The
counties of the United Kingdom are subnational divisions of the
United Kingdom, used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. By the
Middle Ages counties had become established as a unit of local government, at least in
England. By the early 17th century all of England,
Wales,
Scotland and
Ireland had been divided into counties. The older term "
shire" was historically equivalent to "county". In Scotland shire was the only term used until after the
Act of Union 1707.