Lancashire is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Preston is the largest settlement. The county has an area of 3,079 square kilometres and a population of 1,490,300. After Preston, the largest settlements are Blackpool and Blackburn; the city of Lancaster has a population of 52,655.