The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England, Southern England and the North Sea. The Midlands were important in the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries. They are split into the West Midlands and East Midlands. The region's biggest city, Birmingham – often considered the social, cultural, financial and commercial centre of the Midlands, – is the second-largest city and metropolitan area in the United Kingdom.

Other major towns and cities of the Midlands, with a population of 100,000 or more include Coventry, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Mansfield, Northampton, Nottingham, Solihull, Stoke-on-Trent, Sutton Coldfield, Telford, Wolverhampton and Worcester. The Midlands also includes the smaller cathedral cities of Hereford and Lichfield.