Editing South Yorkshire (section)

==Geography==
The metropolitan county borders [[Derbyshire]], [[West Yorkshire]], [[North Yorkshire]], the [[East Riding of Yorkshire]], [[Lincolnshire]] and [[Nottinghamshire]]. The terrain of the county is mostly distinguished by the Pennines and its foothills which rise in the west of the county and gradually descend into the [[Humberhead Levels]] in the east of the county. Geologically, the county lies largely on the carboniferous rocks of the [[South Yorkshire Coalfield|Yorkshire coalfield]] in the outer Pennine fringes, producing a rolling landscape with hills, escarpments and broad valleys. In this landscape, there is widespread evidence of both current and former industrial activity. There are numerous mine buildings, former spoil heaps and iron and steel plants. The scenery is a mixture of built up areas, industrial land with some dereliction, and farmed open country. Ribbon developments along transport routes including canal, road and rail are prominent features of the area although some remnants of the pre industrial landscape and semi-natural vegetation still survive.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/4743624|title = NCA Profile: 38. Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire Coalfield (NE402)|publisher = publications.naturalengland.org.uk|access-date  = 21 June 2016|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20160513063536/http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/4743624|archive-date = 13 May 2016|url-status = live
}}</ref>

The Pennines in the west of the county are mostly inside the [[Peak District|Peak District National Park]] and also contain carboniferous rocks, with the underlying geology primarily being millstone grit sandstones of the [[Dark Peak]] rising from the Yorkshire coalfield and the terrain is mostly moorland plateaus and gritstone edges.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.snh.org.uk/wwo/sharinggoodpractice/cci/cci/northwest/051a.htm|title = Dark Peak|publisher = Scottish Natural Heritage|access-date = 21 June 2016|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20160807063451/http://www.snh.org.uk/wwo/sharinggoodpractice/cci/cci/northwest/051a.htm|archive-date = 7 August 2016|url-status = live}}</ref> The inner Pennine fringes between the Dark Peak and Yorkshire coalfield are distinguished by many steep valleys, and a transition from uplands and rural landscape to lowlands and urban landscape towards the east of the county.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/5459581769613312|title = NCA Profile: 37 Yorkshire Southern Pennine Fringe (NE490)|publisher    = publications.naturalengland.org.uk|access-date = 21 June 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160803022905/http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/5459581769613312|archive-date = 3 August 2016|url-status = live }}</ref> Major rivers which cross the area are the [[River Dearne|Dearne]], [[River Rother, South Yorkshire|Rother]] and [[River Don, South Yorkshire|Don]]. To the east, in the Doncaster area the landscape becomes flatter as the eastward dipping carboniferous rocks of the coalfield are overlain by the lacustrine deposits of the Humberhead Levels.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Landscape/CC/yorkshire_and_the_humber/humberhead_levels.asp|title = Humberhead Levels|publisher = www.countryside.gov.uk|access-date = 6 October 2008|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20081013060239/http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Landscape/CC/yorkshire_and_the_humber/humberhead_levels.asp|archive-date = 13 October 2008|url-status = dead}}</ref>

===Green belt===
{{Further|South and West Yorkshire Green Belt}}

South Yorkshire contains [[Green belt (United Kingdom)|green belt]] throughout the county, surrounding its four districts to large extents. It was first drawn up from the 1950s. The western edge of the Sheffield and Barnsley districts directly form with the boundary of the Peak District National Park.