The East Midlands is made up of 6 counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland.
The region is served by one international airport: Nottingham East Midlands Airport. It is also within easy reach of Birmingham, Manchester, Doncaster Robin Hood, Humberside, Luton and Stansted Airports.
Many of the major towns and cities in the East Midlands are located between 1 and 3 hours from London and enjoy strong rail and road links.
The region covers an area of 15,008 square kilometres and has a population of 3,609,160.
East Midlands
UK
Population, 2004 (million)
4.3m
59.8m
Total geographical area (sq km)
15,607
242,515
Employment Rate, 2004
75.4%
74.2%
Unemployment Rate, 2004
4.3%
4.9%
Percentage of economically active adults with no qualifications, 2003
12.2%
10.8%
Percentage of economically active adults with a level 4+ (first degree or above), 2003
25.0%
28.6%
Workplace based annual earnings, 2005
£17,713
£18,961
------------------------------------------ Source: East Midlands Development Agency