Worcestershire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands county to the north, Warwickshire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south, and Herefordshire to the west. The city of Worcester is the largest settlement and the county town. The county is largely rural, and has an area of 1,741 km2 and a population of 592,057. After Worcester the largest settlements are Redditch, Kidderminster, and Malvern.