870s for the [[Royal Navy]] and since then design and build a large range of [[pressure vessel]]s, some of which were used on [[HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)]].

[[File:Taylor, Taylor & Hobson advert, 1925.jpeg|thumb|right|Taylor, Taylor & Hobson 1925 advert]]
Spector Lumenex (part of [[Tyco International|Tyco]]) make warning systems in [[Mapperley]]. [[Flowserve]] UK (formerly [[Worthington-Simpson]], then [[Ingersoll Rand|Ingersoll-Dresser]]) in Balderton are the largest manufacturer of industrial pumps in the UK. [[Hako GmbH|Hako]] Machines UK, a [[Schleswig-Holstein]] supplier of [[industrial sweeper]]s and [[Street sweeper|road cleaner]]s are in Crick. [[Bostik]], which from 1930 until 1990, was owned by [[British United Shoe Machinery]] of Leicester, still has a main factory and research site (its construction division) in Belgrave; until 1962 it was made by [[Bostik|BB Chemical]], with its other main brand being the water-resistant [[Prestik]] for making [[sealing strip]]s.

[[Taylor Hobson]] (an international metrology company) is in Leicester, bought by [[Ametek]] in 2004; with a former division of the company, Cooke Optics, a camera lens manufacturer, further north in Thurmaston. The [[Gents' of Leicester|Gent]] fire alarm company, owned by Honeywell since 2005, is north of Humberstone. [[Matsuura Machinery]] UK (CNC [[machine tool]]s) is in Coalville.

[[Ardagh Group|Ardagh]] ([[Novar plc|Metal Box]] from 1962, then Impress Group) make [[tin can]]s north of Fabrikat; [[Pandrol]] UK in Worksop make resilient [[Rail fastening system|rail fastening]]s. [[ThyssenKrupp]] UK is in Lenton, and further north is [[ZF Friedrichshafen|ZF Services UK]] (wind turbine and automotive gears). In Nottingham is [[Thomas & Betts]] UK (formerly [[W & J Furse]], and bought by [[ABB]] in 2012), a world leader in [[Surge protector|lightning]] and [[Earthing system|earthing protection]].

===Construction and building materials===
[[Topps Tiles]] are in Enderby, with the national distribution centre of British Gas, the largest warehouse of gas spare parts in Europe, next door. [[Holcim UK]] (part of [[Holcim]] since July 2015, when Paris-based Lafarge merged with Swiss-based Holcim) is based at Bardon Hall in [[Bardon, Leicestershire|Bardon]]. [[Mountsorrel]] has the largest [[granite]] quarry in Europe, owned by the French company, [[Lafarge (company)|Lafarge]] (owned by [[Redland plc]] until 1997). [[BPB plc]] (British Plasterboard), the world's largest manufacturer of [[Drywall|plasterboard]] ([[Calcium sulfate|calcium sulphate]]) who own [[British Gypsum]], is based in [[East Leake]], Nottinghamshire. They also have a large site at [[Barrow upon Soar]]. [[Artex Ltd.]], part of the same company, is in [[Ruddington]].

[[Hörmann (company)|Hörmann]] UK ([[garage door]]s) is in Coalville. [[Barratt Developments]] (housing) is in [[Ellistown and Battleflat]] (Bardon), southeast of Coalville; [[Ibstock plc|Ibstock]] is the largest brick manufacturer (900&nbsp;million a year, with twenty factories) in the UK, nearby; . [[Lafarge Tarmac|Lafarge Aggregates & Concrete UK]] is in [[Syston]]. [[Roca (company)|Roca]] UK and [[Laufen (company)|Laufen]] UK ([[Plumbing fixture|sanitaryware]]) are in the north of Coalville, on the Hermitage Industrial Estate, towards [[Stephenson College, Coalville|Stephenson College]]. [[Krohne]] UK at Wellingborough make [[Coriolis effect|Coriolis]] mass [[Flow measurement|flowmeters]]. AvantiGas (former [[Shell Gas|Shell Gas LPG]]) is at [[Duckmanton]] in [[Staveley, Derbyshire|Staveley]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avantigas.com/|title=LPG & Renewable Gas &#124; Local & Bulk LPG Suppliers &#124; AvantiGas}}</ref> [[Sandvik Mining and Construction]] UK are on the Astron Business Park, Swadlincote, near Brunel Healthcare. [[DSF Refractories & Minerals Ltd|DSF Refractories & Minerals]] are the UK's last main [[refractory]] company at [[Friden, Derbyshire|Friden]].

[[File:Finning-Caterpillar at Desford - geograph.org.uk - 863588.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Caterpillar at Desford]]
[[Caterpillar Inc.|Caterpillar Building Construction Products]] makes [[backhoe loader]]s, [[Loader (equipment)|wheel loader]]s, [[Telescopic handler|telehandler]]s, and mini [[excavator]]s. [[TEREX Pegson|Terex Pegson]] make mobile caterpillar-tracked [[Crusher|crushing machine]]s next to the railway in Coalville. [[SAME Deutz-Fahr]] UK, is a tractor manufacturer based in [[Barby, Northamptonshire|Barby]] north of Daventry, owned by [[Treviglio]] of Italy.

[[File:Building pylons At Eakring training centre - geograph.org.uk - 279712.jpg|thumb|left|[[National Grid plc]] has its main [[Ofsted]]-checked [[Eakring Training Centre]] in Nottinghamshire, where trainees learn how to build [[Transmission tower|electricity pylon]]s, including the [[T pylon]]; National Grid has other training sites in [[Hollinwood, Greater Manchester|Hollinwood]] and [[Hitchin]]. ]]
[[Premier Pitches]] of [[Nether Handley]], at [[Unstone]] in northeast Derbyshire, made the pitch for Wembley Stadium, as well as many other main pitches. Hewitt Sportsturf, in [[Cosby, Leicestershire|Cosby]], supplied the turf (360 rolls) for the [[Olympic Stadium (London)|Olympic Stadium]] in March 2011, although it was grown near Scunthorpe; a division of the company, Petersfield Growing Mediums, which supplies compost, has a Royal Warrant. [[Werner Co.|Werner]] UK (Britain's leading manufacturer of metal [[step ladder]]s) moved its ABRU site to Essex in 2016.

===Textiles and clothing===
{{See also|List of current and defunct clothing & footwear stores in the United Kingdom}}
The fashion company [[Paul Smith (fashion designer)|Paul Smith]] is in Lenton. The high end metallic thread supplier [[Lurex]] is based in [[Whetstone, Leicestershire]]. The lingerie companies [[Gossard]], [[Aristoc]], [[Pretty Polly (hosiery)|Pretty Polly]], and [[Berlei]] (formerly owned by [[Courtaulds]], later CUK Clothing) were based in [[Daybrook]]; most of their hosiery was made at West Mill in [[Belper]].

[[Speedo International Limited]] is near Experian, (formerly in [[Bobbers Mill]] near [[Basford, Nottingham|Basford]] before 2010). Its [[LZR Racer]] suit helped [[Michael Phelps]] win eight golds at the [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Olympics]]. In Enderby is [[Next (clothing)|Next]], created by [[George Davies (retailer)|George Davies]] in 1981, which is the largest company in the region (and the Midlands) by number of employees with 59,000, and has the second largest turnover (£3&nbsp;billion) of companies headquartered in the region, after Boots (£6&nbsp;billion).{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

[[File:Next - geograph.org.uk - 491690.jpg|thumb|left|Headquarters of Next Retailing in July 2007 at Enderby, next to the M69; the largest company by turnover in the Midlands]]
[[Boden (clothing)]] is on the Meridian estate in Leicester. [[Wolsey (clothing)]] is northeast of Leicester, east of [[Rushey Mead]]. Scott Nichol make traditional socks in Hinckley. [[Per Una]] have a factory near Cossington. Much of Britain's lingerie and hosiery is made in the region. Guilford Europe (former Guilford Kapwood), at Somercotes, makes fabric ([[warp knitting]]) for sports clothing and automotive products, and have been owned by [[Lear Corporation]] since 2012.

Many footwear companies such as [[Shoe Zone]] (which bought out Stead and Simpson), are based in Leicester. [[Brantano Footwear|Brantano Footwear UK]], based in Leicester before 2002, were in [[Ellistown and Battleflat]] until March 2017, just south of [[Coalville]], near [[Nestlé]]'s national distribution centre. [[Loake]] make shoes at Kettering, and have a Royal appointment. [[Church's|Church's Shoes]] are at Northampton. [[Tricker's]] shoes in Northampton have a royal warrant. [[Sanders & Sanders]] and [[Grenson]] make shoes in Rushden. [[Crockett & Jones]] make shoes in the northeast of Northampton. The [[BLC Leather Technology Centre]] is in Moulton and [[SATRA]], in west Kettering, both conduct footwear research. Aspex make sports sunglasses in Moulton, near [[Moulton College]].

[[File:Telegraph Poles, Boston - geograph.org.uk - 1206673.jpg|thumb|left|[[Calders & Grandidge]] in the south of Boston are the UK's largest supplier of [[Utility pole|telegraph pole]]s and wooden [[Railroad tie|railway sleeper]]s]]
[[Sports Direct]] is based in [[Shirebrook]]. At the Trent Business Centre is [[Sunspel]], who introduced the [[t-shirt]] to the British market; nearby Meadowmead make premium furniture, and [[Aga Rangemaster Group]] make kitchen [[sinks]]. Duresta Upholstery is in Long Eaton, with a factory of [[DFS (British retailer)|DFS]] opposite. W&G Sissons on the Chesterfield Est, owned by [[Franke (company)|Franke]], has been the UK's largest manufacturer of stainless steel sinks since the 1950s. [[Parker Knoll]] make high-end furniture on the Greenhill Industrial Estate, south of Alfreton. [[Gunn & Moore]] (GM), north of Trent Bridge cricket ground, is an exclusive [[cricket bat]] manufacturer.

[[File:Lea Bridge - John Smedley Mill - Factory Shop.jpg|thumb|right|John Smedley factory at Lea Mills: the oldest working factory in the world]]
[[Wild Country (company)|Wild Country]], on the [[Tideswell]] Industrial Estate, are the UK's leading manufacturer of [[rock-climbing equipment]]. [[Blacks Leisure Group]] (previous owner of Blacks and [[Millets (retailer)|Millets]] before financial failure and takeover by [[JD Sports]]) was based in [[Duston]], in the west of Northampton, and is on the Swan Valley Ind Est, near the UK & Ireland base of [[Levi Strauss & Co.]] Joules [[British country clothing|country clothing]] is east of Market Harborough and the Northamptonshire boundary at [[Dingley, Northamptonshire|Dingley]].

[[George at Asda]], based at Lutterworth, in 2009 overtook M&S to become Britain's leading fashion retailer. [[TW Kempton]] are a main manufacturer of uniforms for the armed and police services opposite the [[National Space Centre (England)|National Space Centre]] in north Leicester; they also own the Fortis body armour and make [[Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops|PASGT]] nylon fibre helmets for troops.

===Retail===
[[Wilko (retailer)|Wilko]] head office is at [[Manton, Nottinghamshire|Manton]], [[Worksop]]; it was founded by [[James Kemsey Wilkinson]] in Leicester in 1930. In [[Lenton, Nottingham|Lenton]], are the head offices of [[Games Workshop]], the producers of [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle|Warhammer]] miniatures. [[Pendragon PLC]], the [[car dealership]] and the Sherwood Park industrial area is in [[Annesley]]. [[Sytner Group]] is in Enderby, a prestige car retailer. [[Dunelm Group]], the furnishings company, is next to Lafarge in [[Syston]]; the company is named after Bill Adderley's house on Greenhill Road in Coalville; nearby is [[Pukka Pies]]. In Leicester is the nearly-defunct photographic equipment company [[Jessops]], bought and relaunched as Jessops Europe by businessman [[Peter Jones (entrepreneur)|Peter Jones]] and [[Fox's Confectionery]] (maker of [[Fox's Glacier Mints]]), with both on the [[Braunstone Park & Rowley Fields|Braunstone Frith]] estate. Also in Leicester are the [[bookmaker]] [[Mark Jarvis]] (next to Radio Leicester), the European HQ of [[National Car Rental]], and [[Otis Elevator Company|Otis UK]] ([[Elevator|lift]]s, near the National Space Centre). [[Jacobs (photographic retailer)|Jacobs]] is on the Meridian Business Park in [[Braunstone Town|Braunstone]]. [[Machine Mart]] is near BioCity in Nottingham. East of the Walkers plant in Beaumont Leys is [[Office Depot]] UK (and Viking Direct UK) on the Bursom Industrial Estate. [[Crown Crest]] in Belgrave owns [[Poundstretcher]]. [[Goldsmiths (retailer)|Goldsmiths]] (jewellers) are based at the western end of Braunstone Frith.

In Northampton is [[Avon Products|Avon Products UK]]; its products reach 6 million women per week. [[East Midlands Railway]] has its head office in Derby. [[Porterbrook]], one of the UK's three [[Rolling stock company|rolling stock companies]] is in Derby. The former [[East Midlands Electricity]] is owned by [[E.ON UK]] ([[public electricity supplier|supply]], since [[Powergen]] bought EME in June 1998) and [[Western Power Distribution]] ([[Distribution network operator|distribution]], who bought Central Networks in April 2011), which is based in [[Long Whatton and Diseworth]]; the area has around a 5,000&nbsp;MW demand for electricity. Nearby at [[Castle Donington]] is the home of the (separate) headquarters of [[BMI (airline)|BMI]] (in [[Donington Hall]]) and [[bmibaby]]. [[Sixt]], the car rental firm, has its UK base in Chesterfield, the base of [[Auto Windscreens]]. [[Booker Group]], the Cash & Carry, ([[Happy Shopper]] and 2,700 [[Premier Stores]], and famous for the [[Man Booker Prize|Booker Prize]]) in Wellingborough.

[[Maclaren]], the [[Baby transport|pushchair]] maker, is next to [[Long Buckby railway station]]; [[BabyStyle]] is in [[Sileby]]. There are three main distribution centres in the area at [[Magna Park]] in Leicestershire (the largest of its kind in Europe), and [[Brackmills]] and the [[Daventry International Railfreight Terminal]] in Northamptonshire. [[J D Wetherspoon]] have their main distribution centre at Daventry, and [[Currys]] (founded in Leicester in 1888 on Belgrave Gate) have theirs at [[Newark-on-Trent]]. Oxford University Press have their national distribution centre at North Kettering Business Park in [[Rushton, Northamptonshire|Rushton]]). [[Monsoon Accessorize]] have their national distribution centre to the east on Octavian Park in Irchester. In [[Kilsby]] on the DIRFT estate, Tesco have their Daventry Grocery, the largest supermarket depot in the country. North of the A428 is Tesco's Clothing Distribution Centre.

===Food processing===
[[File:Dukeries Industrial Estate - geograph.org.uk - 127423.jpg|thumb|220px|left|Oxo factory (former [[Batchelors]]) on the [[The Dukeries|Dukeries]] Industrial Estate in Worksop]]
[[British Sugar|Silver Spoon]] makes all of its [[Natural brown sugar|demerara]] and [[brown sugar]] at [[Newark-on-Trent]]. [[Swizzels Matlow]] makes children's confectionery in [[New Mills]]. [[Carlsberg Group|Carlsberg]] has been brewed in Northampton since 1974, with twelve UK depots, and also brews [[Holsten Pils]], and has brewed [[Tetley's Brewery|Tetley]] since 2011. [[Cott|Cott Beverages UK]] is in [[Kegworth]]. [[Greencore|Greencore UK]] (former Derby-based Hazlewood Foods) is at [[Barlborough|Barlborough Links]]; its site at [[Manton, Nottinghamshire|Manton Wood Enterprise Zone]], Worksop claims to be the world's largest sandwich factory. [[United Biscuits]] has a large factory in [[Ashby-de-la-Zouch]] where it makes its [[KP Snacks]] including [[Hula Hoops]], [[Skips (snack)|Skips]] and [[Nik Naks (British snack)|Nik Naks]]. [[Oxo (food)|Oxo]], [[Saxa (food product)|Saxa]] salt, [[Super Noodles]], and [[Bisto]] are made by [[Premier Foods]] in the west of [[Worksop]]. [[Tangerine Confectionery]] are at [[Holmewood]] (formerly [[Trebor (confectionery)|Cadbury Trebor Bassett]]).

[[Cat food]] such as [[Whiskas]] is made in [[Melton Mowbray]] by [[Pedigree Petfoods|Masterfoods]]; their [[Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition]] claims to be the world's leading authority on petfood research. Also southwest of the town next to the [[Birmingham to Peterborough Line|railway]], [[Samworth Brothers]] have owned [[Ginsters]] since 1977 and [[Soreen]] since 2014, and have 8,000 UK employees. [[Whitworths]], the food company, is in [[Irthlingborough]]; they also have a Victoria Mills flour site in Irchester.

[[File:Carlsberg Brewery Northampton UK.jpg|thumb|right|Carlsberg Brewery at the A428/[[A508 road|A508]] junction in Northampton, on the former [[Phipps NBC]] site, also bottles [[Tuborg Brewery|Tuborg]] and [[Mahou-San Miguel Group|San Migiuel]]; all modern lagers come from a [[Saccharomyces pastorianus|Carlsberg yeast]] developed in 1883. ]]
The crisp company [[Walkers (snack foods)|Walkers]] (owned by [[PepsiCo]] and the UK's biggest grocery brand) makes 10&nbsp;million bags of crisps a day at the biggest crisp factory in the world at [[Beaumont Leys]]. Beaumont Park is PepsiCo's main research centre in the UK. [[Pork Farms]] is in Lenton, Nottingham. [[Thorntons]] is a big employer south of [[Alfreton]] in [[Swanwick, Derbyshire|Swanwick]] on a [[Swanwick Colliery|former colliery]], since the factory opened in 1985. At Latimer Park (Burton Latimer) is Alpro, who make [[Soy milk|soya milk]] products, and a huge [[Morrisons]] depot. To the west is [[Weetabix Limited|Weetabix]], which sources its wheat from a {{convert|50|mi|km|-1|adj=on}} radius around Kettering, and also make [[Weetos]] in Corby; [[Ready Brek]] was bought from [[J. Lyons and Co.|Lyons]] in 1990.

[[Long Clawson Dairy]] are the biggest producers of [[Stilton cheese]] in the UK; the cheese, with [[Shropshire Blue]], is also made in [[Cropwell Bishop]] and [[Colston Bassett]]. [[Faccenda Group]] of Brackley is the second largest [[Poultry farming|processor of chicken]] in the UK; the company also has the former Cranberry Foods site at [[Foston and Scropton|Scropton]] in Derbyshire, the second biggest turkey processor in the UK after [[Bernard Matthews Ltd|Bernard Matthews]]. In [[Wigston Magna|Wigston]], Charnwood Foods (former [[Rank Hovis McDougall|RHM Group]]) make pizza bases for [[Pizza Hut]] and is owned by [[Premier Foods]]; Rossa Ice Cream is next to the Grand Union Canal and nearby is [[Jacob's]] Bakery who make 25&nbsp;million biscuits a week. [[Délifrance]] UK is in north-west Wigston.

[[Greencore]] Prepared Foods on [[Moulton Park]] make half of [[Marks & Spencer|M&S]]'s sandwiches and [[sandwich filler]] pots. Sealord UK make all of [[Waitrose]]'s [[Whitefish (fisheries term)|white fish]] products near [[Caistor]]. Kettleby Foods, part of Samworth Brothers, make most of Tesco's ready meals in [[Melton Mowbray]]. PAS (Grantham) (owned by [[McCain Foods|McCain]]) make chips at [[Easton, Lincolnshire|Easton]]. Isoma of Swadlincote makes food handling equipment; Interlevin Refrigeration at Castle Donington is near the M&S distribution centre; Parry Catering and Fabrication in [[Draycott, Derbyshire|Draycott]] make catering appliances and equipment.

[[Roquette Freres|Roquette]] (former ABF-owned ABR Foods) produce starch and [[Biofuel|bioethanol]] at Corby near RS Components, and a Morrisons frozen-food depot is near [[Weldon, Northamptonshire|Weldon]]. Opposite Charles Lawrence in Newark, Laurens Patisseries (owned by [[Bakkavör]] UK) are Europe's largest manufacturer of cream cakes. [[Kerry Group|Kerry Ingredients]] make [[Homepride]] flour in Gainsborough.

===Health care===
{{See also|List of pharmaceutical manufacturers in the United Kingdom}}
[[File:Boots the Chemist - D10 building - geograph.org.uk - 678655.jpg|thumb|220px|left| Sir [[Owen Williams (engineer)|Owen Williams]] D10 building at Boots]]
[[Boots UK]] is based in [[Lenton, Nottingham|Lenton]] in Nottingham, with 2,500 UK stores, where [[Stewart Adams (chemist)|Stewart Adams]] developed [[Ibuprofen]] in the 1960s on Rutland Road in West Bridgford, and [[Vision Express]] are nearby. Boots was the biggest chemist chain in the world; [[A.S. Watson Group]] is the world's biggest health retail company. [[Crookes Healthcare]], formerly Boots and later [[Reckitt Benckiser]], make [[Strepsils]] and Optrex, and [[Boots Contract Manufacturing]] (BCM) make products for other firms; it makes [[Benylin]] for [[McNeil Consumer Healthcare|McNeil]]. On the [[ng2 business park]], [[Specsavers]] have their corporate eyecare and [[contact lens]] division. Three out of the four main UK [[optician]]s are sited in Nottingham. The [[Magnetic resonance imaging|MRI scanner]] was developed at the [[University of Nottingham]] by Sir [[Peter Mansfield]]; MRI scanners were developed mainly by GEC Medical; MRI is based on [[nuclear magnetic resonance]] (NMR) of the [[Hydrogen atom|hydrogen nucleus]]; [[Raymond Vahan Damadian]] of the USA also claims invention of MRI.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

[[Queen's Medical Centre]] (QMC) is one of the largest [[teaching hospital]]s in Europe, and the largest hospital in the UK. The CT scanner ([[X-ray computed tomography]]) was invented by Newark's Sir [[Godfrey Hounsfield]]. Both inventions received [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Nobel Prizes for Medicine]] (2003 for MRI and 1979 for CT). Glenfield Hospital (under the UHL NHS Trust) is one of England's main hospitals for coronary care and respiratory diseases; it has a strong international reputation for medical research in cardiac and respiratory health and carried out the world's first [[percutaneous coronary intervention]] on a two-year-old child in August 2012 with the largest [[ECMO]] unit in the UK.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

[[East Midlands Ambulance Service|EMAS]] is based in [[Bilborough]]. There are three (charity-funded) [[Air ambulances in the United Kingdom|air ambulance services]]: the western one is based at [[East Midlands Airport|EMA]], the [[Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance|eastern one]] is based at RAF Waddington, and the [[The Air Ambulance Service|southern one]] (shared with [[Warwickshire]]) is at [[Coventry Airport]]. [[NHS East Midlands]] is at [[Sandiacre]]. [[3M Health Care]] (former [[Riker Laboratories]]) has a factory in the north of Loughborough with its head office next to the [[Loughborough railway station|railway station]].

[[BioCity Nottingham]] is an important centre for [[State of the art|cutting-edge]] bioscience. [[Slimming World]], who help people lose weight, is in [[Pinxton]], near [[Alfreton]]; on the other side of the railway [[NHS Supply Chain]] was formed in 2006 in [[Somercotes]]; nearby [[Diversey, Inc.|Diversey]] UK (formerly JohnsonDiversey) has a manufacturing plant, and is at [[Weston Favell]]. Dalatek Plastics make pharmaceutical containers on the Maun Valley Ind Park at Sutton in Ashfield next to the [[Robin Hood Line|railway]].{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

===High technology===
{{main|List of science parks in the United Kingdom#East Midlands}}
[[Belkin|Belkin UK]] (and [[Linksys]]) UK is in [[Rushden]], [[Misco]] is in Wellingborough, and [[RS Components]] is in Corby. Pegasus Software, producer of well-known [[accounting software]], is in the south of Kettering. [[Serif Europe]] is in West Bridgford; Serif developed [[PagePlus]] in the 1990s which was the first low-cost [[Desktop publishing|DTP]] software. [[AVG Technologies]] has its UK head office on Newark's industrial estate. [[Experian]] have a large data centre at [[Fairham House]] south of [[Ruddington]], with two others in Texas and Brazil. The Ruddington site is connected by a 640&nbsp;[[Gbps]] [[Dark fibre network|dark fibre]] and runs on IBM's [[IBM System z10|z10]] with [[IBM Tivoli Framework|Tivoli]]. Inter-Activa is at the [[LCB Depot]] in Leicester city centre.

[[Nexor]] is in Nottingham. [[Entalysis]], a [[business performance management]] software company, is located in [[Burton upon trent|Burton upon Trent]] town centre. [[Amphenol|Amphenol Jaybeam]] in the west of Wellingborough makes [[Network switching subsystem|cellular telephone base station]] antennas. [[Texas Instruments]] UK have their Semiconductor Design Centre at Northampton, formerly in Bedford from 1957 to 2005. [[GE Measurement & Control|GE Sensing]] UK is at Groby. [[Oclaro]] UK (formerly Bookham), at Caswell Research Centre in [[Greens Norton]] makes [[indium phosphide]] wafers and researches [[photonic integrated circuit]]s and [[Distributed Bragg reflector|DSDBR]] [[tunable laser]]s.

===Finance===
Since 1997 [[Capital One]], the [[Virginia]]-based credit card company, has had its European HQ at [[Trent House]] in Nottingham's city centre in a former [[Boots UK]] printing works next to the [[Nottingham railway station|railway station]] since 2009 have taken over the company's [[Loxley House, Nottingham|Loxley House]] next door as their HQ. [[Dublin]]-based [[Experian]], one of two UK [[Credit bureau|credit-referencing]] companies, was founded in the city in 1980 (owned by [[GUS (retailer)|GUS]] until 2006) and has a large UK HQ to its south west, near the [[River Trent]]. [[TDX Group]] in Nottingham, is owned by [[Equifax]]. Santander (former [[Alliance & Leicester]]) is based in [[Narborough, Leicestershire|Narborough]]. [[Barclaycard]] is headquartered in Northampton, and [[Nationwide Building Society|Nationwide]] has a large administrative centre at [[Moulton Park]]. [[Egg Banking]] was on [[Pride Park]] in Derby, until Barclays closed the site in 2011, and moved the business to its Northampton credit card site.

[[Castle Meadow Campus]] is the name of a large HMRC site in Nottingham, being the national arm of HMRC that looks after the [[Enterprise Investment Scheme]], [[Corporate Venturing Scheme]], [[Venture capital trust|Venture Capital Trust]]s, and [[Enterprise Management Incentive]]s, HMRC's Pension Schemes Services, and the [[Tax residence|Residency]] department, which deals with [[Double taxation|Double Taxation Treaties]] and [[Inheritance Tax (United Kingdom)|inheritance tax]]. It has the [[Valuation Office Agency]] for the East Midlands and East of England. Royal Mail have a main administrative centre at [[Rowland Hill]] House, opposite the Queen's Park Sports Centre in Chesterfield ([[Human resource management|HR]], pensions, and Vehicle Services). Royal Mail have their National Distribution Centre at Crick. The Bank of England's [[Monetary Policy Committee (United Kingdom)|MPC]] Agency for the East Midlands is near Experian and its economic data.

[[NatWest Group]] has a documents centre ([[Williams Lea]]) in Shepshed, where it prints its statements for England and Wales. Orion Security Print, north of [[Stanton Ironworks|Stanton steel works]] in Ilkeston, produces [[Odeon Cinemas|Odeon]] cinema tickets and library cards. An office of [[RR Donnelley]] west of South Wigston, next to the [[Birmingham to Peterborough Line|railway]], deals with all of Barclaycard's mail. Barclaycard have their Payment Acceptance Centre in Northampton.

===Rural===
{{See also|UK Military Flying Training System}}
[[File:Typhoon, RAF Coningsby - geograph.org.uk - 737223.jpg|thumb|220px|right|The [[Eurofighter Typhoon]] is based at [[RAF Coningsby]]; it will eventually carry the [[active electronically scanned array]] (AESA) radar, which enables the radar to distinguish between targets and background [[Noise (radio)|noise]], which earlier radars could not.]]
Lincolnshire and Rutland are very agricultural, with much of the UK's [[Arable land|arable]] crops grown in this area. The [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] have many bases in this area, with the main [[RAF College Cranwell|RAF College]] at [[RAF Cranwell|Cranwell]] near [[Sleaford]]; the [[East Midlands Universities Air Squadron]] is at Cranwell, also home of the Eastern Region of the [[Sea Cadet Corps (United Kingdom)|Sea Cadet Corps]], and the [[Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre]]. The RAF's six [[Airborne early warning and control|AWACS]] [[Boeing E-3 Sentry|aircraft]] are at [[RAF Waddington]]. [[16th Regiment Royal Artillery]] is in Rutland.

After Norfolk, Lincolnshire is the second largest potato producer in the country, and grows 30% of the country's vegetables. [[Interflora]] has its UK HQ in Sleaford; Lincolnshire is the world's leading producer of daffodils ([[Narcissus (plant)|narcissus]] family); 40% of the flowers bought in the UK are grown there; Butters Group supply many bulbs ([[Amaryllis]]) from [[Low Fulney]]. The county produces each year enough sugar beet for 350&nbsp;million bags of sugar and enough wheat for 250&nbsp;million loaves. [[Dart Group|Fowler-Welch Coolchain]] are based in [[Spalding, Lincolnshire|Spalding]], as is [[Bakkavör]] (formerly Geest) which is the UK's largest provider of fresh prepared foods.<ref>Home. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bakkavor.com/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171112112147/https://www.bakkavor.com/ |date=12 November 2017 }}</ref>

[[Princes (company)|Princes]] (formerly [[Premier Foods]]) have a large operation in [[Little Sutton, Lincolnshire|Little Sutton]] near [[Long Sutton, Lincolnshire|Long Sutton]] canning vegetables with Fray Bentos meat, and Batchelors peas. [[Magnadata Group]] in Boston have the contract for the UK's rail tickets (for [[Association of Train Operating Companies|ATOC]]); the orange-style tickets have been in operation since 1990. Silver Spoon's [[Bardney]] plant makes the market-leading [[Askey's]] [[dessert topping]]s. [[Deere & Company|John Deere]] have their UK base at [[Langar, Nottinghamshire|Langar]] on the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire boundary. The [[British Geological Survey]] is in [[Keyworth]]. [[Weatherbys]] in Wellingborough administer the British horseracing industry, having produced the [[General Stud Book]] since 1791.

===Entertainment===
[[File:Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) at Twycross Zoo-4.jpg|thumb|220px|left|An [[orangutan]] at Twycross Zoo]]
[[Skegness]] and the [[Lincolnshire coast]] provides seaside entertainment for many in the East Midlands with its [[Butlins]] 200-acre resort at [[Ingoldmells]]. Nottingham and Leicester are both popular night time destinations.

[[Center Parcs UK]] opened their first leisure facility at the Sherwood Holiday Village site at [[Rufford, Nottinghamshire|Rufford]], near [[Ollerton]], together with their headquarters and call centre in Sherwood Energy Village business park, built upon the former Ollerton Colliery site in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire.<ref>[https://d2n2lep.org/sherwood-energy-village-reaches-full-occupancy/ Sherwood Energy Village Reaches Full Occupancy]{{Dead link|date=May 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} D2N2, 3 October 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2023</ref><ref>[https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/center-parcs-boss-reveals-notts-1277010 Center Parcs boss reveals Notts-based leisure giant could open sixth resort in the future] ''[[Nottingham Post|Nottinghamshire Live]]'', 20 May 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2023</ref>

The [[Youth Hostels Association (England & Wales)|YHA]] is based in [[Matlock, Derbyshire|Matlock]]. [[Gala Coral Group|Gala Bingo]] is based in Nottingham; Coral have over 1,800 UK shops. [[Twycross Zoo]] is just south of [[Measham]] in Leicestershire, and the [[National Space Centre (England)|National Space Centre]] is in [[Belgrave, Leicestershire|Belgrave]] in north Leicester.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.emms.org.uk/ |title=East Midlands Museum Service |access-date=27 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110104127/https://www.emms.org.uk/ |archive-date=10 January 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Carlsbro]] (electronics and speakers) are at South Normanton. [[Peavey Electronics]] UK (loudspeakers), are southwest of Corby.

[[Rockingham Motor Speedway]] is in Corby, and other racetracks include [[Donington Park motorsport circuit|Donington Park]] and [[Mallory Park]] in Leicestershire, and [[Cadwell Park]] in Lincolnshire. [[Silverstone Circuit]] hosts the [[British Grand Prix]], although the southern half of the track is outside the region. [[Rutland Water]] is popular for sailing, fishing and bird-watching. The Peak District National Park became the first national park in the United Kingdom in 1951.

{{Electricity generation in the East Midlands}}

==Education==
[[File:Sponne School.jpg|thumb|220px|right|[[Sponne School]], in [[Towcester]]]]

===Secondary education===
Most secondary schools in the East Midlands are [[comprehensive school|comprehensives]], although Lincolnshire retains fifteen state [[grammar school]]s.

There are around 180,000 students in the region's secondary schools; this is the second lowest number of students in a region in England, after the [[North East England|North East]], and more than 100,000 lower than the figure for the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]]. Some of the East Midlands' urban secondary schools hold [[truancy]] rates above that of the national average, whereas truancy rates in the region's rural secondary schools tend to be lower than the national average.

Nottingham City schools tend to perform less well in terms of [[General Certificate of Secondary Education|GCSE]] standards, with some Leicester schools suffering a similar problem. Rutland (amongst the highest-performing areas in the region where GCSE standards are concerned) has one of the highest percentages of pupils reaching the threshold of five grade A–C GCSEs (including Maths and English) in England. On a District Council level, [[Borough of Rushcliffe|Rushcliffe]] in Nottinghamshire tends to attain some of the region's best GCSE results. Leicestershire and Derbyshire also regularly tend to produce GCSE results at a standard greater than the national average.

At [[GCE Advanced Level|A-level]], Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire regularly generate results greater than the national average. Nottingham tends to produce better results at A-level than it does at GCSE.

There are eighteen [[further education]] colleges in the region, including: [[New College Nottingham]], [[Central College Nottingham]], [[Leicester College]], and [[Lincoln College, Lincolnshire|Lincoln College]].

The regional [[Learning and Skills Council]] was headquartered at the Meridian Business Park in [[Braunstone Town]], southwest of Leicester. The LSC has been replaced by the [[Young People's Learning Agency]],<ref>[http://www.ypla.gov.uk/regions/em/ YPLA East Midlands] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215122456/http://www.ypla.gov.uk/regions/em/ |date=15 December 2011 }}</ref> and the [[Skills Funding Agency]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.emgate.org.uk/ |title=East Midlands Gifted and Talented Partnership |access-date=6 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304115145/http://www.emgate.org.uk/ |archive-date=4 March 2011 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

===Universities===
[[File:Brackenhurst Hall - geograph.org.uk - 839809.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.75|Brackenhurst Hall — [[Nottingham Trent University]]'s agricultural college in [[Southwell, Nottinghamshire|Southwell]]]]
The East Midlands' universities include:
*[[University of Nottingham]]: The region's largest university by student population, with around 33,000 students. The university is often ranked in the British top seven for research power. It is famous for its academic reputation, consistently ranking highly in university league tables. It is the only [[Russell Group]] university in the East Midlands. The university has produced several [[Nobel Prize]] winners.
*[[Loughborough University]]: In addition to its more traditional academic work, Loughborough University is well-regarded for its sporting heritage. One notable sporting alumna is British gold-medallist [[Paula Radcliffe]]. The [[British Olympic Association|British Olympic]] athletics team trained at the university as part of their preparations for the [[2012 Summer Olympics]]. The [[adidas Jabulani]] football, the official football for the [[2010 FIFA World Cup|2010 World Cup]], was designed in the university's [[Sports Technology Institute]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/publicity/news-releases/2009/169_adidas-jabulani.html |title=Loughborough Jabulani |access-date=22 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170724004104/http://www.lboro.ac.uk/service/publicity/news-releases/2009/169_adidas-jabulani.html |archive-date=24 July 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Nottingham Trent University]]: Nottingham Trent University is the East Midlands' second largest university (and one of the largest universities in the United Kingdom), with a student population of approximately 24,000.
* [[University of Leicester]]: The university has established itself as a leading research-led university and has been named University of the Year of 2008 by the Times Higher Education. The University of Leicester is also the only university ever to have won a Times Higher Education award in seven consecutive years. The university is most famous for the invention of genetic fingerprinting DNA, the discovery of the remains of King Richard III and Space research. It houses Europe's biggest academic centre for space research, in which space probes have been built, most notably the Mars Lander Beagle 2, which was built in collaboration with the Open University. It is a founding partner of the National Space Centre which is based in Leicester.
* [[De Montfort University]]: The region's third largest university. It is a public research and teaching university. The university has one of the largest numbers of Teacher Fellows of any UK university and was awarded Centre of Excellence status for its performance practice teaching and student support
* [[University of Northampton]]: The only university in [[Northamptonshire]], with two campuses in [[Northampton]] and a developing partnership with [[Silverstone Circuit|Silverstone]].
* [[University of Derby]]: Formerly a centre and college for teacher training, Derby University works closely with businesses of the area with its University of Derby–Corporate programme and has a history of academics dating back to 1851.
* [[University of Lincoln]]: An English university founded in 1992, with origins tracing back to the foundation and association with the [[Hull School of Art]] 1861.
* [[Lincoln Bishop University]]: The newest university in the East Midlands, formerly a university college.

The region has the lowest proportion of part-time students in England. The region has a higher influx of young people into the region at the university stage than out of the region into other regions' universities. Only 25% of the region's students undertaking a first degree are native to the region.

==Sports==
{{See also|:Category:Sport in Loughborough}}

The region has a good sporting tradition, with some of the most well-known sports personalities –- David Gower ([[Leicestershire County Cricket Club|Leicestershire C.C.C.]]), [[Gary Lineker]], [[Rory Underwood]] ([[Leicester Tigers]]) and [[Jonathan Agnew]].

The [[British Gliding Association]] is based in Leicester on Meridian Business Park, in Braunstone. The [[National Ice Skating Association]] is based in Nottingham (and many of Britain's Olympic ice skaters train in Nottingham); [[Nottingham Panthers]] are in the [[Elite Ice Hockey League]]. The [[British Caving Association]] is at Great Hucklow, the UK sports governing body. The [[British Canoe Union]] is in Bingham.

The first [[1978 BDO World Darts Championship]] was held in Nottingham, in February 1978, being largely the idea of Nick Hunter, a BBC sports producer, and the event first introduced [[Sid Waddell]].

===Football===
[[File:Nottingham Forest FC (Amsterdam, 1980) - Francis, Clough, Robertson.jpg|thumb|right|Brian Clough in April 1980]]
[[Notts County F.C.]] is the world's oldest professional football club, with [[Nottingham Forest F.C.]] being the oldest football league side after Notts County's relegation to the [[National League (division)|National League]] in 2019. [[Sam Weller Widdowson]] brought in [[shin pad]]s in 1874. The first [[Referee (association football)|referee]]'s whistle was at Nottingham in 1872.

[[Admiral Sportswear]] at [[Wigston]] in Leicestershire made the England [[Kit (association football)|football strip]] from 1974 to 1982, when the company went bankrupt; in 1974 it was the first company to introduce replica kits. [[Umbro]] took over the [[England national football team|England kit]] after the [[Template:England squad 1982 FIFA World Cup|1982 World Cup]] in 1984. Nike make the England kit today.

The East Midlands is home to several professional and semi-professional association football (soccer) clubs.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Team !! Location!! League 2025–26
|-
| [[Leicester City F.C.|Leicester City]] || [[Leicester]] || data-sort-value="1" | Championship
|-
| [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] || [[West Bridgford]] ||data-sort-value="1"| Premier League
|-
| [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] || [[Derby]] || data-sort-value="2"|Championship
|-
| [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]] || [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]] || data-sort-value="3"|League One
|-
| [[Mansfield Town F.C.|Mansfield Town]] || [[Mansfield]] || data-sort-value="3"|League One
|-
| [[Northampton Town F.C.|Northampton Town]] || [[Northampton]] || data-sort-value="3"|League One
|-
| [[Chesterfield F.C.|Chesterfield]] || [[Chesterfield, Derbyshire|Chesterfield]] || data-sort-value="4"|League Two
|-
| [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]] || [[Nottingham]] || data-sort-value="4" |League Two
|-
| [[Alfreton Town F.C.|Alfreton Town]] || [[Alfreton]] || data-sort-value="6"|National League North
|-
| [[Boston United F.C.|Boston United]] || [[Boston, Lincolnshire|Boston]] || data-sort-value="6"|National League
|-
| [[Buxton F.C.|Buxton]] || [[Buxton, Derbyshire|Buxton]] || data-sort-value="6"|National League North
|-
| [[Brackley Town F.C.|Brackley Town]] || [[Brackley, Northamptonshire|Brackley]] || data-sort-value="6"|National League
|}

===Rugby Union===
The East Midlands is home to two top-tier ([[Aviva Premiership]]) clubs.

[[Leicester Tigers]] are an English rugby union club based in Leicester at the Welford Road stadium and play in the Aviva Premiership. They were formed in 1880; their colours are green, burgundy and white. Leicester Tigers are one of the most successful Rugby Union teams in Europe and the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, having won the European Cup twice, the first tier of English rugby ten times, and the Anglo-Welsh Cup seven times.

[[Northampton Saints]] are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. They were formed in 1880, and play in black, green, and gold colours. The team play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 15,500. Their biggest rivals are Leicester Tigers.

===Cricket===
[[Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club|Nottinghamshire]] ([[Trent Bridge]]), [[Leicestershire County Cricket Club|Leicestershire]] ([[Grace Road]]), [[Derbyshire County Cricket Club|Derbyshire]] ([[County Cricket Ground, Derby]]) and [[Northamptonshire County Cricket Club|Northamptonshire]] ([[County Cricket Ground, Northampton]]) are in the Cricket [[NatWest t20 Blast|T20 North group]]; Northamptonshire was formerly in the [[Friends Life t20|Midlands group]].

[[File:LeicesterCommunitySportsArena.jpg|thumb|right|Leicester Riders arena in September 2016]]

===Basketball===
[[Leicester Riders]], who play at [[Leicester Arena]], are the oldest club in British basketball, founded in 1967.

===Motor sports===
[[RML Group]] ([[Ray Mallock]]) [[British Touring Car Championship|BTCC]] and [[World Touring Car Championship|WTCC]] motorsport team is in [[Wellingborough]], next to the UK HQ of [[Vredestein Banden B.V.|Vredestein]] tyres (Dutch). [[Craft-Bamboo Racing]] WTCC are at [[Silverstone]].

===Swimming===
The [[Amateur Swimming Association]] is the world's first swimming governing body, founded 1869, and based in [[Loughborough]]. [[British Swimming]] have one of its three Intensive Training Centres at Loughborough University's [[Loughborough Pool]] in their [[Sport Development Centre]].

==Local media==
{{unreferenced section|date=January 2023}}

===Television===
[[File:Waltham on the Wolds Transmitter - geograph.org.uk - 41129.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|The [[Waltham transmitting station|Waltham on the Wolds transmitter]] covers large parts of the region.]]
The [[BBC East Midlands]] region of [[BBC Television]], based in Nottingham, produces several regional television programmes including the news programme ''[[East Midlands Today]]'', broadcast from [[Waltham transmitting station]]. This excludes most of Northamptonshire, north Nottinghamshire and north Derbyshire.

Most of Lincolnshire is covered by the [[BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire]]'s ''[[BBC Look North (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire)|Look North]]'' and [[Yorkshire Television]]'s ''[[Calendar (News)|Calendar]]'' South, both broadcast from [[Belmont transmitting station]]. North Nottinghamshire, northeast Derbyshire, the eastern [[High Peak, Derbyshire|High Peak]] and northern [[Derbyshire Dales]] are covered by [[BBC Yorkshire]]'s ''[[BBC Look North (Yorkshire and North Midlands)|Look North]]'' and [[Yorkshire Television]]'s ''[[Calendar (News)|Calendar]]'' North, both broadcast from [[Emley Moor transmitting station]]. The western area of the High Peak is covered by [[BBC North West]] and [[Granada Television]] from [[Winter Hill transmitting station]].

''[[ITV News Central]] East'' covers much of the East Midlands, broadcasting from [[ITV Central]]'s Birmingham studios. Some western parts of the region can receive ''ITV News Central West''.

Most of Northamptonshire is part of the [[BBC East]] and [[Anglia Television]] region, which  broadcast ''[[BBC Look East|Look East]]'' and ''[[Anglia Tonight]]'' respectively from [[Sandy Heath transmitting station]]. Southern parts of Northamptonshire receive the Thames Valley micro-region of [[ITV Meridian]] and ''[[South Today]]''.

[[Midlands Asian Television]], based in [[Leicester]], caters to the area's large South Asian population.

===Radio===
[[File:Broadcasting House, Northampton.jpg|thumb|220px|right|Radio Northampton's Broadcasting House]]
*[[BBC Radio Derby]], [[BBC Radio Leicester]], [[BBC Radio Lincolnshire]], [[BBC Radio Northampton]], [[BBC Radio Nottingham]], [[BBC Radio Manchester]] (for Glossop, [[Whaley Bridge]] and [[Chapel-en-le-Frith]]) and [[BBC Radio Sheffield]] (for Chesterfield, [[Bolsover]], Worksop and [[Retford]]). BBC Radio Leicester was the first local radio station in the United Kingdom.
*Many commercial, student and community radio stations: [[Capital Midlands]] (formerly Trent FM, RAM FM and Leicester Sound), [[Hits Radio East Midlands]] (formerly Gem and Heart 106), [[Heart East]] (Northamptonshire) (formerly Northants 96), [[Demon FM]] (Leicester), [[Peak FM (North Derbyshire)|Peak FM]] (Chesterfield and North Derbyshire), [[Hits Radio Lincolnshire]] (Lincolnshire and Newark-on-Trent), [[Takeover Radio]] (Leicester & Nottingham), [[Fosse 107]] ([[Loughborough]] and [[Hinckley]]), [[Harborough FM]], [[The Eye (radio station)|The Eye]] (Melton Mowbray), [[Greatest Hits Radio Stamford and Rutland]] (formerly Rutland Radio), [[Boundary Sound]] ([[Newark-on-Trent]]), [[Mansfield 103.2 FM]], [[Greatest Hits Radio South Yorkshire]] (formerly Trax FM) (Bassetlaw), [[Ashbourne Radio]] (Ashbourne on 96.7FM & 101.8FM Wirksworth & Ecclesbourne Valley), [[Amber Sound FM]], [[Erewash Sound]], [[High Peak Radio]] ([[Chapel-en-le-Frith]]), [[Smooth East Midlands]] (formerly Connect 97.2 & 106.80, Corby, PCR FM 103.20, Kettering & Wellingborough), [[Sabras Radio]], [[Salaam Radio]], and [[Hindu Sanskar Radio]], URN (Uni of Nottingham), Fly FM (Nottingham Trent Uni), [[Leicester Community Radio]] Local Radio for over 35's in Leicester 1449AM.
*National radio on DAB and FM comes from [[Sutton Coldfield transmitting station]] in the west, [[Belmont transmitting station]] (the tallest structure in the region) in the northeast, and [[Holme Moss]] in the northwest.

===Newspapers===
There are a number of daily newspapers, the largest of which include the ''[[Derby Telegraph]]'', ''[[Derbyshire Times]]'', ''[[Leicester Mercury]]'', ''[[Lincolnshire Echo]]'', ''[[Northampton Chronicle and Echo]]'', and ''[[Nottingham Evening Post]]''. Most of the daily papers are owned by [[Trinity Mirror]].

[[File:British Parachute School, Langar Airfield - geograph.org.uk - 54674.jpg|thumb|220px|right|[[British Parachute Schools]] at [[Langar, Nottinghamshire|Langar]] ]]

===Magazines===
There are many regional lifestyle publications, the largest and most widely read being ''Life&Style Magazine'', ''FHP Magazine'', ''Nottinghamshire Life'' and ''City Life and County Living''. National magazine publishers in the region include [[Key Publishing]], [[Mortons of Horncastle]] and [[Bourne Publishing Group]].

==See also==
{{Portal|England}}

*[[Midlands]]
*[[1185 East Midlands earthquake]]
*[[East Midlands Regional Select Committee]]
*[[List of schools in the East Midlands]]
*[[Scouting in the East Midlands]]
*[[South Midlands]], a name for the southern part of the East Midlands.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Allen, R.C. ''Enclosure and the Yeoman: the Agricultural Development of the South Midlands 1450-1850'' (Oxford UP, 1992)
* Beckett, John V. ''The East Midlands from AD 1000'' (Addison-Wesley Longman, 1988).
* Dewindt, Edwin Brezett, and Edwin Brezette DeWindt. ''Land and people in Holywell-cum-Needingworth: structures of tenure and patterns of social organization in an East Midlands village, 1252-1457'' (PIMS, 1972).
* Laughton, Jane, Evan Jones, and Christopher Dyer. "The urban hierarchy in the later Middle Ages: a study of the East Midlands." ''Urban history'' (2001): 331–357.
* McWhirr, Alan. ''The Early Military History of the Roman East Midlands'' (1970) [https://www.le.ac.uk/lahs/downloads/RomanPagesfromvolumeXLV-2.pdf online].
* Stafford, Pauline. ''The East Midlands in the Early Middle Ages'' (Leicester University, 1985).
* Stobart, Jon. "Regions, Localities, and Industrialisation: Evidence from the East Midlands Circa 1780–1840." ''Environment and Planning A'' 33.7 (2001): 1305–1325.
* Tompkins, Matthew. ''Peasant society in a midlands manor, Great Horwood 1400-1600'' (PhD Diss. U of Leicester, 2006) [https://leicester.figshare.com/articles/Peasant_society_in_a_midlands_manor_Great_Horwood_1400-1600/10079651/files/18175607.pdf online].
* Townsend, Claire. "County versus region? Migrational connections in the East Midlands, 1700–1830." ''Journal of Historical Geography'' 32.2 (2006): 291–312.

==External links==
{{commons category|East Midlands}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131021033611/http://www.emcouncils.gov.uk/Home East Midlands Councils]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110128163537/http://www.emregionalstrategy.co.uk/Home East Midlands Regional Strategy]
*[http://www.eastmidlandserdf.org.uk Regional Development Fund] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509025105/http://www.eastmidlandserdf.org.uk/ |date=9 May 2015 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060925222424/http://www.direct.gov.uk/Dl1/Directories/LocalCouncils/LocalGovernmentByRegion/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4003592&chk=+JqZK3 Government's list of councils in the East Midlands]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20181214001952/http://www.climate-em.org.uk/ Climate East Midlands]

{{United Kingdom topics}}
{{English regions}}
{{East Midlands}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:East Midlands| ]]
[[Category:Regions of England]]
[[Category:NUTS 1 statistical regions of England]]
[[Category:NUTS 1 statistical regions of the European Union]]